Scott Fontana

Stylist, educator, and owner of Badass Hair

Year I obtained my beauty license: 1985

I chose beauty and became a hairdresser because going to beauty school got me out of high school. I dropped out my sophomore year. My dad was a stylist and figured beauty school would keep me out of trouble. Initially I stayed in beauty school not because I especially loved doing hair, but because of the very favorable boy to girl ratio. After a while, I realized I had a natural talent for the artistry and creativity of hairdressing.

I liked the idea of being able to create shapes and different looks with hair, completely changing someone's look. I saw how a hair cut could make someone not just look different, but feel different. I could give a shy person some attitude, and make an uptight customer feel a little more carefree and laid back. Growing up, I was really into drawing and building things out of just about anything I could get my hands on. This translated into my work as a stylist. The more I did hair, the more I loved it, and the more creative I became.

My life in Los Angeles has been the basis of my inspiration.  I was approached to be a bassist in a rock band because of my look. When I explained to the guys that I didn't have a musical bone in my body, they offered to teach me for free and, three months later, I was on stage at Whisky A Go Go!  To this day, I can only play the one set we needed. But being in that rock-'n'- roll scene made me want to bring some of that LA, street-wise attitude into my work even more. I went from stylist to salon owner, and owned salons for 15 years. It was through owning salons and training my employees that I realized I had a huge passion for education.

I believe everyone needs to grow, and growing comes through both teaching and being taught. It has been my experience that not enough companies are giving away education. Some companies require a salon or product retailer to buy a certain amount of product in order to receive education on their product.

In 2006, I decided to be proactive and create my own educational program and I needed products to work with. I envisioned a product that would reflect both my personality and my attitude about creative and free styling. So, Badass Hair was born. I never planned on it becoming a product company, but the quality of the products far exceeded my expectations. When I realized the demand for a fresh, new line like Badass Hair, I decided to take the leap and put all my efforts into it. I sold my salons and dove into product production. Now, three years and 29 products later, I want the whole world to know about Badass Hair. I am also excited to have a line I am confident and very proud of "Badass Hair University," which will launch later this year. This is education you're getting no matter how much or how little you spend with me.