
Rodrick Samuels on The Silent Work, Modern Beauty Education and Why Empathy Wins
MODERN SALON sat down with Samuels to discuss the book, beauty education, mentorship and the habits that help beauty professionals thrive.
We’ve been following @thefoxandthehair for a longggg time now, and the page gets better and better. We were so excited when we saw one of the Australia-based salon’s posts of glitter buns go viral, working its way all the way to Lacy Hale of Pretty Little Liars’ feed.


We’ve been following @thefoxandthehair for a longggg time now, and the page gets better and better. We were so excited when we saw one of the Australia-based salon’s posts of glitter buns go viral, working its way all the way to Lacy Hale of Pretty Little Liars’ feed. “I woke and checked my phone and our follower count had gone up 3,000+ overnight,” says Mia De Vries, the woman behind the page. Each member of @thefoxandthehair team has its own dedicated page, but De Vries manages the content on the salon page. “Social media has really helped get the salon out there,” she says. “We’ve been around for more than 10 years but people think we are new since they only just found us on social media. It’s the new word of mouth for us, almost all our clients say we found you on Instagram—our client reach is much further now.”
Name: Mia De Vries
Location: Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
Salon: The Fox & The Hair
Follow me on: Instagram @thefoxandthehair; Facebook: the fox & the hair (wollongong); Snapchat: Foxandthehair
Instagram: 62k followers
Best known for: Balayage, glitter hair, gold leaf hair, pierced braids
Most viral post: “Our Glitter Buns post was regrammed so much. The most notable person was Lucy Hale, from Pretty Little Liars, she reposted it with #hairgoals. I woke and checked my phone and our follower count had gone up 3,000+ overnight. I had no idea why, but then people started tagging us. Glitter hair and golf leaf hair were the two trends that got the most attention. Some people loved it, others hated it.”
Favorite apps: “I’m terrible with technology so I don’t muck around too much with editing. I like the Repost app, Flipagram and Layout. The girls on my team like Boomerang and Perfect 365 but I don’t believe you should ever alter your color work with a filter. Keep it real!”
Best tip for getting the best results on a post: "I don’t have any, I just wing it all the time. But I guess it helps to have great hair, great lighting, keep the background clean. Guide your model on how to pose, tell them to smile. Post often and all different times of the day—usually meal times work as everyone is playing with their phone while they are eating.”
Favorite hashtags to explore: #hairdressersproblems #quoteoftheday
Who you're following: “I recently discovered @notanothersalon. Some of my favorite pages are @themirrorboxproject @xpresioncreativos @the_bloody_butcher for barbering inspo @andreotoolestudios @romeufelipe.”
Passion other than beauty: “My babies, shopping and Pokemon Go.”
Favorite products: Wella Professional Blondor Seal & Care, Sebastian Potion 9, Oribe Gold Lust Shampoo & Conditioner, Wella EIMI Root Shoot, Oribe Apres Beach Spray, Sebastian Trilliant Heat Protect Spray
Shout out to someone who helped you along the way: “There have been so many people! The entire Tognini Family @liloffthetop @bennitognini, @stevieenglish from @englishhair, @kikistafford from @ woohoosalon, Ludmilla Hilnovsky from @wellapro_anz—the whole Wella family, and my wingwoman in salon in @hairbyamandaackerman who has been so loyal, hardworking and inspirational.
Would love to makeover: “Myself! I never do anything exciting these days! I’m too busy looking after my clients to sit down long enough to have a change.”

MODERN SALON sat down with Samuels to discuss the book, beauty education, mentorship and the habits that help beauty professionals thrive.

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