Looking Back to Look Forward
First of all, we hope you’re having a fantastic start to 2022!
The New Year is all about celebrating the old and the new. In line with that, here’s something totally new and exciting that we have in store: Neeko and I launched a new Instagram account on New Year’s!
Since we’re going to be managing the account together, it’s going to be more of a couple’s business Instagram account than anything. We’re so excited to use this opportunity to bring you updates on what’s hot in the salon industry, sneak peeks of our events, and what’s in store for The Lab-Lounge — and we hope you’re just as excited!
So in the spirit of New Year, we wanted to look back on some of the major events that we have done over the years.
Neeko’s Emmy Nomination
Neeko is one of the entertainment industry’s most sought-after hairstylists with more than 30 years of award-winning experience to his credit. True to his reputation, he received an Emmy nomination in the 48 Annual Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Hairstyling.
In the award-winning talk show “Red Table Talk”, Jada Pinkett Smith, with her daughter Willow and her mother Gammy, hold candid conversations about current social and cultural issues. Jada isn’t afraid of being fun and adventurous with her hair. In fact, she’s known for sporting just about every look in the book. And as of late, none other than Neeko has been in charge of handling her gorgeous hair!
Red Table Talk
Aside from being nominated for Outstanding Hairstyling, “Red Table Talk” was also nominated for several awards. It won Outstanding Talk Show Informative at the Daytime Emmy Awards and Outstanding Host in a Talk or News at the NAACP Image Awards.
2. Styling Kate Hudson on “Truth Be Told”
The second season of the Apple drama series “Truth Be Told” has Kate Hudson joining Octavia Spencer as Micah Keith. Also, Tanya joined Kate Hudson as her hair stylists.
Truth Be Told
As you can imagine, it was an absolute joy to work with such a talented actress on an incredible drama series. “Truth Be Told” tackles the thrilling world of true crime podcasts as podcaster Poppy Parnell (played by Octavia Spencer) seeks truth and justice. Based on Kathleen Barber’s debut mystery novel “Are You Sleeping”, the series also bagged the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Writing in a Dramatic Series.
3. I Read “The Guncle” by Steven Rowley
Despite all the progress the country has made since 2020 with regards to the pandemic, 2021 has not been easy for many of us. It's been a challenge not only to stay afloat but find effective and healthy coping mechanisms. There are lots of ways to do it — some people turned to baking, arts and crafts, journaling, vlogging, or any number of hobbies. I turned to "The Guncle".
"The Guncle" is a delightful and touching story about Patrick, a once-famous gay sitcom star who enters the world of parenting after tragedy strikes his niece and nephew. Steven perfectly mixes heart and humor in a powerful story about love, loss, patience, and family even in the toughest of times.
Just like Patrick, we're all going through some tough battles right now. Our connections with friends and family — which we might've taken for granted pre-pandemic — became all the more important in such times where we're going through mental and emotional turmoil. And today, some are still unable to be with their loved ones. We've all experienced losses that weigh heavily on our hearts.
So, “The Guncle” really helped me get through the pandemic. With its heartwarming story, it gave me a sense of warmth and hope that carried me through 2021. I really wanted to share it with you because I believe it’ll be a great read — and I’d hope that by reading the book, it can help keep you going just as it did for me.
4. Working with Sandra Bullock on “The Unforgivable”
“The Unforgivable” is Sandra Bullock’s most recent movie. It was released in a limited theatrical release in November 2021 before going on Netflix in December 2021. The film follows ex-con Ruth’s release from prison and her search for the little sister Katie, whom she was forced to leave behind.
It was definitely a treat getting to style Sandra for the film. Needless to say, she was an absolute joy to work with. Check out her hairstyle on the film’s premiere night.
5. Styling Nathalie Emmanuel
The beautiful and talented Nathalie Emmanuel is no stranger to people, and definitely not to us. She’s starred in films and series such as The Fast and the Furious, Maze Runner, and Game of Thrones. While we have seen her amazing work in films, we’ve also had the incredible privilege to be her hairstylist on many photoshoots and events. Some examples would be:
These are just a few examples of when we worked with Nathalie. And we would work with her again simply because she’s such a delight to work with. We appreciate the trust she’s placed in us on so many occasions — and we’re definitely looking forward to working with her again in the future. Stay tuned, as we’ll share those experiences with you!
6. Tracey Mattingly Pushing Us To Excel
For eight years, Neeko has been represented by Tracey Mattingly, LLC. And boy, what a great eight years it’s been. We've been able to meet and work with so many fantastic people through this agency.
