Interview with Sal Salcedo, “The Hairlosopher”

Show Notes

Sal is a well renowned and sought after hair stylist in Los Angeles, who seeks to find the meaning of life in all that he does. He creates magic in the “hair chair” by using his experiences of his spiritual practice and philosophy to transform his clients to express themselves fully, one hair cut at a time.
Sal moved to the United States from Mexico at 13. He touched his first pair of shears shortly thereafter and hasn't stopped since. He graduated from Toni & Guy Hairdressing Academy and began working at the esteemed Sally Hershberger Salon then at Ramirez Tran Salon in Beverly Hills.
Sal continues pushing himself into being a better artist. He has had the pleasure to work with many celebrities & artists as well as children, teenagers, moms & grandmas. His focus is to create quality work and let it speak for itself. After four successful years in Beverly Hills, three at Ramirez Tran, most recently Salon Benjamin, working in New York City, San Francisco, and Mexico City, Sal is now creating all-new outpost in the Arts District of Downtown Los Angeles.

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2022-03 Ep. 5 SAL

[00:00:00] Welcome to the Zen Stoic path. I have a very special guest here with me today. I have Sal the hair Losser who is one of my dear friends and clients. Sal is in Austin this weekend. So I got to have him come into the studio to share his wisdom with the listeners on the Zen Stoic path.

Sal, thank you so much for being here today. Thank you for inviting me. Thank you for having me here. Yeah. Really happy to be here. Yeah, man. I'm super excited. I was, I've been waiting for this for, for several weeks now, so I'm pumping too. Excellent. So I know you're, you're here in Austin cuz you are actually doing some teaching.

So, uh, if you wouldn't mind, if you could tell a little bit about what you do when it comes to hair, when it comes to the actual teaching style and what you were doing here in Austin this weekend. Got it. Well, I do this thing called hair tour. Um, and so I go around different cities that I, I wanna experience checkout.

And so I come see clients and as well as like different formats of teaching, sometimes I do [00:01:00] group teachings and times like today I do what's called shadow education. So I'll have professionals that are either new or older to the game, kind of see how I work and what I do. Um, And it's really fun. I mean, have a, have a great time.

Yes. That's amazing, man. Yeah, I know. Uh, you have a really interesting style when it comes to hair, not just in how you actually cut people's hair and style it, but the way that you think about the whole process, which I found fascinating, and I know, you know, before you even decide to cut anybody's hair, you usually have a conversation with, and kind of see where they're at.

So can you talk a little bit about your process and what kinds of things you're discussing and thinking about with that person? Got it. There's a, I like to tell people that there's a lot of lances that I use. Mm-hmm to look at people, you know, I'm a big curious person. I love culture. I love mm-hmm. um, I love getting to know them to understand them.

Yes. You know, I was really [00:02:00] interested in psychology theology. I I'm a big person. Why? You know, so mm-hmm, through all my different learnings and skills, like. Passion of even like soccer and boxing have influence how I do hair, you know? Yes. I love history. I thought of being a, a history professor. I love archeology.

Mm-hmm I love anything that's exploring. Yes. Especially exploring the mind. So when it comes to hair, I'm not just looking at, at how I can make this person better because of the hair. Mm-hmm but it goes deep. You know, I like to say that I have like a, what do you call it? Like a tool. Felt yes. And, and in it, I have a lot of lenses, almost like how a, if you go get your prescription taken, you know, like they, they ask you if one better or two better and you just kinda keep choosing.

So I feel like I do that, have my little lenses and like kind of look at individual in my chair, multiple [00:03:00] lenses and, and I'm able to get a better understanding of who they are and. And give them a haircut or a hairstyle that matches what's going on. I like to say that I'm like a translator. Yes. When people come already knowing, uh, what they want, but they don't know how to express it.

You know, I do share that with you. If it's things like I wanna feel sexy or I wanna feel, feel bad as I wanna feel empowered. It's so hard for a lot of people to express that so it's my job to get in there and really bring that out of them. And, and. I think it comes down to manifestation yes. On them to help manifest for themselves, the person that they ambition to be.

I love it. Yeah. No, I do. I can see you light up when, whenever you talk about it. And I found it fascinating. Cause I remember the example that you gave me is if somebody comes in. And they're wanting a haircut because it's trendy. And like they come in, they're like, I want bangs and you're like, well, hold [00:04:00] on, let's talk for a second.

