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Find Your Flock 🦩 Hb Fest is more than just an education event—it's a gathering for passionate hairdressers to connect, grow, and get inspired. Happening September 13–15, 2025, in sunny Palm Springs, this three-day experience brings together the best in the industry for nonstop learning and unforgettable vibes. ✨ 30+ Classes Look & learn and hands-on sessions with master educators 🌴 Palm Springs Vibes JW Marriott Palm Desert at just $279/night 💰 Group Savings Save up to $130 per person when you bring 3+ friends 🌴 🦩 🌴 Learn from Industry Icons With over 30 look & learn and hands-on classes led by the best in the business, you'll sharpen your skills and see what's next in cutting, color, and styling. @jacobkhan @sonnabrado @danieljosephmuldoon 👉 Swipe to see more educators → @jacobkhan Cutting Specialist @sonnabrado Color Expert @danieljosephmuldoon Styling Master Experience the Magic Join us for hands-on learning, inspiring demonstrations, and unforgettable connections Get Your Tickets Now Elevate Your Learning Want to really take your skills to the next level? Join one of the intimate hands-on sessions and work directly with master educators to refine your craft in a focused setting. We're taking over the stunning JW Marriott Palm Desert, where attendees can stay on-site and soak up the full experience. Bonus: we've secured a special group rate of just $279 per night—so you can stay in style without breaking the bank. See You in Paradise Reserve Your Spot Today FLY IN EARLY, SAVE BIG! September 13-15, 2025 • Palm Springs, CA 00 Days 00 Hours 00 Minutes 00 Seconds EARLY BIRD TICKETS - SAVE UP TO $130

Discover the 2025 NAHA winners across 15 categories including Avant Garde, Haircolor, and Hairstylist of the Year. See the beauty industry's best work.

Hairdresser Spotlight: Gabby Allen @strawberricurls From Blogger to Hairstylist to Educator Gabrielle Allen's path to becoming a sought-after hairstylist and educator was anything but traditional. What started as a passion project sharing natural hair tips on her blog evolved into a multifaceted career that has touched nearly every aspect of the beauty industry. The Natural Hair Movement Pioneer "I started off when the natural hair movement was super new, sharing tips on Twitter and Tumblr," Gabby recalls. "I was trying to be helpful and share what I figured out about my own hair." Her online community grew rapidly, with a popular Sunday night discussion called "Natural Hair Chat," during which she interviewed stylists and shared insights. "I was trying to be helpful and share what I figured out about my own hair." Finding an Unexpected Path Initially planning a career in tech, Gabby's journey took an unexpected turn when her pastor suggested cosmetology school. "I was vehemently against this," she laughs. "I was like, 'I do my hair for fun, but I don't want to do that.'" Nevertheless, after a year of uncertainty, she decided to pursue cosmetology and quickly distinguished herself, becoming known as the "natural hair girl" in her class. "I was vehemently against this. I was like, 'I do my hair for fun, but I don't want to do that.'" An Accelerated Journey Her career accelerated quickly. Within a five-year span, Gabby graduated from cosmetology school, did instructor training with Paul Mitchell, worked with professional hair companies and even opened her own salon, Shades Studio – which she funded entirely out of pocket. "I'm very much a hands-on experience learner," she explains. "I don't do too much research before I just delve in and figure out the rest." "I'm very much a hands-on experience learner. I don't do too much research before I just delve in and figure out the rest." Empowering Other Stylists View this post on Instagram A post shared by Salon Owner | Stylist Coach (@strawberricurls) One of Gabby's passions is helping other stylists succeed. She offers virtual classes on topics like creating salon membership programs and increasing income. "I understand how hard it is to accumulate this knowledge," she says. "That's why I share so much free content online." The Next Chapter In that vein, Gabby is focused on her next big goal: opening a cosmetology school. And while she is still learning how to accomplish such a feat, she is approaching it in the same manner she has her entire beauty career. "I was in the same place before I opened up salons," she muses. "I just did it. I'll simply learn how to do it along the way." "I was in the same place before I opened up salons. I just did it. I'll simply learn how to do it along the way." Creative Freedom What drives Gabby is the creative freedom the industry provides. "I'm unemployable in traditional nine-to-five jobs," she jokes. "If I'm not able to have my creative energy, I can't really operate well." Her advice to aspiring stylists? Don't be afraid to reach out. "Nine out of ten times, the professionals you admire are way more down-to-earth than you realize. They're super cool and helpful." "Nine out of ten times, the professionals you admire are way more down-to-earth than you realize. They're super cool and helpful." A Journey of Passion Growing from a blogger sharing natural hair tips to a multifaceted hairstylist and educator, Gabby's journey proves that passion, resourcefulness and a willingness to learn can transform a hobby into a remarkable career. "If I'm not able to have my creative energy, I can't really operate well." Follow Gabby on Instagram Explore Education Events

