In this episode, we interview the 6 Finalists for The Look. Each year, Sport Clips holds a national haircutting competition, The Look, where top stylists from across the U.S. and Canada are featured on stage at our National Huddle for a head-to-head battle for the title of ‘The Look Champion’. Recorded immediately after their performance, we talk to the finalists about how they made it to the Finals, their overall experience in the competition, and get their predictions on who would win.
| Episode Air Date |
Guest Name |
Guest Title |
Topic(s) |
| April 19, 2019 |
Sami, Shae, Christian, Ana, Mariya, Imani |
Look Finalists |
Performing on stage at Huddle 2019 |
Each episode of the Podcast is also available on iTunes and the Google Play store.
Transcription:
Chad Jordan: Hey everybody, this is Chad Jordan, Director of Marketing at Sport Clips and we have another special edition of the Sport Clips 'Hall of Fame' podcast today. We just set a record in the last recording, because we had four managers on the podcast. We've now broken that record in the very next podcast cause we have six, I got six rock stars with us today.
Chad Jordan: So, we are going to be talking about 'The Look', which is a contest we put on, really, is it all year, I guess? But at least at Huddle, where we have six regions represented with the best haircut in the country and Canada, right? And they're represented. And, so we decided we'll get the six rock stars who did the hair cuts and experienced all this stuff, we'll get them on the podcast and talk to them a little bit about what they've done, how it feels, and how to have at least been done with the platform stage, and as they wait to find out who the winner is.
Chad Jordan: So, without further ado, I'm gonna have my first guest introduce herself and her store name, and where she was when she found out she had been picked to be 'The Look' representative.
Sami Bruce: I'm Sami, I work at SK201. I was actually in the Starbucks drive through when I found out. My friend that works at a different Saskatchewan store called me, and she told me to check Facebook. So, yeah, here we are.
Chad Jordan: And, just in case anybody out there is wondering, so Saskatchewan is in Canada.
Sami Bruce: Yes.
Chad Jordan: As I was informed earlier today, so I appreciate all of the geographical education that we're able to provide on this show. All right, thank you. Okay, next.
Shae Whitley: My name's is Shae. I'm the manager of AR 202 and I was in the middle of a haircut, when two of my coaches, and a local manager, and my area director came in with balloons and a cake, and Facebook Live right in my client's face.
Chad Jordan: Oh, yeah. Did you have to like blur his face?
Shae Whitley: No he like, she like got close in and he kind of like, turned away but it was a lot of fun.
Chad Jordan: How were you able to finish the haircut after all that adrenaline just rushed through your body? Might have been good practice for what you had to do today.
Shae Whitley: Yeah, it definitely was. I treated him just like I do every single time, it was cool. I was like, “Yeah, okay cool. I'm gonna finish cutting my hair, and I'll meet you guys in the back in a little bit”.
Chad Jordan: That's awesome.
Shae Whitley: But it was definitely really cool to be brought, basically a brigade.
Chad Jordan: Yeah, and so they did a Facebook Live video. [crosstalk] Did they do it from the store or from their own social media profile?
Shae Whitley: It was from Ashley's social media, but I know that she's really, really prominent at [crosstalk] Sport Clips and [crosstalk 00:02:56].
Chad Jordan: Yeah, a lot of people saw it. That's cool. Alright, next.
Christian D.: I'm Christian from FL 219 and I'm an assistant over there. I was actually in the middle of a haircut as well when my owner ... I was at my previous store 210, and I was doing a haircut, and Deborah called me, my team leader, and she told me that I won, and it was on the third. Just like her I just kept on cutting hair, but then a little bit after, because she lives in Virginia she couldn't come and see me, so she sent me a video of her popping Champagne and... [crosstalk]
Chad Jordan: Oh nice. And drinking it on your behalf?
Christian D.: Honestly, yeah, she was like “I won!” and I was like “oh fun ... have fun” But yeah, she's amazing.
Chad Jordan: You know what, I should have put on, you might be the only ... in fact, this is why it's the Hall of Fame podcast, you might be the only assistant manager ever to have his profile represented on his region's t-shirt at Huddle. Isn't that you? Have you seen the t-shirts?
Christian D.: My shirt? [crosstalk] That's a thing.
Chad Jordan: Yeah, so that's never happened. That's a record. That's never happened before. Just so you know. So you're kind of a big deal. In case you didn't already know that. So congratulations.
Christian D.: And only being the second guy to compete, pretty cool too.
Chad Jordan: That's awesome.
Christian D.: Yeah it's awesome.
Chad Jordan: Alright, congratulations. And you're up.
Ana Gautreau: I'm Ana, from VA 212. And I found out-
Chad Jordan: Team leader?
Ana Gautreau: Team leader Twan Dam.
Chad Jordan: Okay.
Ana Gautreau: Yeah. Not Denver. I found out when I was at home. My coach, Kate Skelton, called me and I didn't really believe her for a minute, so I started crying.
Chad Jordan: Crying 'cause you thought she was pulling a cruel prank on you and that your friendship with her was over? I mean why-
Ana Gautreau: It started out that and then it went into “oh this is really happening.”
Chad Jordan: And were you crying at the thought of maybe having to get on stage?
Ana Gautreau: Oh yeah.
Chad Jordan: Oh okay, alright. Which we're gonna talk about in just a second. Alright cool, next up.
Mariya A.: I'm Mariya, from AZ 146. I believe my team leaders are Bella and Jared.
Chad Jordan: Okay.
Mariya A.: And I was also-
Chad Jordan: By the way, for valid, you'll hear me talking valid. [crosstalk]
Mariya A.: I was also in the middle of a haircut. My manager she turned around, she was like “Mariya, look at the board!” And I guess my area code she checked it online as Mariyawon, but it was like one name, and I was like “Who's that?”
Chad Jordan: Mariyawon?
Mariya A.: How do you even say that name, Mariyawon?
Chad Jordan: What a weird name.
Mariya A.: And Brenda's like “No, you won!” I was like “No way!” and I start shaking, and I was like doing a skin fade on my client [crosstalk] he was like “Please calm down.”
Chad Jordan: [crosstalk] He didn't know what was going on?
Mariya A.: He was proud of me, like excited for me, but he was like “Yeah just-”
Chad Jordan: This is important.
Mariya A.: "Take five minutes, stop shaking, and then you can start again.”