So how do you make that determination when somebody's coming in and what they're asking for? Or I guess like, how do you even express that to them? That what they're asking for it doesn't really match what you're up from their energy. I mean, it's a series of things. Mm-hmm um, I feel like through the years I've gotten better with my read of people.

Yes. Uh, it's highly intuitively mm-hmm . I always say that it's intuition and imagination. Mm. So I almost like put myself more into like, um, whenever I take myself too serious doing it mm-hmm and things don't quite fall the right. It per se it's almost more like I make it harder. But if I make it more playful, more like a child.

Yes. Like I allow myself to be like a child and, and do like really like silly questions or like really curious questions. The client go, like I've never been asked those kinds of things. I invite them to match what I'm giving them, which is also play. Yes, you [00:05:00] like a child be imaginative. You know, us as adults, we get very complicated.

Mm-hmm and same goes for my clients and the people that I teach, I. Try to simplify things, um, and make it very fun. Like I said. Yeah, very, very playful. Yeah. And it should be a playful process, right? Like why not? Why not have fun when you're doing something like this, right. Yeah. I, I really like that because I know you and I, we talked about this at length, you know, a few times, but the, you know, when we bring it back act to Zen Stoic philosophy, that whole.

Distinction between performance and sincerity. And it sounds like when people are in there with an intention of performance, like they're not being themselves, they're not expressing themselves, or they're not asking for something that's gonna help express them. Exactly. You're able to bring that sincerity by bringing that like childlike playfulness to the conversation and then even practice the intention of understanding rather than control in the, like taking yourself too seriously.

Totally. totally. [00:06:00] Yeah, because I've been there as well, you know, like, I, I mean, I've done this this year, 20 years now. 20 years it's shifted. It shifted through the years. Yes. You know, like, like I think I was telling you, like I'm constantly looking for more depth. Yes. You know, like the drive wasn't always the same.

I feel like it's, it's a matter of years that have allowed me to become a Losser per se. Yes. Um, but I point to was more like, I wanna be really cool and I wanna be like a rock. Right. And look at all the fancy things that I can do with my hands in mm-hmm it was more like show mention, you know? Yes. A lot of it was driven by fame.

And success and what I thought it had to be. And now it turns more about feeling more depth mm-hmm . And, and for me, honestly, for me not to get bored yeah. A hundred percent expanding. What, what the meaning of what I do is, and, and it, it has to be something that really connects deeper with the human yes.

Person in my chair [00:07:00] for my own self. Beautiful. I like that. That's uh, It's very Zen Stoic of you. we're all about connecting with the person so it's perfect for this podcast. Look at us. so I, I wanna touch on something that you said there that I think is really profound. You were saying, thanks. Am I? Yes. I mean, we're gonna revisit that in just a moment.

thanks much, but the part, um, where you're talking about not wanting to get bored and then your way of not getting bored is actually going into depth, which that is fascinating to me because it's actually the same way that I do it. But what I've noticed in talking to a lot of people is that's not the default to go to when you feel bored.

Most people, when they feel bored, they go for a range. They go for more variety and they try to go wider. Where have you found depth to be a good, uh, avenue for when you feel bored or when you need to explore something new? Where have I found depth? Mm-hmm to be, to be a better avenue for you when, [00:08:00] whenever you feel like you might get bored or you're getting you're feeling stale.

I think, I think it comes down to freaking being a child and, and I mean, unlike other children looking for the. Meaning of life, you know, like I'm, I'm fascinated by that kind, wondering the possibilities of human evolution and consciousness and life in other worlds. And I think I had to look for that here on earth.

You know what I mean? Uh, and it's basically exploration of deepening mm-hmm that is the drive itself. Um, stay with that. Um, deepening. Oh yeah. So when it comes to like meaning of life, you know, mm-hmm, like, like you're finding is that the meaning of life is the meaning that you want to give it? Yes. So I keep revisiting what that is constantly.

And, and like I told you earlier, like it to the years, it has shifted yes. Hair for me at the beginning. [00:09:00] From age seven to four, no, seven, unfortunately, 21. Think I was in second grade. Just cutting people's hair. I was 13. So went to 21. It was all about money. Yeah. Air for me was my passion. It was not what I wanted to do.