@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

@colorbykriss How Krista Fell in Love with the Beauty Industry Krista Bartik didn't always plan to become a hairdresser. While Krista loved makeup and brows growing up, she had serious concerns about financial stability in the beauty industry, and initially planned to pursue dental hygiene instead. Taking the Leap It wasn't until a close friend suggested they go to cosmetology school together that Krista gave the beauty path serious consideration. Touring the Aveda Institute of Chapel Hill in North Carolina, she made a decision that would change her life. "It was a leap of faith," Krista says, "but having someone to do it with gave me the confidence to try." "It was a leap of faith, but having someone to do it with gave me the confidence to try." Finding Her Passion She launched her career in 2018, right as the industry was shifting toward a more collaborative, community-driven approach. Quickly discovering her passion for blonding, balayage and creative color, Krista also found a love for teaching, inspired by childhood memories of watching her mom lead dance classes. Krista instinctively knew how to break down complex ideas and communicate them clearly. "Other hairstylists would say, 'You're really good at explaining that.' And over time, it just became something I loved even more." Embracing the Challenges But along with passion comes pressure—and Krista learned firsthand that burnout is an inevitable part of a high-achieving career. "Burnout is one of those things in this industry we're taught to prevent. But I think no matter how hard you try to prevent it, you're going to reach a point of burnout," she muses. "I think that we just need to embrace it and know that it's not going to last forever." "I think that we just need to embrace it and know that it's not going to last forever." The constant drive to succeed can easily snowball, she says. So whenever she feels burnout coming on, Krista focuses on reflecting how far she's come and being creative. For Krista, collaborating with models on free-form projects helps reignite her passion. "It sounds so silly to tell somebody to work more during burnout, but it allows me to open up that creativity again and push through." Balancing Creativity & Education Today, Krista balances her passion for creating beautiful hair behind the chair with her growing commitment to independent education. She is also a proud member of the Fancy Team, Jacob Khan's scissor brand. "Joining the Fancy Team was the best thing that happened to me," she says. "After going independent, I felt so lonely. Jacob took me under his wing, and it brought the fun back to my career." "Joining the Fancy Team was the best thing that happened to me... it brought the fun back to my career." Sharing Knowledge: Upcoming Education Next up, Krista is leading her own independent education series. She's teaching a class in Sarasota, Florida on May 18, followed by Eugene, Oregon on June 29, Raleigh, North Carolina on July 13, and a soon-to-be-announced New York City class in September. "I'm super excited," she grins. "If you want to learn more, definitely head to my Instagram page." What's more, Krista will teach at Hairbrained Sessions in Minneapolis on June 23rd, leading a class that blends two of her strengths: color and social media. "I'm excited to show stylists not just how to place color beautifully, but also how to style, pose and capture it for social media — "because today, that's how we connect and grow," she says. Krista will also appear at Hairbrained's upcoming Hb Fest in Palm Springs, with more details to come. Krista's Education Schedule May 18: Sarasota, Florida Get Tickets June 23: Hairbrained Sessions in Minneapolis Get Tickets June 29: Eugene, Oregon Get Tickets July 13: Raleigh, North Carolina Get Tickets September: New York City (Coming Soon) Connect & Learn Early bird tickets for the Minneapolis event are available now, and Krista couldn't be more excited. "I'm just so thrilled to help stylists not only create beautiful work, but also share it confidently with the world," she says. "I'm just so thrilled to help stylists not only create beautiful work, but also share it confidently with the world." Follow Krista on Instagram Get Event Tickets