Chad Jordan: That's awesome.
Mariya A.: So yeah.
Chad Jordan: Alright, last but not least.
Imani Tezeno: My name is Imani Tezeno, I'm from Houston, Texas, TX 258, and my team leader is Kiera James. I found out ... I was at home actually, in my restroom when she called me and was like “Oh my God girl, you won.” And I said “What, what are you talking about?” Because I didn't win first in my local contest.
Chad Jordan: Really?
Imani Tezeno: No.
Chad Jordan: Really? Whoa. I didn't know. So what did they take? Top 2?
Imani Tezeno: It was top ... out of all four I was, I placed second out of the first to fourth place, I placed second. So, I was just like whatever, not thinking anything Vegas. But then she called me and was like “Oh my God girl, you won!” and I was like “What?” And she was like “You're a finalist not a runner-up, you're a finalist. They want you in Vegas.” I was huh? I was like okay. And then her manager called and...
Chad Jordan: That was crazy.
Imani Tezeno: Yeah it-
Chad Jordan: Did you ask “Are you sure you got the right phone number and you weren't supposed to call somebody else? [crosstalk]
Imani Tezeno: I was just looking, I'm like "Huh? Wait, me? Vegas, what?” Yeah, because I had won second so I didn't think nothing about Vegas.
Chad Jordan: Who told you guys about 'The Look'? I'm not a stylist, so I've never worked in a Sport Clips. Do you show up on the first day of Sport Clips and they're like, "By the way, so we have this 'Look' competition every year and at some point you can enter it". How do you find out about it?
Christian D.: That's what they did that for me.
Chad Jordan: Huh?
Christian D.: They did that for me.
Chad Jordan: They did that? Let's hear from Christian. So the very first day, you get hired, and they say what?
Christian D.: It was in my interview process-
Chad Jordan: Okay.
Christian D.: Was when Shannon, Shannon Belcheck FL 210 she was the manager, she told me there's a look contest. And I was like "oh that's cool," I love competing and I love competition. And then I told her "Yeah, I'm probably gonna win it." And then I'm here now, so- [crosstalk]
Chad Jordan: How long ago was that?
Christian D.: That was in June.
Chad Jordan: Okay, so we're not even a year.
Christian D.: Yeah.
Chad Jordan: And you literally are here. [crosstalk]
Christian D.: Yeah exactly. I think it's cool that I predicted it.
Chad Jordan: Yeah. Called your shot.
Christian D.: Yeah, and I was like yeah this is gonna be fun.
Chad Jordan: Has it been fun?
Christian D.: Yeah it has, but I even entered in the last three days, so [crosstalk]
Chad Jordan: What? You're last minutes, eleventh hour.
Mariya A.: My manager bribed me actually.
Chad Jordan: What do you mean? [crosstalk] So your manager bribed you ...
Mariya A.: Yeah I kept seeing the paper in the back, like the packet. Then my manager sent a group text to our store, she's like “Please, if someone enters this, I'll give you $100 just for entering.” She's like “Please, just answer it [crosstalk] and show me”
Chad Jordan: And you thought 100 bucks!
Mariya A.: I wasn't even gonna do it, I was like whatever. But it was my boyfriend needed a haircut anyway-
Chad Jordan: Oh.
Mariya A.: And his hair is really unique, so I was like “Okay I'll just do your hair.”
Chad Jordan: Wait is he your model this week?
Mariya A.: No. I had a different model.
Chad Jordan: Oh okay. I didn't know. [crosstalk]
Mariya A.: He was walking around. He has like bleached hair.
Chad Jordan: Yeah okay yeah.
Mariya A.: I kept putting it off. But my boyfriend showed up to my house with the papers, he was like “Sign them.” And like bringing my thinning shears and stuff, he was like “Do it now, do it, it's $100,” and I was like “Fine, I'm not gonna win but okay.”
Chad Jordan: So you got talked into it, you knew but waited till the last minute-
Christian D.: Yeah.
Chad Jordan: Anybody else have second thoughts, like they weren't sure ... That was you, alright let's hear. When you heard about 'The Look' or it was time to submit your haircut or whatever, what was your thought process?
Ana Gautreau: My manager made it a requirement for everybody to send in at least one.
Shae Whitley: I'm gonna take that idea.
Chad Jordan: Wait, okay. A requirement how? I don't get it.
Ana Gautreau: We all had to send in-
Chad Jordan: Or what?
Ana Gautreau: I mean-
Chad Jordan: Or you're too scared to know right? Yeah. Okay.[crosstalk 00:09:23]
Ana Gautreau: Some people didn't do it, but they're not here anymore.
Chad Jordan: Okay, you're just saying. So requirement. And that's what worked for you?
Ana Gautreau: Yeah, I sent in three different haircuts. But it was the first one that-
Chad Jordan: Now when you say 'send in', is it a video, is it a snapshot, what-
Ana Gautreau: It's a before and after pictures.
Chad Jordan: Oh okay. So before and after. And do you post it on social media somewhere, or do you email it to ...
Ana Gautreau: You send it to your coach.
Chad Jordan: Okay.
Ana Gautreau: Yeah.
Chad Jordan: Got it. Other people's... what was yours? We'll get you the mic. How did they talk you into it? Getting you to the contest?
Imani Tezeno: So May will be two years that I've been working with Sport Clips, but the first year I didn't know anything about it. The second year ... the second year she spoke about it a little bit, but-
Chad Jordan: And who is she in this sentence?
Imani Tezeno: She is Keira, my manager. And she was like "Oh my God girl, I think you should do this." and I'm like whatever you know. I didn't think much of it. This totally was bigger than what I thought it would have been, but-
Chad Jordan: Cause you'd never been to Huddle.
Imani Tezeno: Right.
Chad Jordan: Had anybody been to Huddle before? [crosstalk] One person's been to Huddle. And you've seen 'The Look'.
Shae Whitley: I have.
Chad Jordan: So you kind of knew. But y'all had really no idea the magnitude of what you were getting yourself into. When did it dawn on you how big this is?
Imani Tezeno: Today. [crosstalk] When I seen all those people.
Chad Jordan: When you watched the doors open and everybody-
Imani Tezeno: Yeah and I seen everybody coming in.
Chad Jordan: Yeah that's crazy.
Imani Tezeno: I always take before and after pictures of my work, because I like to see the progression that I've made.