The long run. It was just a me, which was money mm-hmm 21 comes around. I decided to do hair for, for a living. So I came about money fame mm-hmm so when EA comes around, that's when I opened the salon, me and my wife, uh, She became pregnant. And, and so it, all of a sudden I started going a legacy, you know, what am I gonna leave behind?

So the meaning life for me has gone deeper. Yes. And I will continue to do that. And, and so the journey itself is what keeps me going. I like that. Yeah. It it's. It's interesting cuz as you, up as a person, every iteration of you. Asking that same question, right? Going deeper into the question. It's almost like the answer shifts because the person asking it is now different.

Yes. Right. You being a [00:10:00] different person and like your purpose was originally money, then it became, you know, like money and fame. And then now it's legacy. So the purpose shifts with each phase of life. That's why I always find that whole thing on. Find your life purpose in a lot of these advertisements, when it comes to coaching is like, it's kind of silly.

Like it gets people, it is silly. It gets people to obsess about something, thinking that it's stagnant, that you have to find it and it's this treasure, but it's not stagnant. It's, it's moving with you. And you've had the ability to experience that, which is really, really cool. I was just thinking of that yesterday and kinda expanded on it after my, my Austin trip and seeing my clients and interacting with multiple people, it was that of like, goodness.

If I had think of this before, it's obviously a different person asking for the outcome, but now I'm a different person. Yes. Asking a different question. And, and that's what I, that gave me a lot of peace, to be honest. Mm-hmm because kinda like how you're saying, you know, a lot, a lot of us get caught up on like, this is what [00:11:00] it is and I'm gonna find it.

Mm-hmm once you find it, you don't find the joy in it anymore. Yes. Cause you're from person, right. That doesn't even matter. Yeah, that that's a, that's a beautiful way of putting it. It's, it's one of those truths that, that exists in Zen that gets talked about a lot. How, like, everything is always changing, right?

The truth of impermanence. And it's like, when you originally set out to find the thing that you thought was stagnant by the time you get there, the world has changed and you have changed. Exactly. So it's a totally different experience of when you actually get there than when you had originally asked it.

Which is the whole point of staying in the process, right. Being present. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, it's like what happened to the Buddha? Right? He started to see realizing that there were people out there getting older mm-hmm sick and die. Yeah. Otherwise he probably would've still thought that he was mm-hmm and it's only when he realized that time and time had an effect on humans that you [00:12:00] wanna search for the depth of.

Yeah, I love, I do love that story of the Buddha. What, what originally, like, what was your introduction into that story and how did it affect you? Good question. Oh dude. Well, I mean, I've always been like, oh my God, I, I, I love all religions and I hate all religions because I see the, at the same time. Yeah, exactly.

It's like pieces of puzzle of truth. Mm-hmm , you know what I mean? It's only a piece mm-hmm but it was right around the time my, my son was born, my son was about to be a year. And so I'm. I mean, correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe he had had a child mm-hmm and the seeing the growth of the child was like, wait a minute, wanted to check out, went on out there.

So it was kind of like having good experience right now, myself. Yeah. Yeah, no, I mean the birth of my child was definitely very impactful. Excellent. Yeah. How does, um, How does your [00:13:00] philosophy on life and your pursuit of consciousness? Because I know that that's a journey that you're on, especially in not just your craft, but also personally, how has that influenced the way that you parent mm-hmm

Oh boy. It's um, it he's a, he's a little mirror. Mm-hmm a little mirror or it's, it's fascinating because I used to venture out on really deepening myself in. Going to the desert for a few days, or mm-hmm, trying different medicines or fasting different methodologies, like get me there. Mm-hmm and he's born and I'm changing a diaper.

I'm walking to throw the diaper away. And the level of sudden I have one of the most profound revelations, you know, so it's wild because the most mundane thing, the interactions with my child trigger just as an impactful reaction that any of these searches have. Not even given me, you know? Yeah. So it does, man.[00:14:00]

That's amazing. What, what was the revelation in that moment? Exactly. Oh, oh, well, that's just like a general, uh, thing, but, uh, I think one of the first times that I was tripping out on throwing a diaper was thinking, you know, like maybe what if my whole life. Driven it, the drive has been too for me, me being here on earth.

