Back To Life, Back To Reality

Its all over.  Rodrigo and I arrived back in Canada on Saturday.  The statistics are staggering.  Over 1100 hairstylists educated in hands-on cutting and coloring, over 3000 km traveled in the tour bus, 17 events in 21 days, spanning 3 countries.

Incredible when you add it all up.

What a fulfilling experience.  The gift of being able to touch hairstylists lives through inspiration and education is truly unique.  There are no barriers of language or culture when we all speak the language of hair.  This was undoubtedly the most difficult, and most rewarding tour of my career.  I was able to have this experience with my brother Patrick, who is also my closest friend and workmate I have in life, and Rodrigo, a fine individual and great hairstylist.  I know I will be friends with Rodrigo for the rest of our careers, and the mutual respect is huge after this tour.

As fun and rewarding as this tour was, it reminds me of how great my life is here at home.  I have a great family, thriving business, and wonderful people around me every day.  Leaving this comfort and security makes me realize its true magnitude.  And what good is an experience like this one if you have no one around you to share the experience with?  I will leave this post with a few photos from the road, people, places, and things that brought great joy to me on the tour.

Best,

Paul

Budapest / Bridal Emergency

Patrick's last night here. The three of us took the day to tour Budapest. Some casual eating and sight seeing was the priority, as the final week is a whirlwind of 6 straight classes, with as many as 100 attendees in some of the seminars. Rodrigo and I sure have our work cut out for us here.

The city is in stark contrast to Prague. There is a large percentage of new structure that relates well with the old architecture. Everything here is beautiful, and larger than life. As a hairstylist, I am absorbing great lines and proportions of everything around me. Surely these ideas on form, texture, and scale will make their way into my work sooner rather than later.

I have attached a few pics from our city tour, back to the grind tomorrow. We work in Budapest then jump on the bus to Sombathely for the beginning of the end. Although this experience has been unbelievable, its time to dig deep and finish strong, I am ready to see Ann and the kids.

Enjoy the pics, especially the bride. I spotted a woman at the castle who obviously had just been married on site. She was struggling with a headpiece that was obviously not secure. I explained to her that I was a qualified hairstylist and would be happy to help her and her hair on her special day. Good thing she spoke English. I took a minute to secure her piece properly, and Patrick snapped a few photos, without me noticing. A stylist's work is never done, even on your day off in Budapest.

Best,

Paul

It's All About The People

So we have completed the 2nd leg of the tour, tearing through 5 cities in Slovakia. Now a city tour in Budapest tomorrow before the final 5 events in Hungary.

What an emotional day we had. Slovakia was such a pleasant surprise. The team here felt like family, and tears were shed tonight when they dropped us off in Budapest.

This crazy business is about people. And that's the long and short of it. It's about the people we service, the people we inspire and educate, and the special teams that we create. I know that the Czech and Slovak teams will be my lifelong friends, and we are all better people for our experiences together.

The people are the soul of hair, and there is nothing more powerful than being successful at leading and inspiring future leaders in the education industry. Education is the lifeblood of our business. Period. Embracing it, and the people who deliver it will empower hairstylists to live a better life in all aspects. Here's a few pics of some special people that Rodrigo, Patrick, and myself have met along the way.

Best,

Paul.

Czech Mate

So the first tour leg is done. 6 events in 6 days. This has taken the team from training regional educators for the Czech / Slovak teams to traveling through the country with stops in 5 other Czech cities.

The tour is amazing. Myself, Rodrigo and Patrick have quickly developed a fantastic synergy and our collection is very well received. The Czech countryside has so many remnants of communism. It is a history lesson in itself just being here. The downside of being on the bus for hours at a time with the crew and models is quickly overshadowed by the architectural beauty of the country.

This is truly the heart of hair education. Taking your best ideas, presenting them with passion and energy, to the people who need, want, and love the material. As artists, we can only grow from sharing our knowledge. And this drives us to improve our skill and delivery.

Huge thanks to all our team, you are all amazing and the Czech portion of the tour could not have happened without you.

Quick day of r & r in rainy Prague, then off to the second leg, 6 cities in 6 days through Slovakia and Moravia.

Updates to follow dependent on web access.

Best,

Paul

Czech Yourself.

So the tour officially begins.  Patrick, Rodrigo and myself have just finished training the CZ team!!!
The relentless pace has begun.  After a sleepless jet-lagged night, we pumped out an amazing hands-on cutting seminar for the Czech and Slovak Education team.  Immediately after, we jumped on our tour bus and drove to Plzen, CZ.

I'm not sure if this is obvious, but I love beer, and I can see the Pilsner Urquell Brewery from my hotel window.  Amazing.

No pics  today, WiFi costs a ton here, about 50 CAD for 24 hours.  Its definitely time to call it quits tonight, we have a class of 75 stylists tomorrow, and then head back to Prague immediately after.

On a high note, our collection was very well received, and these successful events always remind me what being an educator is all about,  sharing.  Sharing everything you have, giving away your knowledge base to anyone who wants it.  This is the only way to grow, and to continue to innovate.

Pics in the next few days, as my WiFI permits.

Best,

Paul