Chad Jordan: In your career?
Imani Tezeno: Yeah.
Chad Jordan: Yeah.
Imani Tezeno: So, I just have a bunch of pictures on my phone that I took before and after pictures of, and I just literally like the day before the contest was over, I uploaded nine pictures. And then, she ended up telling me that they chose me to compete within the local competition. And then competed in the local competition. I was discouraged because I didn't win first place within the local-
Chad Jordan: It's like see I knew I shouldn't have-
Imani Tezeno: Yeah I was like whatever okay whatever, Vegas. But before she was like “You're gonna go to Vegas, I think you're gonna go to Vegas.” And I was just like "Okay, cool.” And then I was discouraged. And then I beat obviously the person that beat me, so it was cool.
Chad Jordan: I like it. Let's hear down... We're gonna hear from both of y'all. You've been to Huddle, so you know, you've known about 'The Look', so let's ask you.
Shae Whitley: I've known about 'The Look'.
Chad Jordan: Had you ever entered before?
Shae Whitley: No.
Chad Jordan: Okay. And obviously none of y'all had. This was your first time entering. Okay.
Shae Whitley: They submitted the only haircut that I did. So my area manager made it a requirement for all of the managers to participate. Because she wanted people to participate in our local Look. And I placed first in my local.
Chad Jordan: Are you A-Team store?
Shae Whitley: Yes. Yes I am. So my area coach sent it in for nationals, and then I didn't think anything of it. And then they come in with balloons and cake. So it was a really surreal moment.
Chad Jordan: You want the mic? [crosstalk]
Imani Tezeno: I was just gonna ask: you guys didn't post on Instagram? [crosstalk] I was looking for y'all's haircuts [crosstalk] Because we posted on Instagram #HoustonLook2019 and that's how they were able to look at the before and after pictures of everybody.
Shae Whitley: So one of-
Chad Jordan: Hold on, because we gotta do that next year, just for reminder, that's amazing what Houston did. They made it a social media event.
Shae Whitley: That would definitely get the [crosstalk]
Chad Jordan: That's literally the best haircuts in the market, and they're putting them on and why wouldn't you come to Sport Clips when the market's doing that kind of stuff.
Imani Tezeno: I feel like it's only fair that everybody else can see your haircuts-
Chad Jordan: Right.
Imani Tezeno: So you're not hidden, you know? [crosstalk]
Christian D.: I deleted mine when I found out that you guys would have been looking for me when my last name was on the page.
Imani Tezeno: Where were you when I was like... [crosstalk]
Christian D.: Y'all ain't gonna find this haircut no where. [crosstalk]
Chad Jordan: When we did the introductions you didn't give your last name too.
Christian D.: Nope.
Chad Jordan: And I almost followed up with a question like “What was your last name?” But now I know why. Okay. You don't want anybody to know it. [crosstalk]
Shae Whitley: I'm not really big on social media. Let alone.
Chad Jordan: That hurts. That hurts right here.
Shae Whitley: I'm really not. I feel like it doesn't have a positive impact in my life. And I've felt a lot better since I've cut it out.
Chad Jordan: Alright, good for you.
Shae Whitley: But I actually looked up 'The Look' contest haircuts on Facebook, and I looked through every single haircut that even got entered on Facebook.
Chad Jordan: Is is through #TheLook?
Shae Whitley: So if you search it, it'll just really bring up anything that ever said 'The Look'. So it was really cool. One of the local managers saw other markets holding our local 'Look', and she was like “I want to do it at my store.” So she's like “Everybody be there at 7.” We didn't start cutting until like 8:30, so I got home at 10 after working 9-8, so I wasn't really happy. And she's like “Aren't you glad that I did this?” And I was like “Yeah, I still would have really liked my sleep.”
Chad Jordan: Yeah.
Shae Whitley: I was really tired.
Chad Jordan: And probably food. You probably didn't even eat. Alright, Canada. What was the experience? How did they get you guys to participate? What did they do?
Sami Bruce: I kind of found out about it the first time it came around. The first year I worked there.
Chad Jordan: How long you been with Sport Clips?
Sami Bruce: Two and a half years.
Chad Jordan: But this is your first Huddle?
Sami Bruce: Yeah.
Chad Jordan: Okay.
Sami Bruce: Yeah, so I entered twice last year, but my haircuts have gotten so much better.
Chad Jordan: Alright so this is good. Because everybody else was their first year, right? Okay.
Sami Bruce: Yeah but I still waited until the very last second to enter.
Chad Jordan: Wow. Was it a confidence thing?
Sami Bruce: No I took all my pictures. Me and my regular client that I did the haircut on, we were so excited, so pumped. He was like “you're gonna win this, you've got this!” And then I forgot and then it was like the last day and I was like “oh my god, I have to enter this right now. Before I forget.”
Chad Jordan: Had anybody ever been to Vegas before? [crosstalk] Okay, because of Huddle? We've had one who's been ... So this is your first trip to Vegas. Not every Huddle has been in Vegas as well, as you know. Was there anything else you had to do after that? You guys find out, you've won, you're coming to Vegas. Was there any other activity or something, prep work, or anything? There is down here, okay. So pass the mic. Once you find out you win, now what?
Ana Gautreau: We had our leadership meeting, and then they awarded us, and then they announced who was going to go, because I was actually third in my region. Apparently they send them to corporate line, [crosstalk] as opposed to-
Chad Jordan: Yeah, right, as long as you make the what is it top four? As long as you make the top four, okay top three or four, however big the region is.
Ana Gautreau: Yeah.
Chad Jordan: Okay.
Ana Gautreau: And then my coach got with me, and we had two or three different training sessions together. We would just walk through what I needed to do- [crosstalk]
Chad Jordan: And it's one type of haircut, right, that you're working on?
Ana Gautreau: Yeah, just one.
Chad Jordan: And you just kind of refine over and over. Alright. That's nice. Anybody else?
Mariya A.: After I found out, I was like “Oh my god.” Because I found out that, you have twenty minutes total. Fifteen minutes for the haircut, five minutes for finishing touches. And when I first did the haircut, it took me an hour. And so I practiced on four mannequins until I was able to do it in time and not mess up, make sure everything worked out. So I was meeting with my coach, and bringing mannequins home, doing it at home, just making sure-
Chad Jordan: I love that.