Cause of me, uh, it's my soul. What if it's not even about that? What if it's about passing that on to him? You know, so for the first moment in my life, I thought my life was maybe not prepping me thinking me that it's for me, but it's not, I don't know how I feel about it. Any, any at this point, mm-hmm, honestly.

But at that moment, it was very, I had never thought of my life that way. Right. Yeah. It is like you had to think of the world and life itself outside of your own subjective perspective. Yes. Right? [00:15:00] Yeah. Which I can imagine can be like both beautiful and disorienting at the same time. Totally. When he was born.

Um, well, right before he was born, I was we're. We really wanted to have him mm-hmm and I was thinking, is this a selfish or a selfless act? And I kept going back in that. Question? Yes. Is this a selfless selfish act? Because we wanted to have him so bad. Mm-hmm but also it was in a way giving ourselves up for him.

Right? Not until he was born. He was like, what if with the passing on a flight? Mm, yes. Yeah. Expanding that whole view of yourself. Yeah, that's really interesting. I was wonder what are your feelings or views on the. The paradoxes of life or living in the paradox, like what if things are sometimes both selfish and selfless, how do you see that, you know, coming up in, in your own life?

I feel like it's a continuous one. Yeah. Comes up, [00:16:00] um, talked about it a lot. Yeah. We certainly have at length, you and I described it as the, the hippie and the rock star. Yes. Like the hippie wants to let life happen and. Go with the flow mm-hmm and the rock star wants to take action and yeah. Make it happen.

Be the flow that's right. Be the flow um, so it keeps coming up for me, you know, like one of the great, um, things I, I learned, um, you was, was, have to be against each other of the same and, and I think different version of ourselves and, and of myself and I have to use 'em. Yes, whenever they're they're needed.

It's almost like the lenses that we're talking about. That's right. And there's so much talking earlier about multiverse, right? There's so many versions of ours that want to come in and play. So I think that's where being like a child [00:17:00] and having the imagination. It's really impactful. That's right. It makes you realize I am everything.

Yeah. I'm not just this one thing, you know, and I think like seasons seasons really help me to understand that seasons. Yeah. Like the, the path of nature, you know, you have summer spring, winter, like, so same with us, like closer. We are with nature and seasons. We can all so learn to not be attached to, oh, I am just this right now.

I am multiple things and those come and go. And maybe will show back up and, and I think it's really a cool opportunity yeah. You know, that will help us understand more the, the process of life and death. Yes. Just like dying and living, but letting go of ideas, giving birth new ideas, letting go seasons of ourselves.

That's why I love hair cuz it's like, and for new hairstyle, you know? Yeah. New season. Exactly. Exactly. So that's, that's a. [00:18:00] That's a, a big one for me. That's a, that's a really cool way to look at it in seasons. Right? Cause I think just sometimes telling people, everything changes, everything is I permanent can feel, you know, depending on your level of understanding of this stuff can feel very disheartening and overwhelming to think like, oh no, ever gonna have that again, that experience or those feelings again, because it's all I permanent and it's a loss, right?

It's a loss. And this could be like, An extreme point of view or an extreme, uh, framework to, to be thinking from. But I think if you describe it in the way that you did in seasons, it's like, no, there's, there's a flow to this. And there are different seasons to you to life, to your life, purpose to the people in your life and how you interact with them.

That is a much more digestible way of the doing. I find then just being like everything changes, deal with it. Sorry. Bye. Exactly. It's gone. Yeah. So that, that, that's a really [00:19:00] cool I'm I'm I'm stealing that. I'm have to use that for free. I will be. Yes. Thank you. Thank you for contributing that on the podcast here.

So the, um, The people that introduce me to you, which are the, uh, the Lopez siblings, you know, just out there in LA friends. Yeah. Doing their thing. I know I'm gonna be having one of them on the podcast some point soon and I'll be on theirs. Yeah. So shout out to, uh, super MAs podcast. Yeah. Shout out to them.

That's what they got. Um, but they, you know, they were telling me about you before you and I, I met and like how they've known you for a very long time and how you started it's and it's crazy to see the, the evolution of your career, but how you started cutting hair. Rush. Yes. Yeah. Like, like Steve jobs , started in the, in the garage.

So what was, I mean, what was that experience like? Like what originally inspired you? I know it was money, but of all things that you could've done to make money, why hair? Um, it was really easy. Mm-hmm um, when I came to the states, [00:20:00] one in Mexico and I left there when I was 13 and, and hair was a big part of my own life and my wall.

