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SEARCHSarai Speer is best known for her icy white platinum hair. See why we chose to make her part of our 2019 MODERN SALON 100.
Sarai Speer @ThePlatinumGiraffe
Sarai Speer @ThePlatinumGiraffe
Sarai Speer, @ThePlatinumGiraffe, says the best way to get engagement is to post “controversial, outlandish, hilarious, crazy amazing transformations.” It’s worked for her! According to Speer, social media has completely changed her life. “I’ve been able to build my dream clientele” as a result of Instagram. “It has helped me meet some amazing friends! I’m really grateful for the relationships I’ve built from social media that I wouldn’t have been able to do on my own.”
Sarai Speer
With Love Salon, Kansas City, Missouri
Specialty: Icy white platinum color
Top-performing post: I have twp! My “Whoville” cutting technique made it to the “Insider” and “The Today Show.” It was a unique technique that people RIPPED me apart for and was VERY CONTROVERSIAL! The second was the denim/blue jean hair, which went viral. Literally, for months on end, it got reposted by every industry publication and made my FIRST “Allure” article.
Favorite apps: LumaFusion for video editing, Layout or SplitPic and VSCO for cleaning up backgrounds.
I follow: @hair.video, @beautybymissruby, @realericvaughn, @zachmesquit, @hairbyshawna_russell, @trailertrashtammy
Sarai Speer @ThePlatinumGiraffe
Sarai Speer @ThePlatinumGiraffe
Pro tip: Videos! Controversial, outlandish, hilarious, crazy amazing transformations or some amazing click bait! Photos from a DSLR! Sure iPhones take great pics, but I do side-by-side comparisons (DSLR vs iPhone) in posts, and those go CRAZY! DSLR is just hands down better! More detail and captures TRUE tonality!
Hidden talent: I’m pretty damn amazing with razor cuts.
Fun fact: I’ve eaten a 10 pound burrito in 20 minutes....TWICE. I do all kinds of crazy food challenges...and WIN! (Five pound spicy skillet challenge, 36 tacos at once etc.)
My audience follows me because: I’m an honest, straight shooting, NO BS kind of girl. I’m hilarious (just watch my IG stories), I do amazing transformations and blonding work, and I’m happy to share my process and formulations and help people.
How social media changed my life: It has completely changed my life. I’ve been able to build my dream clientele from IG, work with brands, start my independent blonding education/classes, travel the country teaching, and it has helped me meet some amazing friends! I’m REALLY grateful for the relationships I’ve built from social media that I wouldn’t have been able to do on my own! I’ve also realized it’s okay to take breaks from social when I’m feeling overwhelmed. I don’t beat myself up over NOT posting one to two times a day.
My first @modernsalon feature: I was featured Dec 23, 2016! It was a how-to transformation doing a vibrant red without lightener. I totally cried! This was such an honor for me. I had gotten sober nine months prior and was working my butt off to produce amazing work and get noticed by industry publications. I had made a goal list for 2016 and getting MODERN SALON happened six days before 2016 ran out. So, it was truly a special moment for me.
Click here to the see the full list of this year's MODERN SALON 100.
Shannon Demont has found her calling, having taken her passions for hair, photography, social media strategy, and education, and rolling them all into one successful offering: hair photography education.
Skyla Kuykendall's work is the kind of hair that makes you happy. As a colorist who loves to blend natural with fantasy, she attributes her continued success in finding her dream clients to being her authentic self.
In an anniversary year for the Arrojo NYC brand, on an early Monday morning, Nick Arrojo used a razor on my hair. And I liked it.
Join us in congratulating this year's list of hardworking, game-changing individuals.
With more than four decades in the industry, hairdresser and MODE Education founder Stan Newton has built a career around the art and discipline of cutting hair, learning the rules so he can break them.
Ashley Leoncini believes success in beauty is built through genuine connection, resourcefulness and the willingness to evolve. A bridal specialist with 17 years in the industry, Leoncini has created a career by making clients feel valued, investing in hands-on education and redefining success to include a healthier work-life balance.
Able to create a shag with gorgeous texture on anyone, Stephanie Carrillo has found her calling within the beauty industry. Now she teaches shag cutting techniques herself, inspiring countless other stylists to fall in love with creating the popular look.
When you think of Stephanie Geib, think bold color. Think beautiful dimension. Think...your hairstylist best friend. As a 2017 Honoree of the MODERN SALON 100, Geib is the perfect example of being a positive force in the beauty industry, advising that being kind to others and sharing your knowledge is the real success.
Hannah Mejia believes lasting success comes from mastering your craft, embracing lifelong education and trusting that the career you dream about is within reach. A stylist, educator and content creator, Mejia has spent 15 years building a business rooted in creativity, communication and continuous growth.
Katy Samuels has spent 14 years proving that creativity thrives when you stop searching for the "right" way and start trusting your own instincts. Known for her creative color work and signature Headband Prism technique, Samuels encourages beauty professionals to embrace mistakes, refine their craft and develop a style that's uniquely their own.
Erin Munoz has spent 17 years building a thriving business behind the chair while proving that success doesn't have to come at the expense of life outside the salon. A color specialist, content creator and salon owner, Munoz believes beauty professionals should treat their careers like businesses, embrace change and make room for both financial growth and personal fulfillment.
North Carolina-based hairstylist Tyler Plemmons wants you to know one thing: Positivity and perseverance will get you everywhere. This MODERN SALON Artist Connective Member and 2018 MODERN SALON 100 Honoree is known for beautiful balayage, gorgeous vivids, and soft pastel hair color.
For Angelica Tanta, success has always come down to one thing: practice. Originally from Romania, Tanta credits an online mentor from Ukraine—despite never meeting in person and communicating through Google Translate—with inspiring her to perfect her bridal artistry through relentless repetition.
Angela Orozco believes long-term success in the beauty industry is built on trust, consistency and genuine human connection. A stylist at The Nest Salon in Brea, California, Orozco has spent 14 years cultivating a reputation for dimensional brunettes, precision haircutting and authentic relationships that have fueled her career.
Erin Mills believes beauty professionals deserve more than a successful career. A hairstylist turned multi-salon owner, Mills has spent 17 years growing her business while helping her team create lasting impact.
For Mish Jolie (@meltedbymish), success isn't measured by how busy you are, it's measured by how fulfilled you feel. The Connecticut-based stylist, educator and MODERN SALON 100 honoree has built a career around balayage, lived-in brunettes and razor cutting.
Amanda Harsche has built her career on two simple beliefs: never stop learning and never stop connecting.