Mariya A.: I did a mannequin right before I came just to make sure.
Chad Jordan: Everybody do that? Just last second-
Shae Whitley: I have my mannequins and I had my model come back quite a few times.
Ana Gautreau: Yup.
Christian D.: My model's my husband.
Shae Whitley: Mine's my boyfriend's friend. I was like "Come in here, [crosstalk] I need to practice.”
Chad Jordan: But hair only grows so fast, so if you're using the same model, it's probably every, what, two weeks? That you get to-
Imani Tezeno: I had a different model each time I did-
Chad Jordan: Okay.
Imani Tezeno: Different hair type, different person.
Shae Whitley: That's good for practice though, because you don't know what you're gonna get.
Mariya A.: I was terrified. I just started actually doing hair. I was just out of school four months ago maybe.
Chad Jordan: Wait what?
Mariya A.: I started at Sport Clips as a receptionist I think in the middle or beginning of December. And then I think-
Chad Jordan: 2018?
Mariya A.: Yeah. And then by the beginning of January that's when I started working on the floor.
Shae Whitley: That's awesome.
Chad Jordan: And you're here as a finalist.
Shae Whitley: Congratulations.
Chad Jordan: A contender for 'The Look', literally the best haircutter at Sport Clips.
Mariya A.: Yeah, I was like “Oh God.”
Chad Jordan: That's amazing.
Mariya A.: My instructor was so pumped. Because when I was in cosmetology school, honestly my attendance was terrible. I didn't even think I was gonna graduate, because I was like... I just had really bad confidence. But being at Sport Clips, and especially my co-workers, they've pumped me up so much sometimes. I'm like “Yeah, I can do it.” But when I was in school, I almost never showed up. It was my instructor, who... at first I wanted to be a color specialist and I actually was offered a scholarship at ROLFS for them to take me under their wing, and I even turned that down to be a color specialist. But, eventually I just was like just do it, just go for it. It was really thanks to my instructor.
Chad Jordan: What's her name?
Mariya A.: Her name is Mrs. Kongas.
Chad Jordan: I just wanted to give a shout-out in case she listens.
Mariya A.: When I told her about this she was so pumped for me. She was like “I knew it, I knew you were gonna be a star.” Yeah, she's sweet.
Chad Jordan: That's great. Whose is that?
Imani Tezeno: That's mine.
Chad Jordan: That's fine. That was your-
Imani Tezeno: That was my alarm.
Chad Jordan: We have a wake-up call going off right now, because one of our 'Look' finalists had to crash and get a nap. I love that story. A. That you were ... pass it down there ... that you [crosstalk] were inspired, and B. That you have only been here for four months, first as a receptionist and now you're here as a 'Look' finalist. Most of y'all have been practicing since ... when did you find out? That you guys were finalists?
Shae Whitley: February.
Chad Jordan: Okay, so the last couple months, six weeks maybe, let's call it, you've been practicing. And you land in Vegas, and then what happens? Shae, why don't you give me... represent for the group. You land and then what happens for you guys?
Shae Whitley: Vegas is chaos.
Chad Jordan: Yes.
Shae Whitley: I really just want to say that. Nothing ever goes as planned, especially during the competition today. I know that a lot of us had problems with our blow dryers. So there's certain stuff that you can't plan for. And that's pretty much anything that happens in Vegas. You can't plan for anything-
Chad Jordan: But it's not one continuous haircut for 20 minutes, right? Did you guys have one yesterday?
Imani Tezeno: We did it for 15 minutes yesterday.
Chad Jordan: Okay, let's pass it down here. Describe that for me, because Mariya mentioned that-
Mariya A.: Mariya.
Chad Jordan: Mariya, thank you. Had mentioned ... [crosstalk] that she only had 20 minutes you guys only had 20 minutes [crosstalk] and you hadn't known that until you found out you were a finalist. When did they tell you that it's broken up into two sections and all that kind of stuff?
Imani Tezeno: [crosstalk] Yesterday, we found out-
Chad Jordan: [crosstalk] Okay, so you didn't know until yesterday.
Shae Whitley: I knew.
Ana Gautreau: I knew.
Shae Whitley: Yeah.
Chad Jordan: Alright well, news flash for any future stylist that are going to be coming to Huddle to do 'The Look', so you do one haircut for how long?
Imani Tezeno: [crosstalk] 15 minutes. Which I found that was really great because we weren't in front of a lot of people.
Chad Jordan: Okay, so let's talk about that. [crosstalk] When does it happen? So, general session was today where it's literally 3000-plus people come in through those doors to watch you cut hair, but you got to start and how many people are there?
Sami Bruce: [crosstalk] It was like our coaches.
Chad Jordan: Coaches.
Imani Tezeno: [crosstalk] Maybe 20 people, [crosstalk] it was literally not a lot of people.
Chad Jordan: So you got coaches.
Shae Whitley: You have three people for each person because we had our model, us, and our coach.
Chad Jordan: Okay, and they're on stage?
Imani Tezeno: This was on stage but in the crowd later [crosstalk] There was a handful of people. There was not a lot-
Chad Jordan: Just people that know you and-
Imani Tezeno: Right, coaches.
Chad Jordan: For that. Okay, and so you get 15 minutes, why do you like that 15 minutes? Not in front of a big crowd.
Imani Tezeno: I liked it, at first when she told me that we would be doing a 15-minute haircut first and then the next five minutes on stage, I was like "I don't like that." Because-
Chad Jordan: Right.
Imani Tezeno: Because maybe the day before when I cut, I wasn't feeling that. I wanna change it up, or...
Chad Jordan: You thought it might stifle your creativity a little bit.
Imani Tezeno: Right, but actually I liked it because if we were on the stage for the full 20 minutes, some people get nervous, and then all the screaming and yelling and stuff like that would really [crosstalk] mess with you.
Chad Jordan: Did that get to you guys, yeah? Alright let's go down here. Let's talk about, so you've got literally 3000 people, and by the way, it is like a rock concert. You have people rushing to the front of the stage to watch you guys as you're cutting hair. Tell me about the experience of all these adoring fans screaming as you're trying to focus on the most important five minutes of your career.
Sami Bruce: Well, the idea of it was a lot scarier than the actual thing.
Chad Jordan: Okay.
