Meet Ryan Burrell
Ryan Burrell is a a celebrity hairstylist as well as a salon owner, who has worked in editorial, fashion, television and film.
Ryan has worked on the set of some amazing TV series, such as All American Homecoming, The Big Fib, The View and Candyman. Not to mention he’s worked with the likes of Zendaya, Whoopi Goldberg, Coco Gauff, Danai Gurira and many more.
In today’s episode, we speak to Ryan about his transition into hair styling, how he has built such an exceptional career in the industry and what up-and-coming stylists should be focussing on.
Where to find Ryan: Instagram
The interview
Here are all the questions we asked Ryan so you can fast-forward to the best parts.
[01:30] You were raised by a series of hair stylists, how did that influence you growing up?
[06:45] Has your Mom given you her stamp of approval?
[08:04] What was your experience of Cosmetology school like? And how did you decide what school to attend?
[10:17] What role did your science degree play in helping you to understand hair?
[14:10] What is your advice to stylists who want to offer chemical treatments like colouring?
[19:35] Do you agree there are a lot of stylists who know how to style but not necessarily how to care for their clients hair?
[22:57] What are some core things your Mom taught you that have been applied to your salon?
[24:53] What do you look out for in stylists when you're trying to hire them?
[27:38] How has the salon culture influenced the way that you work with celebrities?
[29:32] What was your experience of breaking into the TV and film scene?
[31:54] What was the first set you were on and how did you get there?
[34:54] What advice do you have for up and coming stylists and what are the areas they should look at travelling to to build their career?
[38:06] What has been one of your favourite experiences?
[39:49] What advice do you have for stylists who want to maintain longevity in their career?
[42:08] How have you coped with the pressure of working in live TV?
[43:42] What's next for you?
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Who has Ryan styled?
Some takeaways
For stylists 💇🏾♀️
Ryan's studies in pharmaceuticals and anaesthesiology (a branch of science that focusses on pain relief) played a huge role in him understanding the science behind hair. Hair is about much more than styling, and to truly be able to offer clients an A* experience, it's important that stylists double down on their education. As Ryan mentioned, he didn't go to the most expensive Cosmetology school, but attending helped him to meet talented stylists who he could learn from.
Going to Cosmetology school is very much like college and can cost between $20,000 to $50,000. As this is a huge investment, it's important for stylists to consider, not just the name brand of the school, but what they can afford.
Fun fact: you should weight and measure chemicals accurately before applying them to a client. Ryan learned this in Cosmetology school and was able to bring that learning back to his Mom's salon.
When clients are on certain medication, hair colour can change and the smell of chemicals can also change. That's one of the many reasons that test strands and consultations are so important in understanding allergic reactions to particular chemicals. Consultations also provide you with an opportunity to suss your clients' family history, when they're experiencing high volumes of stress, the state of their health or and medical conditions that may have cropped up so you can adjust your recommendations too.
When Ryan is looking for stylists, he wants to see people are able to meet the standard that he and his Mom have set for their salon. It's important that the quality of the service is a reflection of how much they charge so clients walk out feeling like it has been money well spent. It's important to consider not just your time but also the quality when working on your pricing.
Ryan surrounded himself with stylists who were in the union by attending events, taking classes and asking a lot of questions. That environment helped open doors in the TV and film industry. After messaging the lead stylist at Project Runway on Facebook, Ryan got his first opportunity in fashion for the finale in New York.
TV and film is all about timing. You have hours in a salon, but you only have 45-60 mins in trailer. Live TV is even more pressure and you have to learn how to adjust in that environment.
Hair Schools Ryan mentioned
Paul Mitchell
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🔥 Survey time
Global Crowns: Emotions Surrounding Natural Hair of Black Women Around the Globe
A few weeks ago, we caught up with Dr. Nicole Jenkins, an Assistant Professor at Harvard who has dedicated her career to understanding the experiences of women in the African Diaspora.
Dr Jenkins is currently looking for people to take part in a survey that uncovers the most impactful memories and emotions that people have experienced around their hair. If you’re interested in taking part, click the button below to start the survey.
See you in the next episode!
From,
The Mane Hook-Up team
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