The Comedian Turned Hair Artist Who's Redefining Education Jacob Khan (@jacobhkhan) didn't grow up planning to become one of the most sought-after educators in the pro beauty world. In fact, before he was educating thousands of stylists around the world, launching his own scissor brand and becoming a social media standout, he was just a 15-year-old punk kid with a pair of clippers and a fearless attitude. Punk Rock Beginnings "I was in a bunch of punk bands," Jacob recalls. "All my friends wanted crazy hair but couldn't afford to get it done. I wasn't nervous about it—I'd just say, 'I'll do it.' So I kind of became the unofficial hairdresser of the local punk scene." "I kind of became the unofficial hairdresser of the local punk scene." From Comedy to Cosmetology By the time he turned 18, Jacob enrolled in cosmetology school—not because he saw a clear future in hair, but because he thought it might help fund his true dream: stand-up comedy. "I figured I'd do hair until comedy took off. But then I fell in love with it," he says. The creativity, the energy, the opportunity—it all clicked. "It was more than just cutting friends' hair in a bathroom—I saw what was possible in this industry, and I threw myself into it." However, his performer's spirit never left. "I've always wanted to be on stage," he says. "If I wasn't going to pursue entertainment full time, hair needed to scratch that itch." For Jacob, education was the way in. "I started at a Paul Mitchell school, and all eyes were on the platform artists, the ones on the DVD covers," he remembers with a laugh. "That's who I wanted to be." A Unique Approach to Education His teaching style, like his career, is anything but conventional. Known for his sharp technical skills and quick wit, Jacob brings humor into education in a way that's entirely his own. "I don't think we ever sat down and said, 'Let's be funny but not too goofy,'" he explains. "It's just who we are. Most of the stuff we say on stage is off the cuff. What you see on social media is what you get in real life." "What you see on social media is what you get in real life." The Stage & Social Media He credits social media with expanding the stage—but it's the real-time reaction from audiences that still lights him up. "At ABS, I styled some bangs on stage and got an actual applause break," he laughs. "That kind of moment is electric." In the classroom, he says that while the rewards are quieter, they're just as meaningful. "When someone tells me they used something they learned in class and it changed their business? That's everything." "When someone tells me they used something they learned in class and it changed their business? That's everything." The Fancy Brand Jacob's passion for supporting hairdressers extends beyond education. With his business partner Matt—who isn't a hairdresser—they launched Fancy, a brand that offers high-quality scissors without eye-watering prices, as well as a razor and apparel. "The name is sarcastic," Jacob says. "Matt would watch these super serious platform artists in suits and be like, 'Wow, they're so fancy.' We don't take ourselves seriously—but we do take the craft seriously." At its core, Fancy isn't about undercutting the market—it's about honoring the artist. "We price things fairly and we support education," Jacob says. "We want this to be a business, not a charity, but we also want to feel good about what we're putting into the industry." "We don't take ourselves seriously—but we do take the craft seriously." Looking Forward As he looks ahead, Khan is focused on deepening the impact of cutting education and continuing to inspire the next generation of hairdressers. His parting words? "Come to Hb Fest in Palm Springs!" Spoken like someone who knows that the most powerful education still happens in real life, in community, with scissors in hand. Follow Jacob on Instagram

Legendary hairstylist Alfredo Lewis partners with Oligo Professionnel to expand digital presence and elevate professional beauty education. With 30+ years of expertise and 2.6 million social followers, this powerful collaboration promises to transform the professional hair industry.