Sami Bruce: As soon as I got focused in, you can't pay attention to anything else, you only have five minutes. So, you don't really pay attention to the people, but the adrenaline was making my hands shake. So, I'm like, okay stop, you need to stop shaking because I-
Chad Jordan: So you weren't nervous, it was just, "How do I control all this energy?" [crosstalk] Right? And that's what happening-
Sami Bruce: Yes, there was a lot of things happening at once. [crosstalk]
Chad Jordan: Anybody, go ahead, Christian.
Christian D.: Tremors were moving, my hands were moving faster than the blade could. I was just, I don't know how I was going to get a straight line. It wasn't straight, it was curved, but get a line out of it, my hands were shaking.
Chad Jordan: So yesterday, the adrenaline was toned down. I mean you were excited to be there, but it wasn't the nervous energy of being in front of so many people with only now five minutes.
Christian D.: I think the clock really puts all the adrenaline on you anyways because after that-
Chad Jordan: Is there a countdown on a monitor where you- [crosstalk]
Christian D.: Yeah, but you can't look at it because you're [crosstalk] pressed. [crosstalk 00:23:46].
Chad Jordan: That's a precious couple seconds- [crosstalk]
Christian D.: I asked my coach to tell me, I told my coach to give me a minute, minute, minute every time a minute passes to tell me. [crosstalk] And so That was helpful, but-
Shae Whitley: I feel like the first [crosstalk] 15 minutes were a little more stressful than the styling today. [crosstalk]
Christian D.: Because when I see the haircut today I was like, "Oh yeah, that's not that bad." I went home, when home yeah right... I went to the room and I took pictures before I left so I could look at it and make sure I could see what I needed to do. When I got into the room it was like, God that looks awful. The next day that I've seen it I was like "That looks pretty cute. It's fine, it's adorable." And Max a was amazing too, that was my model.
Chad Jordan: Yeah.
Christian D.: Yeah, he's stunning, he really is awesome.
Chad Jordan: Anybody else feel at first like, aw shucks, this isn't looking the way I want it to look. And now in a different light you see it...was that you?
Christian D.: [crosstalk] Like Imani-
Mariya A.: During the-
Chad Jordan: Take this one.
Mariya A.: During the 15 minutes, what calmed me down, because it was really quiet in there for the 15 minutes. And the model started talking to me like a normal client. He was like-
Chad Jordan: Oh that's cool.
Mariya A.: "So, where are you from? How are you enjoying Vegas?" So for a moment I was back at work.
Chad Jordan: Transported, yeah.
Mariya A.: I'm just doing client's hair, that's all. And my manager and my area coach, because I'm known for being slow.
Chad Jordan: You're not 2.5 per-hour?
Mariya A.: Yeah, [crosstalk] They didn't want to yell at me to scare me, they told me they were trying to-
Chad Jordan: Like a little baby bird [crosstalk] they didn't want to frighten you.
Mariya A.: They're like, "Look at the clock." Because I wasn't looking at the clock, I was talking to him. Because I though, well it's just my client [crosstalk] So I was talking to him like a normal conversation and then I looked up and I was like "Oh my God." [crosstalk] And then I started to hurry up I was like, "Okay, stop talking to me."
Chad Jordan: I like that. I think that's a good piece of advice we can give and pass along to future models, that maybe spend the first five minutes... Did anybody else have a connection like that, with their model?
Shae Whitley: [crosstalk] Yeah. I did. I feel like it really [crosstalk] helped me a lot.
Chad Jordan: [crosstalk] To just kind of talk to you like they were sitting in a chair at your Sport Clips location.
Mariya A.: And they're so supportive, they're like "You got it!" [crosstalk 00:26:15]. It was great, yeah.
Christian D.: But, like Imani said earlier with the 15 minutes and you see it again the next day. I was like, "Oh my God, is his head looking round? Did I not do this right?" It makes you overthink what you previously did when I knew what I did was cute. But now it's like "Oh my God, all of theirs are straight up." And mine was like "I have a lot of bulk in my parietal." And you know it's like a 'parietal' is in your-
Chad Jordan: Yeah thank you for explaining this [crosstalk] to me and anybody else that's not a-
Christian D.: Like she said, I think that's iffy too, seeing it after you've slept on it.
Chad Jordan: Today was all just styling, right? They wouldn't let you [crosstalk 00:26:56]. Okay, so you could, if you needed to, not-course correct, but if you needed to tweak a little-
Shae Whitley: [crosstalk] Adjust.
Imani Tezeno: So today was basically to detail, [crosstalk] to fix whatever you felt like you needed to fix, texturize, anything like that. And then stop. I knew that I needed to blend a little bit better at the back and some areas and actually didn't have any guards today on stage. So-
Chad Jordan: Why not?
Imani Tezeno: [crosstalk] We talked about guards in the back and-
Chad Jordan: So nobody had guards?
Shae Whitley: I had guards.
Sami Bruce: I did.
Imani Tezeno: Just me and her. Me and Ana. [crosstalk] We just-
Chad Jordan: So you decided you didn't want to have them?
Imani Tezeno: No, so yesterday after we did our haircut, I don't know how the guards were taken up, but our guards weren't put in our bags again. So, we went on stage and I turned around to Mariya-
Chad Jordan: It's a conspiracy theory, I'm just throwing it out there. [crosstalk] I don't know what happened.
Ana Gautreau: I brought it from home.
Imani Tezeno: You brought it from home?
Ana Gautreau: Yeah, I got my own and they took them out my bag [crosstalk]
Imani Tezeno: I turned around and looked at my... because I knew I have to blend the back. Turned around, looked at my coach and I was like, "Girl, I do not have guards."
Chad Jordan: So you're saying this in the five minutes, or-
Imani Tezeno: In the five minutes.
Chad Jordan: Why are you up there? That's when you find out.
Imani Tezeno: Yeah because I'm looking and pulling everything out I said, "Girl, I don't have guards." And we both was like...
Chad Jordan: Can you blend without?
Imani Tezeno: Yeah. I clipper over comb. [crosstalk] Guards are not-
Chad Jordan: I was gonna say, it's not quick and yeah, your hands were shaking and everything.
Imani Tezeno: It wasn't quick, but you had to improvise, what else was I going to do? Sit there and not do anything?
Chad Jordan: Storm off the stage. [crosstalk] I mean, you could've made a big scene in the first Huddle so...
