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SEARCHSean Michael is best known for his balayage and blonding. See why we chose him to be part of our 2019 MODERN SALON 100.
Few stylists bring such rays of positivity quite like Sean Michael. The Boston-based colorist not only lightens up the world through his gorgeous blonding but also through his personality. Michael is a pleasure to work with, and he is eager to share his education and tips for success with the hair world.
Sean Michael
Andover, Masachusetts
Salon Beau, Andover, MA
Specialty: Balayage and blonding
Top-performing post: My process breakdown post. It was a side-by-side photo of the before and after of a seven-month process resulting in a $1,485 investment. It was from previously colored dark brown to an icy blonde balayage.
Favorite apps: UNUM to store all of my content and move them around to look good on my feed. Unfold to keep content on my Instastories on brand. Facetune 2 because I like my Instagram to be cohesive and all the backgrounds the same.
I follow: @iamginabianca, @hairbychrissydanielle, @brittseva, @garyvee, @jc_hairologist, and @domdomhair
Pro tip: I It’s a little bit of everything, honestly. One of my go to products that makes the hair photograph 10 times better is Kevin.Murphy Shimmer.Shine. I try to use as much natural lighting as possible with the help of a ring light on an angle. (That’s my secret, sh!)
Hidden talent: I never do one technique. Always adding in babylights around the face or teasylights through the crown - it gives it the Sean Michael touch.
Fun fact: I coach high school cheerleading on the side for fun! I can do back flips!
My audience follows me because: I think my Instagram really started getting more traction when I stopped posting hair pictures with some type of food-incorporated caption. I started showing more of my actual face, which started getting myself more likes. I started doing more educating, which started to get people to save my photos. I started more videos, which got my profile more views. I started being real and telling stories, which started a conversation! So I think with the combination of all of these create an exciting and educational yet real experience.
How social media changed my life: This is an understatement, honestly. When I opened Salon Beau five years ago, I took my portfolio online. I realized that my demographic and target market was all on Instagram. Since then we’ve built up many assistants to successful stylists in an oversaturated market in our area. Now we have monthly meetings with Instagram trainings, whether it’s about hashtags, tagging, angles, timing—I want my team to know it all. Social has changed my life by allowing me to do what I love, post about it and attract people from all over to travel to get their hair done by me. How amazing is that? (Oh! And also it has given me this opportunity as well.)
My first @modernsalon feature: it went a little like: ‘HOLY $H!T! MODERN SALON just reposted my work!’ The most recent time was for my process breakdown photo. My photo was getting a lot of attention on my Instagram, and then MODERN SALON noticed it. From there the photo went viral!
Click here to the see the full list of this year's MODERN SALON 100.
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