What do you call that? Wellbeing mm-hmm like feeling good about myself in Mexico. Um, I used to get haircuts maybe like two to three weeks parents would take me and they were completely unexpensive mm-hmm and, and it was part of like my reward, you know, had good grades. You get a haircut, you know, I was nerd, I was a smart ass and I loved it.

academic come petitions, always like top of my class. And. Whole thing was like, yeah. Keep getting a grade. She keep getting haircuts. Yes. And so I was, I love my hair stylist. I never went to a barber shop. It was always women taking care of me being really sweet to me. My later, um, hair stylist was a single mom and she was, had a big crush on her.

She was so loving, so kind. She really saw me. You saw me. And make me feel seen. [00:21:00] Yes. And so when I came to the states, I was 13 going through some formal changes. They didn't know the language, hated my parents and, and the world in America for, you know, for taking it all away, everything that I knew, you know, so it was really hard.

So. Not having my haircut, not having my feel good moment, really BU me out. I felt, I felt really, uh, alone and unseen mm-hmm so my parents go don't, don't worry about it. Just keep getting grateful ticket to get a haircut. So then I visit a barbershop and that's when I experience a whole next, I was just another next and it only made me feel more sad and depressed, and I was really feeling, so I said, screw this, if anyone's gonna.

Even gonna make me feel this way. I'd rather be me. So I picked up scissors and Clippers and I went in the bathroom, cut my own hair. And how'd that first one go, oh man, I must have been in there for two hours in the bathroom. Just like every detail, but [00:22:00] it was bad. It was bad. But I said, you know what, it's gonna be better in two weeks.

My hair grew really fast. I see how really short like you. Yeah. And so again, two weeks later, try it again. And he kept getting better and better. So, you know, I'm in high school at the time. I'm 14. And kids started seeing my haircuts and I'm at the time I'm like drawing stuff in my head, you know, I'm getting really, really good.

Mm-hmm got my family cutting little friends and started asking me who put your hair. Can you cut my hair? I'm gonna cut your hair. sweaty. No, so again, I didn't think of it. I like, oh, this is what I do. Mm-hmm but I value education really high, highly. And I wanted to, you know, we could only afford public school at the time.

Mm-hmm . So the classes that I was interested on were at the community college mm-hmm . So I said, well, this could be a little business venture. If I make a little money, I can pay my own school. Uh, so while high school I was taking classes at the community college for psychology, sociology, philosophy, banking, sculpting, yoga, mm-hmm , [00:23:00] you know, all the things that I really wanted to geek out on.

Yeah. And so that was a drive, you know? So I had started having like a better relationship with hair of, okay. It makes me, it's a means to an end. It makes me money. Pay for my schooling. And then I get to explore the world and see what I wanna do. And sure enough, I had all these teenagers in my, my chair, you know, I got really involved in, in anything that I could, you know, I love mentoring people.

Yes. Thought of being a psychotherapist or a psychologist or a, so I grew up Catholic in Mexico. So soon we look for a church and I got involved in the youth group. So you're having me like speaking and. Coaching mentoring, the younger teens that were completely depressed, like it was during the whole emo mm-hmm era, you know, and also like, I was really good in soccer.

I was captain varsity mm-hmm I came back and coached the soccer team in high school. Uh, so I'm coaching also mentor, you know, part of like, um, [00:24:00] uh, group and, and the high school that kind of like pushes minorities. Yeah. And, and to. Try to go to college. Mm-hmm , you know, so I was part of that mentoring and like, uh, everything history, even English, ironically, uh, math

And so I'm doing all these things for, for the teams, you know, like the people around me and, and I'm having to kind of have more of an impact on people and I'm realizing like, oh my God, like more of them just making money on a couple bucks. Like I'm actually getting to impact people in my chair, in my garage.

So soon after I start. Working at the local barbershop. And this is where things really start taking off, you know, like mm-hmm, , I start kind of like outgrowing the, the main guy and I'm start seeing this stuff, like maybe a possibility for me to venture venture out. And what started happening that really set the tone was that there was magic in the chair.