Imani Tezeno: I don't have guards! [crosstalk]
Chad Jordan: You could've made everybody stop. [crosstalk]
Imani Tezeno: Yeah, but I'd seen everybody had their cape on like, I didn't have a cape when I got there, because I was like "I don't have guards." I'm looking... But it was real so you couldn't [crosstalk] stop and get guards. This is before the five minutes started.
Chad Jordan: Because, that's right, they waited until y'all were ready to start, right? That was okay? Alright.
Imani Tezeno: But everybody was caked except for me and her, so I'm looking because we're both don't have guards and then she was like, "Just go." So I caved and we just had to kind of do our thing.
Chad Jordan: Anybody else have stressful moment up there today that you want to share?
Shae Whitley: God, yes.
Chad Jordan: Okay, let's hear it. Today or yesterday, I'm sure today was more stressful just because of the crowd. And the five minutes as opposed to 15 on the front-end.
Shae Whitley: So with the five minutes, you wanna detail and then you wanna spend most of your time styling, so I finished all my detailing and then the blow dryer wouldn't heat up hot enough, so it didn't dry at all. His hair was still wet when I put product in it. [crosstalk] And the product needed his hair to be dry to be with it. [crosstalk] So that was-
Chad Jordan: What did you have, Frenzy or-
Shae Whitley: Fiber.
Chad Jordan: Okay.
Shae Whitley: And your hair has to be bone-dry in order for that to do what you want and so it didn't happen.
Christian D.: It was all of ours.
Shae Whitley: Yeah. I think it was because they were on the same strip and there wasn't enough power for all of them- [crosstalk]
Chad Jordan: Another piece of advice for our future [crosstalk 00:29:52].
Shae Whitley: No I didn't use it yesterday.
Christian D.: I use it, but usually after a second they start to get their heat into them. [crosstalk] The top was dry, but I sprayed it so that I could redirect the way that a dry head is. So that when you spray it redirects the way the hair will set, so I can push it back up. I wouldn't have sprayed that if I would have known the blow dryer was going to be so awful.
Shae Whitley: Me too, that was really frustrating. And then my product rolled off the table so I'm searching through my stuff trying to find it [crosstalk] as the clock's ticking down. Yeah, it was on the floor.
Chad Jordan: Anybody not finish what they had intended to? Alright, let's hear from y'all. You don't finish and now what are you thinking?
Ana Gautreau: Well, I kind of had a game plan for if I didn't have enough time. Because I had a lot of lines cut into mine. And I had to do the ones at the parietal. I wanted it to come back to the point at the back, but I brought it to the round of the head and the texture kind of covered it, it didn't really matter, necessarily. Just an extra detail I was not able to get in.
Chad Jordan: Mariya.
Mariya A.: I just wished I was able to thin mine out more because once you put the fiber in and everything, and again it would've helped if his hair was really dry, but it wasn't, so his hair was still a little heavy. I would've liked if it was spiking up a little bit more. I wasn't unhappy with it-
Shae Whitley: [crosstalk] It just didn't turn out the way that you had hoped.
Chad Jordan: Right, in your mind's eye. And you guys are all artists, [crosstalk] so you picture it first.
Mariya A.: [crosstalk] You really can't, in 20 minutes you really can't.
Chad Jordan: Yeah, it can't be perfect. [crosstalk] Just like it wouldn't in a store in 20 minutes. [crosstalk] And you need those extra minutes.
Christian D.: Five times five is 25.
Chad Jordan: Right, yes. Exactly. Alright, you though of one other stressful moment?
Sami Bruce: So this stressful moment actually happened before I even got to Vegas. For my haircut. So I picked a product that was my favorite product. It has the same look but it's just got a different hold. I wanted to use the Defy Matte Clay, but it got discontinued.
Chad Jordan: Oh, wow.
Sami Bruce: So I had to pick a different one that didn't work.
Chad Jordan: When did you know that you would have to pick a different one?
Sami Bruce: Last week. That would be last week.
Chad Jordan: And so are you experimenting on all your clients, trying to figure out which one?
Sami Bruce: I kind of just picked the one that I thought would be most like it, but it wasn't. [crosstalk] It-
Shae Whitley: My original model cut his hair three weeks before the competition. [crosstalk] I got two straight up to a hard part, it was great.
Sami Bruce: Lovely.
Chad Jordan: I've got a few more questions and then we're gonna bounce and let you guys go nap. First of all, any regrets? Anybody regret this experience?
Shae Whitley: No.
Imani Tezeno: No.
Mariya A.: No.
Ana Gautreau: Of course not. [crosstalk]
Imani Tezeno: This was more than what I-
Chad Jordan: [crosstalk] The reason I'm asking now is just because we talked about all the stressful stuff, so I want to bounce back the other way. Even in the midst of all the stress, it was a good kind of stress, right? [crosstalk]
Imani Tezeno: It was really more than what I expected it to be. [crosstalk] I didn't think-
Sami Bruce: I think the best part was that we all get along so well, so I'm not intimidated by you guys, I know you guys are good, but you guys don't scare me. Like I'm not scared to compete with you. It's more of like a team kind of thing.
Christian D.: Right, I just think it's fun.
Shae Whitley: We're all here because we're talented and it is what it is. And none of us lose in this situation.
Imani Tezeno: We all got a trip to Vegas. [crosstalk]
Shae Whitley: Yeah, we all got a trip to Vegas. [crosstalk] It's a really cool experience, for sure.
Imani Tezeno: This was definitely...I didn't expect it to be this way. I didn't expect to be in front of all those people. I don't even do presentations. [crosstalk] Like, I'll get a zero when I present. Because I'm still in school as well so... it prepared me.
Chad Jordan: You're what?
Imani Tezeno: I'm in college, I go to U of H.
Chad Jordan: Holy moly! You're doing all of this and- [crosstalk]
Imani Tezeno: I did nursing school.
Chad Jordan: What? You guys are too talented, [crosstalk] that's crazy.
Imani Tezeno: Yeah, you gotta have a backup [crosstalk] just in case. [crosstalk]
Ana Gautreau: Yeah you can't plan for anything going wrong here because it's-
Christian D.: It's all fun, it doesn't matter. [crosstalk]
Ana Gautreau: Just go with the flow.
