Rodrick Samuels is a barber, educator, salon and school owner of the Hair Lab Detroit, and a State Captain of the Professional Beauty Association (PBA). In all these roles, Samuels has helped move the professional beauty and salon industry in a direction of inclusion, diversity, and equity by his personal example and by stepping forward.
Recently, Samuels launched SolidHAIRity, a movement to break down racial barriers in the industry and to promote mutual respect for all different perspectives. The solidHAIRity initiative has announced a partnership with Cultivated Talent, an LA-based recruiting firm, to offer career counseling and mentorship for salon professionals, specifically those who are BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color).
“More professional beauty brands are speaking up now about how they don’t have access to a talent pool of African Americans so I want to help identify people who are qualified and have a passion for this industry,” Samuels explains.
The career counseling is being offered free of charge, and recipients will be selected through a giveaway taking place on Instagram.
TALENT SCOUTS
According to Cultivated Talent Co-founder Kelly Kaufmann (shown): “We are passionate about cultivating the best in class talent for our clients and helping candidates find their dream job. We are disrupting the traditional structure of recruiting by forging our own path through transparency, flexibility, and empowerment.”
Photo: Cultivated Talent Co-Founder Emily De Silva
Ten people will be chosen for 45 minute session of one-on-one mentoring and career coaching. Samuels will be involved in the selection process. “We want to make sure they’re serious about it,” Samuels says. “We’re going to find a great talent pool, and then we’re going to help prepare them because we want to create real and lasting change.”
"It’s a good feeling that I can use my experiences and my testimony to help out other people and possibly make their dreams come true," Samuels adds. "This is my 25th year and moving forward I really want to help to pave a pathway for other people coming into the industry. Because when you walk through that open door of opportunity you don’t slam it shut behind you—you hold it open."
To participate, visit both @cultivatedtalent and @rodricksamuels for more details.
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