You know, it wasn't all about making them feel good or making them look good, [00:25:00] started going deeper, you know, coaching. It was a psychology. I was really into fashion too. So I actually graduated and went to fashion school at the community college. Oh, that's so cool. Like I gotta complete the look. It's not just the hair pattern, making tailoring draping.

So another lens, you know what I mean? All of a sudden I'm starting to like see hair deeper and deeper, but people and the chair, when they come to you and they were coming to me at the time, you know, they wanted a transformation. They already come in bringing. Themselves to surrender. Yes. It wasn't like my one-on-one practices in psychology.

Like, oh, tell me about what's happening. Mm-hmm like, why do I need to tell you? You're you're you're team. You don't know anything? Yeah. The chairs different, you know, people already come in. Oh yeah. I'm gonna give up something. I'm gonna cut my hair off or I'm gonna do something to my hair. Mm-hmm so I feel like that helps let go.

The idea of letting go, the idea of change. So. [00:26:00] That was it, man. I started seeing like, holy cow, like in the chair, in the hair chair, mm-hmm, more transformations and deeper even like fashion statements and deeper, everything else is happening rather than all these other ventures. So that's when I realized screw everything else I was trying out.

I'm gonna do, I'm gonna do hair, but gonna give it more depth. That's beautiful. That's you, you hit on something that I think is. So key, and I don't even know if you knew you were doing it, but I think when I say it, now it may click for you. And I'm very curious to hear your perspective on this principle.

So, one thing that I talk about in coaching, as well as in Zen Stoic a lot, is this principle of being the source of what you seek to experience had this source of being seen and feeling. Safe and feeling really cared for when you were in Mexico, every time you would [00:27:00] go and get a haircut. And suddenly that was taken away from you because you came here.

So like one of the things you cherish most in your life was suddenly inaccessible. And so for a while you tried to find it, you tried to find it. And then finally you're like, screw this. I'm gonna be the source of that. Right. And you, weren't just the source of it for yourself by cutting your own hair.

But you started to become the source of it for everyone around you. And then that turned into different forms like coaching and sports and mentoring, talking to them and having them in the chair. And suddenly you became the source of the very thing that you thought you had lost. Right? And that to me is one of the most empowering principles that a human being can think of is instead of just like be or longing for the source of the thing that you seek.

Become that, not just for yourself, but for other people. And it magnifies the whole experience of it.

That thought has come in there. It's it's cool [00:28:00] seeing you reflect that back to me.

exactly. And I think we recognize that in each other, you know? Exactly cool, man. It's cool. Like sitting with it and of like admitting to yourself that. That has, that is the path. So it is, you know, yeah. It's, it's a really beautiful thing. I think that at least that, that was what it was for me. Right. In like going this path of doing coaching as well as.

Um, I, I never like to say it this way, but like being a philosopher makes me feel so weird when I say it like that. Like I'm taking myself super seriously. um, and obviously you've gotten to know me. I don't don't take myself seriously at all. Most of the time, I like to be silly and playful as well. Yeah.

But, um, I mean, a lot of that was just wanting to become the person that I wish I had as a kid, like to, to give me advice and stuff like that. Like a lot [00:29:00] of people. Helped me out and gave me advice growing up, but I'm sure you had this experience as well, where it felt as though a lot of the advice that you're getting or the coaching that you're getting was fragmented.

Like it was good, but it wasn't the whole piece. It was just pieces, the puzzle, the puzzle that's right. Pieces of the puzzle, right. Just like the, the world's religion. So, you know, wanting to like that and bring it all together and realize it's all part of the same message I think is a really. Meaningful pursuit.

Yeah. I think that's hands the desire for exploration, right? It's like wanting to see what's out there, but everything that's out there it's already in you. Yes. . Which is just interpreting mm-hmm, what that is and how that fulfills you. Yes. And a lot of, I like a lot of my teachers and I have so many teachers, like from the people I met him just street to actual teachers, you know, a lot of the times I learn from what not to do.

Cause it's so much the. Yeah, this is what you do. There's a lot of the one not to do. Yes. And I think that's very valuable as well, [00:30:00] finding what really you take from that. And, and, and we we're essentially we're again, you know, we pass it on we're we are a product of what was continues to be. Yes. That's a great point.

The, uh, how there are a lot of teachers out there that are also what not to do. Yeah. Because that contrast gives you so much, like cuz you, whether it's the pain that you feel from it or the stress that you underwent by learning what not to do. That's so great that you're like, no, it can't be this way. I need to figure out right.

