Nathshapes

Many people see social media as a chore, a burden, something they must juggle and struggle with. And building a personal brand sounds like a lot of work. The word "building" sounds laborious. But, If you’re being yourself and enjoy what you do, nothing is laborious about it. Personal branding isn’t separate from you. It is personal. It is you. And being you is easy. You do it every day. A better way to reframe personal branding is Personal mission. A Personal mission is something larger than...

Trust nobody. Not even me. You should be skeptical about everything that everybody is saying. Not because you don’t believe them, but so you learn more. You see it all the time: “Trust the process.” I’ve never enjoyed that phrase. It’s like they’re saying: “Trust me, I know what I’m talking about/doing.” Which, as an educator, doesn’t sit well with me. I’d prefer something like “Question and practice the process.” Because that’s the reality of the journey. That’s how you learn. To just “Trust...

In today's email, you'll learn what it takes to master your craft. When you finish reading this, you'll know how to get started on your path to mastery. Not in a gimmicky way, but how to actually do it. Warning, It's long, so make sure you have some spare time. You can also click here to read it in your browser if it's easier. First off, I want to explain what Mastery isn’t. Mastery is not a destination but a journey. It is about developing a lifelong deep devotion to a singular craft....

"When should and shouldn't you tilt the clients head?" Oli, my beginner barber 1-1 student asked me. My response was this: "Generally speaking, when cutting a layer, you want the head in it's upright position. When cutting a graduation, you can tilt the head." The reason for this is because, with a layer, if you tilt the head, you'll end up creating a graduation (most of the time) I said, most of the time. That's because when you tilt the head and cut a flat shape vertically, then the head...

Ben Franklin (The man whos face is on the Dollar bill) said most men die at 25, but just aren't buried until they're 75. Hopes and dreams often die by 25, so assuming no major life changes, is there really a difference between dying at 25 or dying at 75? By the end of this email, you'll have a serious spark under your ass to progress! Ben was talking about “not growing”. If you're not growing, you're dying. I'm a firm believer in this. So then, how do you NOT die? You keep pushing yourself....

In Florence the other week I was listening to a podcast where this bald monk was talking about the concept of mastery. (Mastery is about full commitment to one practice.) Which I felt resonated with me when I decided to only pursue hair for the rest of my life. So, as I'm walking around the grounds of my hotel in the morning, birds tweeting, espresso in hand (Italian style, with 1 sugar) I reflected on the idea of "Freedom of choice" We've been conditioned to believe that Freedom comes from...

This is the trait of all traits, It's the trait that you definitely want to have if you cut hair for a living. When I was out in the South of France last month, learning from the world's number one hairdresser for precision cutting, it became so evident to me that there is one trait that rules them all if you want to go far in any realm of life. When I watch someone like JB Mazella cut hair, it's evident that his level of skill only comes with relentless effort. It was clear to see that even...

"Increase your prices so you can make £100,00 per year as a Barber and then you'll be FREE! All you have to do is buy my course, of course." This type of smack talk sucks the fun out Barbers lives, like your neighbor saying they'll call your parents if you don't turn the music down at your 18th birthday house party... And it's not even 10pm yet. Dead ting. At one point, all you ever wanted was to cut hair for a living, and you'd live happily ever after. But, now people are saying you should...