They’ve pushed us to do better, do more, and become the best we can be every year that we’ve been with them.
You can browse through Neeko’s portfolio here!
7. MC Lyte’s Support From Day One
One of our Lab-Lounge regulars, MC Lyte has been with us on our journey for as long as we can remember. She's always supported us through our years of friendship and business, and we cannot imagine our careers without her. She's working on her newest project, "Partners in Rhyme", and we honestly can't wait to see many more milestones in her career!
“Partners in Rhyme” is a rap sitcom that follows the life of a female high school rapper, social media star, and foster kid who believes she could be the next Cardi B. MC Lyte is amazing in everything she does, and this is, without a doubt, no exception.
8. Neeko Educating Students
“The absolute bottom line truth about continued education is the moment you stop, you stop growing.”
These are words that Neeko and I live by.
My journey and education in the world of professional haircare have been long and hard. Spending a lot of time with my tía in her beauty salon, I naturally gravitated toward doing hair. Then, I started cosmetology at 16, got my cosmo license at 17, and finally landed my first job as an assistant in Umberto's Salon at Beverly Hills when I was 18.
Neeko's path was just as much about mentors as mine was. He's a hair hero now, but no one starts at the top. Back in his youth, he had actually gotten into a spot of trouble with the law. But life didn't stop there, especially when Neeko had the right people backing him up.
That time, a youth counselor (who happened to be a barber), recommended that Neeko try out beauty school, where he found out he had a gift. It was a real challenge finding out how best to express that gift, but look where he is now: on top of the world, styling for some of the most high-profile names in Hollywood.
Both of our journeys began by meeting inspiring, humble, and badass mentors in our lives. Both of us had a drive to learn and excel. In Neeko’s case, his path comes full circle by holding a class at the Paul Mitchell Schools.
In case you didn’t know, Paul Mitchell is an iconic brand of professional hair care. They offer all styles of classes: live demos, multimedia, and lectures — whatever learning style you need, they’ve got you covered!
It is truly an honor to teach at Paul Mitchell Schools and share our knowledge with young, aspiring hairstylists. The youth are the hope of the future, and these young students will definitely give rise to an incredible generation of hairstylists.
Being able to teach was something I never dreamed I’d be able to do when I first started hairstyling.
Take that as a testament that your wildest dreams can come true with time, effort, and dedication!
9. Reopening During the Pandemic
The last major event that we had in the past year was when we reopened our salon. Many businesses started to reopen in 2021 as the world slowly got back up and running. Of course, we’ve had to make certain adjustments to comply with safety regulations, but it feels oh so good to be back in physical business!
2020 was a tough year for the salon industry, and we weren’t exempt. COVID-19 threw a wrench in the profitability of many salons, putting many people out of business and forcing millions of salon owners to adjust their business models. It’s certainly difficult to keep a business that depends on touching people’s hair when you aren’t supposed to actually touch people in general.
As a result, the salon industry was hit the hardest during the pandemic. Turnover fell by 45% in 2020 due to social distancing restrictions. Salons suffered from cash loss, employees lost their jobs, and many salon owners had to shut their businesses down. Things got so bad that PB columnist Hellen Ward and a group of salon owners founded the Save Our Salons campaign to reduce the VAT rate for personal care businesses.
Fortunately, hair and beauty professionals have found a stopgap solution by offering custom DIY hair color kits, telephone consultations, and other digital means of disseminating their products and services. Without a doubt, the salon industry as a whole will find its footing again. But a greater emphasis on developing business skills and using technology will prove vital in addition to hands-on training and technical ability.
As safety restrictions are now easing up and life is ever-so-slowly returning to normal, salon owners are faced with a litany of questions on how to go about reopening their businesses. Here are some things we’ve had to do:
Create a safer environment for clients.
Re-evaluate the business model and adjust accordingly.
Protect the health of the staff and clients.
Practice thorough sanitation.
Hopefully the salon industry will be able to pick up its pace, reopen salons and come up with new and creative ways to offer services to their clients in 2022. We’ve managed to reopen, but not everyone has yet. There’s no doubt in my mind though that we can dust ourselves off from the many hardships that we faced in 2020 and 2021 and make 2022 a brighter year for professional hair care.
And there you have it, folks! It felt so good to reminisce on our past projects, and I hope it also made you feel hopeful about what’s to come. We have so many things planned for 2022 and we are so excited to be entering this new year with you.