29 Oct On Diversity and Inclusion
We are passionate about education and we are very excited to have (virtually) hosted renowned stylist Shannon King for a hands-on training entirely focused on cutting and styling textured hair, in all its shapes — from wavy to curly or coiled. We want to acknowledge that our previous educational immersion has not been the most diverse and inclusive. However, we want to do better and make sure that every person who visits us will receive exemplary services. Our recent training with Shannon was part of a series to which we have committed and includes diversity training for our full team. To support our intention we have crafted a creed:
THE CREED OF INTERLOCKS:
We are committed to providing exemplary client satisfaction through our services and client engagements, while embracing ongoing education to better ourselves within our field of expertise, and within our community and society. We will promote growth and celebrate one another’s success both personally and professionally, and we will honor individuality and the uniqueness of each client. We will communicate thoughtfully within and outside our business walls, mindful of the individual impact our voices have on our collective brand. And we will create a safe and inclusive work environment for all genders, ethnic backgrounds, and identifications. We embrace the ongoing work to do better, working together as a unified team to uphold our values and goals, and to thrive in our collective success.
We’re committed to doing the work. Going forward, our ongoing education will be more inclusive, and focused on all hair types and textures. Read on for an overview of our first textured hair class.
Shannon King is a renowned stylist based in NYC, a premiere educator for Goldwell, and co-founder of Beauty 360* Consulting. On October 12th, we hosted Shannon to provide a virtual hands-on training focused entirely on textured hair. He likens hair texture to different fabrics, like silk, cotton, denim, velvet, and more – and explained how each “fabric” requires different care.
We are embracing this education as a foundation that will enable us to be a part of an industry movement that is moving away from just flat, silky straight hair. This education also enables us to provide salon services to every client, no matter their hair texture.
— INTERLOCKS Owner Ginny Eramo
We closed for the day, and created a socially-distanced classroom across the entire salon. Each stylist utilized ipads and laptops to engage directly with Shannon, while working on mannequin heads to try new tools, new products, and new techniques in cutting and styling. The day was engaging and exciting for our team – check out the photos and rave reviews below!
It was great to play with different hair types and different stretching techniques. Very informative.
— Master Stylist Tanya M.
I love the idea of embracing natural texture; so beautiful! We learned some great new cutting techniques to enhance textured looks.
— Senior Stylist Holly B.
I have always loved textured hair, so it was fun getting to learn more about the “fabric” of hair in its natural state. Shannon’s knowledge and energy was great! I hope we can host him in person for a future class.
— Master Stylist Kelly S.
Shannon’s energy was so uplifting and much what we needed. His energy and knowledge filled my cup with inspiration and tools to do what I love. Focusing on different ways to embrace natural hair texture of all types allows us to be creative. Great class all around!
— Senior Stylist Melissa C.
Love embracing our natural textures; it's amazing what we can create. With the right products, the right knowledge, and a great haircut, the sky’s the limit!
— Master Stylist Vicki Q.
Shannon King was able to inspire us and teach us virtually! Our team loves to learn and our industry always rises to the occasion. I loved all the different finishing techniques that work on all textures of hair!
— Master Stylist Andrea R.
Shannon was an awesome teacher. I loved learning the different options to set naturally textured hair!
— Master Stylist Sherise G.
Shannon was so inspiring today. His energy was contagious. It was really a great experience to focus solely on textured hair. His haircut was so marketable and I can already see it used in many different lengths and clients. I love embracing natural texture, and Shannon gave us the confidence to use the tools from our own existing toolbox in new ways!
— Master Stylist Alisson M.