What the right ways to do it. And, and what's really interesting is like a lot of, a lot of my. I guess coaching and schooling in business was I think a lot of that, like I had a lot of coaches and mentors on my way, you know, to buildings and Stoic that it seems like when I look back on it, there was some really great advice on what to do, but there was so much of what not to [00:31:00] do simultaneously.

And it's part of what pushed me to. Build the, the business in the way that I had right. To ask myself the question, how would the business need to look if it was completely based on referral? And I knew I needed to do it in a super genuine way in order to create that. And that actually came from. Having coaches that I was like, this is not how you do this.

So like, I don't know what the right way is, but this isn't, that's not it. Yeah. Yeah. Like, and it, you know, drove me to, to, to want to figure that out, pushes forces you to find that out for yourself. That's right. It it's, I think it's really cool that idea of looking at the world as a room and how there are so many teachers, like just random people you meet in the street.

Sometimes somebody you've only known for like an hour and never talked to them again, could be a very profound teacher for you. Uh, it's almost like the external world is a reflection back to you. Mm-hmm and whatever it triggers emotionally is a point of dialogue. Yes. Like I was talking with a, a friend yesterday and she was [00:32:00] telling me how her sister does tat card reading Uhhuh.

And I typically like I'm not into Terra cards or anything like that or astrology, but what I do find in interesting is that when you. Read like a horoscope or when you, if somebody does like a Terra car reading, not to take it as like, this is my destiny or like, this is my life now, because to me that's not really necessarily a responsible way of, of looking at it.

But I think where there is value in stuff like that, like tremendous value is when you listen to this stuff, whatever kind of sparks you emotionally or triggers you emotionally, whether in a positive or a negative way. Those things are almost like reflections of the outside environment that are signaling you to have a dialogue with yourself about that, right.

To have a conversation, whether it's with you or with somebody that you trust to be like, Hey, what is it about that that made me feel this way? What is it about that that made me feel happier? What is that about? That [00:33:00] that scared the shit outta me. And I think that's where there can be some really constructive.

Conversations, you know, leaning more on like the Stoic side of like, okay, how can I reason and rationalize through this thing that has grabbed me emotionally. So I always find stuff like that really interesting. And how the outside world could be like a mirror pointing right back at you teach you so much.

I love that you were open to that, you know? And then like you were let you youre are talking about now. Yeah. You know, it's leading on, I think it goes back to imagination. Mm-hmm right. Like. You opening up to that, it opened up the door for imagination and perhaps the, the IDO or that won't do that's.

Right. But it, it, it gets the mind going. And, and I think I, I talk about it in my classes. Uh mm-hmm I think you and I talked about it, like storytelling. Yes. The importance in storytelling, right? Like you have a child and the child only read one book growing up, the child will see the reality only from the point of view of.[00:34:00]

That book. Right? So say like it's red writing hood. He's gonna think there's only wolves and there's only red writing hoods mm-hmm right. And I think the importance of storytelling comes in into like passing on different stories. So you have a wider imagination and wider range of things to pull from to see for yourself as well.

And, and that's why I love talk to everyone and anyone and the people that I meet in my chair because they approach for me, mm-hmm to either. Take relief. What I want to go with my journey, you know, that's right. Yeah. No stories are such a great way of teaching only because it's the way that we learn when we don't realize we're learning.

Yeah. We're like suspending disbelief when we're looking at stories. And so I think part of having a playful mindset just for life in general is learning how to view things more symbolically rather than always literally. Yes. Exactly. Yeah. Maybe this thing doesn't mean something specific to [00:35:00] my life, but what does it remind me of, you know, how, what, what, what, what does that spark within mean?

And I think stories do that really, really well. You know, like, and so telling them in the chair, it's it in a place where somebody's just, you know, relaxed and they're like, oh, I'm just here to get my hair done. Turns out we're gonna change your whole life right now. are you ready to one? Exactly. That's amazing.

So I know, um, something that, you know, we, we talked about a little bit in the beginning was, you know, you're doing the hair tour, you're doing a lot more teaching. If, you know, somebody's listening to this and they wanna learn more about that. Like where can they access that? Or how can they find out more about the hair tour?

