@rogermolinahair A Journey of Passion, Persistence and Purpose From musician to master hairdresser, Roger Molina's journey is a testament to the power of passion and a love for learning. Funnily enough, Roger's story doesn't begin in a salon, but rather on the road in the late '90s, cutting hair for his bandmates with whatever tools were available—and we mean "tools" in the loosest sense possible. From Band Life to Hair Life "I was cutting hair with the worst tools possible," Roger recalls. "I had one pair of scissors that were pretty good, but I could never find them, so it was always like, 'What do I have around here? Oh, a broken bottle? That'll do!'" "I had one pair of scissors that were pretty good, but I could never find them, so it was always like, 'What do I have around here? Oh, a broken bottle? That'll do!'" Finding His Calling And while Roger enjoyed the creativity of cutting hair, it wasn't until a friend remarked on his ability to connect with people, and suggested he become a hairdresser. "And I half-joked, 'So you're telling me I've got no skill or talent?' And she responded, 'Nobody' has talent when they start hair." This advice sparked an obsession. After enrolling in cosmetology school, Roger began "borrowing" mannequins from his hair school to practice, cutting them multiple times and sneaking them back. "I would cut them like seven times and put them back—like nobody's gonna notice," he remembers with a laugh. "I would cut them like seven times and put them back—like nobody's gonna notice." Mentors and Influences While Roger is blessed to have had many mentors, such as Ira Pope Sage, DJ Muldoon and Sam Villa, he says Hugo Urias truly helped shape his approach to hairdressing and education. "Hugo taught me that education is about them, not you," Roger says, explaining that ego has to take a back seat. "It's about their experience. You're here as a teacher to make everyone feel special and validated." "Hugo taught me that education is about them, not you. It's about their experience. You're here as a teacher to make everyone feel special and validated." Philosophy and Teaching This philosophy extends to his current mission of inspiring young hairdressers. Roger believes many emerging professionals make a critical mistake by specializing too quickly. "A lot of up-and-coming hairdressers want to specialize in one thing right away, like balayage. But trends change rapidly." Instead, he advocates for mastering fundamentals and embracing lifelong learning. "Whatever your biggest blocker is, that's what you should focus on first," he says. "Remove that rock in your water tube, and you'll be amazed how much force comes behind it." Creative Vision Roger's passion for creative content makes learning fun—and this has helped him to win two Hairbrained Video Awards for his visionary stop-motion videos. Looking forward, he wants to use miniature art sculptures and animated characters to demonstrate hair techniques. "My goal is to create content that makes a child think, 'That's awesome! I want to be a hairdresser!'" "My goal is to create content that makes a child think, 'That's awesome! I want to be a hairdresser!'" Follow Roger on Instagram Explore Hairbrained Events