It all started when…

Hey friends, Russell here. I just wanted to share what you could call an extended bio, or my story…

Opportunities come and go. Some we simply never recognized others we consciously ignored but, every once in a while we grab it by the… well you know. This is exactly how I found my passion for hair, or should I say, my passion for making people feel good about themselves in the mirror.

Shortly after graduating from a vocational school for commercial art I decided to forgo art as continued education (ironically the creativity on demand had worn down my creative sole) and jump right into the work force. Like many, I bounced around a bit looking for what would ultimately fulfill the need and did end up making that discovery.

By the time I was 21 I had landed what would be a dead end job that I thought was scratching that itch. I also realized that I had to continue my education to have such fulfillment realized. I ended up in community college for engineering (yes, im a total nerd and wouldn’t have it any other way). This come to find out was just out of my grasp as that dead end job didn’t seem so dead end when offered a full time position which nearly doubled my income. Further education went by the wayside and for a second time in my life I found myself wandering through the weeds of life with no direction.

In this time, this job had become a career but, not the one was I looking for. Now in my late 20s and craving some form of work satisfaction, I decided to quit cold turkey and do some very serious sole searching. I tried it all, bartend tending, security, construction and maintenance, truly the list goes on. As many do, I turned to the advice of friends. I’ve always had a diverse selection of characters I call friend and hairstylists were amongst some of those friends. I was often told because of my art background and an understanding of shape, color and design that I’d make a great hairstylist. I had always considered it, but always had an excuse why not to. Until…

I had come to the end of a construction season and with winter approaching they simply didn't need as much help at the bar, it was time for me to make the hard decision, cosmetology school would be in my future.

On my first day, when they handed out the tools and curriculum I knew this was the path I had been spending so much time seeking. in the time since then, I haven’t looked back and have only completely taken ownership of this path and am now fully in control of where it leads.

I went to a Paul Mitchell partner school. sure, it was a little more money but, id be getting more than if I were to attend an adult vocational school for the same topic (no offense to adult vocational schools but, it is what it is). This of course was all in my home state of New Jersey. My first salons I worked at were actually in NJ. Once again I felt myself wanting more. NYC, here I come! This was no easy task but by now, I knew easy would never be an option, so I worked hard. I must have filed out 50 applications to be an apprentice. I made my resume look ridiculous (printed on silver paper) just so it would stand out in the pile. This strategy worked. I eventually landed in one of the strongest education based salons in the city. I was so hungry for knowledge, to this day that hunger is insatiable. I got to meet all the right people and once again, this path became even more obvious. I worked ridiculously long hours and studied even more. I already had Paul Mitchell’s cutting system under my belt and I quickly added Toni and Guy and Vidal Sassoon cutting systems as well. Any opportunity that presented itself, I took.

Fast forward to now. I have nearly 20 seasons of NYC fashion week under my belt, have been featured in many trade magazines as well as in TV and movie. I got my 15 minutes of fame being on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon “Jimmy gets a mustache.” I got involved with hair product development with the likes Loreal and Luxury Brand Products. I also landed myself side by side with the dry haircutting pioneer himself, Mike Karg. I’ve spent years on the road with Mike perfecting my educating style and was eventually promoted to Artistic Director of Karg Inc.

I continue to want more and have turned my love for visual creation (photography) into a side hustle that directly connects to the hair and fashion industry. I’ve have since been published and now offer my photo services to the general public.

I don’t think I’ll ever stop creating in some way or another and as my path gets more defined by my own hands, I invite you to join me on this journey where my goal is to make this path ever wider. As they say, it’s about the journey, not the destination.