Imani Tezeno: I mean, I did have a stressful moment when I was sitting down, remember I was like, "Ugh, his hair is too short for a Mohawk, but it was just packed down. [crosstalk] But he was seeing me talking about his hair and he pulled it out- [crosstalk]
Mariya A.: I was the same way. I drove Ashley crazy with how many models she had to find for me because it seemed like everyone had shaped sides, I was like, I can't. I need some-
Chad Jordan: So you get to at least put a request in for what kind of model you're looking for. [crosstalk]
Shae Whitley: They'll try to find one pretty similar to the one that you submitted. [crosstalk]
Mariya A.: They'll try to do their best, yeah.
Chad Jordan: Okay.
Mariya A.: And then eventually she found Mario. Mario was perfect. From the pictures I thought maybe his sides might be too short, but no. Once I combed through his hair it was perfect, so I was really relieved. They told me that I'm the first person ever to not use clippers for the little competition. Everyone previously has always used clippers, so I was scared, "What if I can't find someone with long enough hair to do a razor all around?" But, it worked, Mario's hair turned out nice. I liked it.
Chad Jordan: Heck yeah it did, I'll say. Two questions for everybody. So, you can answer this first one and then answer the second one. The second will be real quick. Let's start down here this time, for the first question, since we started down there. First question, what do you know now that you wish you had known when you arrived at Huddle for doing 'The Look'. One piece of advice you would've given yourself when you hit the ground here, if you could go back in time. So really you're telling the future version of 'The Look' finalists this piece of advice. Your version of that is what?
Imani Tezeno: Nothing because I feel like I don't have any advice that I would give my-
Chad Jordan: You liked the whole unknown element. [crosstalk] And just letting it all unravel and unroll right in front of your eyes. You don't feel like you need any sort of advantage. You just wanted to experience everything in the moment.
Imani Tezeno: Right, because I love cutting hair. To me it wasn't anything extra, I just love cutting hair. I love doing Mohawks. I just love everything about cutting hair.
Chad Jordan: Okay, excellent. What do you wish you would've known?
Mariya A.: I just would've liked it if I had a little more confidence in myself. Just because even from right before I came here, I'm like, "Why am I here? I'm a newbie, how did I end up here?" I just-
Chad Jordan: That's called prodigy in this [crosstalk] in this industry, just so you know.
Mariya A.: I just wish I had more confidence in myself because, in the end, once I actually did it, it wasn't as bad as it was in my head. I was like, "You're gonna mess up. You're gonna drop everything. You're gonna suck..."
Imani Tezeno: So this was a lesson to yourself, right?
Chad Jordan: Right?
Mariya A.: Yeah.
Chad Jordan: I mean, are you walking away with more confidence than you came-
Mariya A.: Yeah. Definitely, yeah.
Chad Jordan: Amazing. Alright what do you wish you would have known?
Ana Gautreau: Honestly I was really prepared. My coach, this is her third year being a coach for a finalist.
Chad Jordan: Really? Wow.
Ana Gautreau: Yeah.
Chad Jordan: So, who's your coach again?
Ana Gautreau: Kate Skelton.
Chad Jordan: Okay, yeah, Kate alright.
Ana Gautreau: Yeah. The only thing I would have liked to change was my flight getting here [crosstalk 00:37:24]. So I could've slept, but other than that, I felt good.
Chad Jordan: Next time.
Ana Gautreau: Next time.
Chad Jordan: Alright, Christian what do you-
Christian D.: I don't think I'd change really anything. Just probably practice the time restraints that you have. Get it all down-
Chad Jordan: Get that rhythm down just a little bit more?
Christian D.: Yeah.
Chad Jordan: But still factor in the fact that anything could go wrong. [crosstalk] Once you experience something happening.
Christian D.: You could add a lump on someone's head. Or a mole, you could cut.
Chad Jordan: Right. [crosstalk] Blood everywhere. [crosstalk] Alright, Shae?
Shae Whitley: I would honestly say if you need anything, bring it with you. Whether it products or combs or blending combs or guards, everything. I mean, if you are on the fence about the products that you're gonna use, bring extra because you might change your mind last second. Because your models hair here isn't gonna be the same as what your model's hair is there. Like what you submitted, so You kind of have to tweak the products that you use to fit the head that you're cutting.
Chad Jordan: That's good. Okay, last but not least.
Sami Bruce: I definitely agree with the product one because, if I could go back I would've picked something completely different. But, not being so scared. I cut hair everyday all day, yet this scares me. This one haircut scares me, so just not being so scared.
Chad Jordan: Can you believe we're 40 minutes into this, so, you guys have been amazing, You are amazing. I have one final question and you do have to answer it if you want to leave and go take your nap, alright? So you cannot pass on this answer.
Ana Gautreau: I'll take a nap [crosstalk]
Chad Jordan: She can hang all day. Alright, the question I want to ask, and remember we're recording this, it's Monday afternoon, you guys have done 'The Look'. You finished. We don't know who the winner is, we won't know until tomorrow, there's an awards banquet and y'all will be there and that's when they will announce it. Who do you predict is going to win?
Sami Bruce: Is it Imani? [crosstalk]
Imani Tezeno: Really?
Sami Bruce: You yeah, yup.
Imani Tezeno: Well thank you.
Chad Jordan: Alright and by the way, you can pick yourself, I'm just saying. Okay, that's your... and we're gonna go back and watch this and see who was right, alright?
Shae Whitley: I have full faith in myself, it's not that I don't have faith in anybody else [crosstalk] here. But, I came to win and that's the mindset that I have and that's the mindset that everybody has and if you don't believe in yourself then it's not going to happen.
Chad Jordan: Yeah, okay that's fine with me, alright. Christian?
Christian D.: If it's possible to tie, I'm tying with Imani. The triple-tie is going to be all three of us. The fades were gorgeous, I think that's something that is 'in style' right now.
Chad Jordan: Yes, for sure.
Christian D.: Rather than, I mean I love scissor cuts, don't get me wrong, but they're just not what comes in the door every day. Rather than a fade that comes in everyday.
Chad Jordan: Okay, but I don't know if we ever have had a tie. I can't remember.
Imani Tezeno: I think everybody places.
Christian D.: Everyone does place.
Chad Jordan: Okay, your prediction?
Ana Gautreau: Like with Shae, I'm going for myself.
Chad Jordan: Alright, great.
Ana Gautreau: Feeling confident.
Shae Whitley: Confidence.