Got it. Um, so I have a salon called Nova art salon. Mm-hmm so you guys can go to my website. Mm-hmm Nova art salon.com. Uh, and it shows you all the different kinds of geology we have for teaching. Um, we'll be developing soon, um, online classes as well. Oh, beautiful. Um, on [00:36:00] the. Starting to work on a book where I will be talking about philosophy, the deeper aspects of it.

Yes. It might be, have to be a few books because there's a lot, there's a lot to, I could imagine a series yeah. Uh, but this year 2022, the second half of the year will be continue to tour mm-hmm I will be taking the classes to cities. Beautiful one, the bigger cities. Uh, but if you're interested, if anyone's out there interested, then.

Have me in the SHA salon in their space. Mm-hmm I I've been loving them more classes as well for like small towns. That's really, that's really, I think at the point in my, my life, like I said, it's legacy. So I just touch as many people and eat as many people as can. And, and mm-hmm, one head of hair at a time.

Beautiful. So if somebody is, you know, looking to, to take a class with you, what's the type of thing that they can expect from this experience. Like what, I mean, I guess it feels like anybody can go and learn, you [00:37:00] know, new techniques for, for hair, but it sounds like yours is quite different.

Like it hits on a different level. It's not just techniques, but there's like a whole way of like think and feeling through the process. Yeah. Well, I mean, Now that you said process, like it's been a process for me. Yeah. Developing like how I teach and what I'm here to teach mm-hmm so I know, I mean, already have ideas, so that will be, you know, there's there's ideas for like an academy as well.

Mm-hmm and like, not so much, like I love teaching techniques. Mm-hmm but that, I feel like so many people are out there. Do great here already. You know, again, what I wanna is deepen, I think I know what I've made me a better. Or it is with what I do is mm-hmm so I would almost wanna do like, even my treats or, or ways to like connect everything else, you know, physical, emotional mm-hmm um, all of it.

Um, and I, I like that you asked that because the first thing I tell people, weren't teaching them either if it's one-on-one format or a small group or a big group, I said, you, [00:38:00] what do you guys want out of this class? Said careful what you you're asking. I'm not asking for expectations of the class. What do you want from it?

So I can make sure that I can give it to you. So I invite people same with my clients, what you want. I ask, I invite the individuals, taking the classes to really say what they want varies. You know, mm-hmm, sometimes it's just like, well, I just wanna learn how you cut this piece. So I want to learn how you talk to the client.

Like. It's evolving. Yes, definitely evolving. Absolutely. But I really make it about what they, what they very interesting. Yeah. It, and what's interesting is the questions that they ask. Sometimes people don't realize that the very questions that they're asking are to them maybe feel like their surface level.

Like, oh, I just wanna learn this technique, but really when you start to dig. You start to really talk to them about it. It sounds like it's like a similar process of like, somebody comes in, they're like, I want this hairstyle. They're like, okay, [00:39:00] I'll talk. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So it sounds like the, the way the whole class evolves is, you know, really, oh, people don't even realize that it's, it's like hitting them at a much deeper level.

The variable is always people. Yeah. I'm there to provide, but the variable it's them and what they really want. And like my whole goal is to like empower them to speak up and, and ask for that. Yes. Yeah. Most definitely. So before we wrap up, I have one final question that I like usually like to ask my guests, um, that I always find to be an interesting one.

And I, I purposely make sure people are not prepared for this question. Cause I wanna hear the, on the spot answer um, but I remember one of my, uh, old clients, he came on my podcast and he asked me this and I was like, you know, stumped for a second. But he basically said, let's imagine it's like, Thousand tens of thousands of years from now.

And humans are no longer here on this planet. Oh boy. But some alien species comes and they find this note and it has one [00:40:00] principle or message on it from you. What would that be?

We're all part of the same puzzle. that's right. I like that all part of the same puzzle. Beautiful. All right, Sal. Well, I appreciate you being here on the Zen star path. Where can people find you? If you could give your website, you know, best way to contact you one more time. Call

You can find me on social media, Instagram, Sal salha mm-hmm my website, Novo arch salon.com. And I will give you more, let you know where I'm at, what I'm doing. Amazing, amazing Sal. Thank you so much for being on the show, man. Appreciate it. Really happy to be here. Likewise. Thank you. Good job. Nice man.[00:41:00]

amazing.