Ana Gautreau: Yeah.
Chad Jordan: Here's the wildcard, who's she gonna pick?
Mariya A.: I do have high hopes for myself [crosstalk] because even though-
Chad Jordan: Look at this, look at the change we've had in this lady in 24 hours.
Imani Tezeno: Her lesson is learned.
Mariya A.: Even though fades are trendy and it's an everyday thing, a lot of previous winners were fades-
Ana Gautreau: Right? That was my whole thought.
Mariya A.: And mainly, it's different, I can show that Sport Clips isn't just clipper cuts, [crosstalk] just fades. It's that we're capable of doing any kind of haircut. But, if I weren't to choose myself, Imani's haircut, her model was the one I found myself looking at the most.
Chad Jordan: Okay, great.
Shae Whitley: He had some good looking hair. [crosstalk]
Imani Tezeno: Thank you, I really appreciate it, but yeah, I'm confident in myself. I don't know.
Chad Jordan: There's no shame, if I was a stylist, I'd probably be picking myself- [crosstalk]
Imani Tezeno: I mean I just love Mohawks, so I just felt like it's really trendy, a lot of people want to do it, but they're scared to do it because they're like, "Well I don't know how it would look." You know? Like, just do it. And you can cut it off-
Shae Whitley: It's a commitment.
Imani Tezeno: It's definitely a commitment, but it's easy because I've taken Mohawks off because previously people got Mohawks and were scarred by them. [crosstalk] Literally the person that I entered the competition with, he came in and he was like, "I want to take it off." I said, "Please." I literally begged this man to let me, I said, "Let me cut it again. Let me do your Mohawk." He was like, "Okay."
Chad Jordan: And you hadn't cut his before?
Imani Tezeno: I'd never cut his hair before.
Chad Jordan: Okay.
Imani Tezeno: I just love doing Mohawks. People pass Mohawks to me, in my store they're like, "Oh she does Mohawks. She can do it." You know? So-
Chad Jordan: You know in Salon Ultra you can have a nickname?
Imani Tezeno: Mohawk Slayer.
Chad Jordan: Yeah, you guys should have one for you and your store.
Imani Tezeno: I do want to say something about Mariya. So, as a manager my favorite thing is literally having people directly out of school. I feel like they are the easiest to train, they become the best stylists. [crosstalk] I really would prefer a brand-new stylist versus somebody who has had experience in this industry. It is so hard to retrain people. [crosstalk]
Chad Jordan: There's three of y'all? Came right out of school and went into Sport Clips, right?
Ana Gautreau: Yeah.
Chad Jordan: I mean, four? Four is it? [crosstalk]
Ana Gautreau: I did women's hair.
Imani Tezeno: I worked somewhere else and my manager, honestly, I did not... I was straight out of school. I was like, "I just need to get a job." And I moved to Houston, I'm from San Antonio, and I moved to Houston. She hired me and I said, "I don't know how to cut hair, I don't even know how to turn the clippers on." And she was like, "Don't worry about it, I'll teach you everything. So, within a week's time she had me on a mannequin. From the mannequin she threw me on the floor. And I was also hungry to learn. When I was in school I did not want to do men's haircut at all. When a man's haircut came through the door, I clocked out. I'm not doing it. It's crazy because now I don't want to do women's hair I would like to just do men's hair. [crosstalk] It's quick, it's easy, and it's just-
Chad Jordan: You get more tips that way. If it's quick and easy. [crosstalk]
Imani Tezeno: Well, more tips and it's just... I don't like to be with the same person for 3-plus hours.
Chad Jordan: No offense ladies.
Imani Tezeno: We lose conversation-
Chad Jordan: Right there's only so many things you can talk about in [crosstalk] the course of that haircut versus with a guy and that's amazing. Anybody else have anything they want to add and want to say, for the record before we wrap this up?
Sami Bruce: [crosstalk] I just have one thing. About you too. Mariya, I think it's awesome that going outside of the box because I could NOT have done that. It's so cool. Because a fade is just what I'm good at and it's so-
Chad Jordan: Comfort zone.
Sami Bruce: It's so common that it's just second nature, but that haircut? That would've taken me an hour, for sure.
Chad Jordan: Which it did when she submitted it. [crosstalk]
Christian D.: Razors. I haven't used a razor in God knows how long.
Mariya A.: I used a razor and a carving comb. I did implement two new-
Christian D.: I don't think I own a ... [crosstalk 00:44:24].
Shae Whitley: I would say as a manager it's really cool to watch the competition. It is a completely different ball game to be behind the scenes. I haven't done anything Huddle since I've been here. I think right now we're supposed to be in class or something [crosstalk]
Chad Jordan: No, nap remember?
Shae Whitley: I know, nap. [crosstalk] Chad Jordan told me to.
Chad Jordan: Yeah, that's right you're allowed-
Shae Whitley: It's really cool to see the behind the scenes and what goes under the Huddle.
Imani Tezeno: The rehearsal.
Shae Whitley: The rehearsal.
Imani Tezeno: Those dancers man...
Shae Whitley: The dancers are really-
Imani Tezeno: Our models were redy to dance.
Shae Whitley: They did, they were sitting in our chairs just bobbin'.
Chad Jordan: That's just crazy.
Shae Whitley: It was really...
Christian D.: It's about testosterone. [crosstalk]
Chad Jordan: It was fantastic. You guys are 'Hall of Fame'-ers. This is a Huddle podcast. You're 'Look' finalists. You are official Sport Clips 'Hall of Fame'-ers. [crosstalk] I don't know who's going to win, but I know it's going to be one of y'all. And it's gonna be an epic celebration.
Imani Tezeno: We're all winners!
Chad Jordan: You really are, I mean, you're all gonna be on the stage at the awards banquet and we're gonna celebrate you and everything that you've done. So whether it's somebody growing in their confidence from this and you guys experiencing Huddle for the first time, or whatever, I know this has been a great time for y'all. And it's even better for us on the other side watching you guys get to do your thing. So, from all of us at Sport Clips, thank you so much for prepping and we'll see tomorrow night who the winner's gonna be.
Imani Tezeno: Yes!
Chad Jordan: Alright, thanks everybody!
Chad Jordan: Hey, good job guys, that was great! Great, great, great, thank you! Thank you. Thank you, my man. Thank you. Thank you. [crosstalk] You know how many times that's happened?