Episode #7: Getting Fancy with Fancy Hairdresser's Ben White

In episode 7 of The Chair-apist, I'm talking with Ben White of Fancy Hairdressers about the online education they offer, their shears and life on the road. Fancy Hairdressers is an online education platform that offers courses on hair styling, cutting, and coloring. They also sell professional quality shears and other haircare products. Ben is a world-renowned hair stylist who has worked with some of the biggest names in the industry. In this episode, he shares his insights on the online education landscape, the importance of quality shears, and life on the road as an educator. 

Ben white is a master stylist with experience ranging from television to salon work, the classroom, and some of the biggest hairdressing stages in the country. Ben has developed a style with his scissor and razor work that is both effortless and effective. His relaxed delivery has all of the skill with none of the ego making him easy to learn from and connect with. 

Transcript

Cameron 
Welcome to another episode of the Chair-apist. 

I am so lucky to actually nail down Ben White, from Fancy Hairdressers. I actually talked about you guys on my very first podcast. 

Ben 
Oh yes, thanks. I am excited to be here. I know we've been talking about it like for a long time. 

Cameron 
Hey, you know you got a network get your people lined up. All right so tell me a little bit about fancy hairdressers. 

Ben 
Yeah, we do our own little education brand Jacob Kahn and me and our friend Chelsea and you know other people are sprinkled in here and there, I guess. But it's mainly hair cutting education. Mostly we have a website we you know like subscription based, Netflixy type, whatever. 

And Jake is actually filming one for it right now. We upload it every month or update it with new stuff all the time and we travel a bunch and we kind of like... Jake is an ambassador for Goldwell, and so we do some shows with them. 

We were just in Toronto right now, this past week and we're like on a little tour right now. Kind of every other weekend with them doing some stuff. So, keeping us busy. 

Cameron 
So, you guys are on the road. 

Ben 
Yeah, a little bit. We were in Toronto this past weekend, in the Vancouver, you know Nashville, Florida. 

Cameron 
You guys were stuck in Seattle, were you not? 

Ben 
Oh, a tiny bit. 

Cameron 
Were you stuck in Seattle? 

Ben 
Yeah, we live in Atlanta, you know. And we have the busiest airport in the world. It flies direct mostly everywhere, but does not fly direct to Vancouver, so we hate when I hate when we have to check like connect through somewhere you know you because you just never know what's going to go wrong. 

We had a connector to Seattle, or we got in the plane ready to go leave Atlanta. It was like 45-48 degrees. Perfectly normal outside and then for a second did a little sleet freezing rain. I mean, I mean, just for a moment. 

And then it stopped, and it was totally dry right after that and they're like, ok, well, now since it's snowing outside, we had to go through this other de-icing thing. We gotta drive over to this other area of the airport into this line and we only had an hour for the connection, so we missed it when we were just stuck in Seattle for a little bit. 

And you know, it's like a two-hour drive or something, maybe to Vancouver, so we're considering driving, but it worked out fine. We are able to sneak onto another flight and just the trials of traveling all the time. 

Cameron 
Oh, I hear you I only got delayed 1/2 an hour but you know trying to get home from educating back to your family so people don't think you're deserting them. Just in time to drop kids off at lacrosse, so I want to say about Fancy Hairdressers - I love you guys because you're super affordable. 

Ben 
Oh yeah, thanks for that. 

Cameron 
Not everybody can afford, you know hundreds of dollars a month and you guys make it really affordable and then also your shears too. 

Ben 
Yeah, that that's another thing we kind of try to keep it pretty loose and affordable and like not that serious. That's kind of our whole thing you know and the joke with the scissors is we wanted to make a scissor that was like affordable.  

It was good quality, but not the best maybe, but really the funny thing is like when you start to dig into that and find out what these companies are like buying these scissors or wholesale and then they sell it to you for like $500 or $1000 or $2000 or whatever.  

And they're like paying maybe $50 or $80 or $100 for them. And it's sort of crazy, you know, so we're like not trying to be like a scissor empire or anything, but we just wanted to start something for people to get that's affordable and good enough to do whatever you know you need to do with them. 

And you can of course buy some better ones out there if you want to, but we use these scissors all the time and we're traveling all over the place doing all kinds of platform work and cutting this lawn every week and whatever. 

Cameron 
Love that 'cause I was actually just referring to you guys that somebody messaged me on Facebook, and it was an old friend from childhood actually and she's doing hair, and she said, “Well what shears do you recommend?” I said, well, there's a whole range of shears you can buy you know out of the beauty supply you can buy online, or you can buy your $1200 shears. 

But really, it's about what do you need and what do you want. Because as you said, I don't take things so seriously. I have way too many pairs of shears, but I don't. I try not to be too. 

Ben 
Yeah, me too. 

Cameron 
I try not be too serious, so when I was looking at yours you guys were always sold out of the ones I want from you guys. So, I keep getting on there to make sure I need the right-handed, I think i's the seven-inch ones that I really want that you guys make. 

Ben 
Ok. 

Cameron 
So, you know just shoot me a text. 

Ben 
I'll get you one, I’ll send you one out. Yeah, I got ya. We, it's funny because we have partnered with this brand called Kenshi and I was like an artist for them for a few years. A few years ago, before I came over here. 

And so, like they're very cool. They're based just outside of Atlanta, and they're like regular nice cool people that are friendly to us and everything, so we kind of partner with them to make them for us and so we're not like hammering them ourselves or anything. 

Cameron 
Oh, you guys aren't actually doing that at the salon, blacksmithing? 

Ben 
Yeah no. We have talked about maybe starting, but we haven't haven't dove all the way in. But yeah, so they're totally cool helping us out, but the problem is, we're like we're selling them as they get made so like. 

They make a lump. we do a little drop online, you know. And that's why it's kind of been hard for people to get them sometimes. But that's also it ,akes it sort of fun or whatever to kind of. So, you keep on getting. 

Cameron 
High demand. 

Ben 
Yeah, get these like lumps them out. They're on sale at this time you get in there and get them and then they're gone, you know? And then people are yelling at us all the time about it. But we want to make more. We're trying. 

Cameron 
You guys are doing great. I'm really impressed and then you OK. 

So, you're educating on the road. You're behind the chair, you make scissors, or at least you distribute scissors, and then you also are doing “This is a Bad Idea” podcast. 

Ben 
Totally. Yeah, yeah. We have just crossed over our one-year anniversary of that thing. Yeah, it's it's hard man when you think like oh, I'm gonna do a podcase like every person in the world has a podcast now, I guess. 

But so, like whatever we can do it too, and how hard can it be. But really, when you're just alive doing any other regular stuff, it's hard to carve out the time to do it, you know. 

Cameron 
I hear you. I only do mine, I try to keep mine to a 20 minute so it's easy for people to consume. You know, driving to work or driving to go pick up the kids or whatever you are doing,  

Ben 
I think that's smart. 

Cameron 
And I just want it to be tangible, consumable, and it is so hard in my busy schedule to find the time to make 20 minutes to talk to somebody sometimes. 

Ben 
You're real. 

Cameron 
It is really hard. I mean, I just flew in from San Jose. My flight was delayed so I had an interview actually scheduled with my friend who works for L'Oreal who's a balayage, you know, expert and she does awesome, awesome work and I was like, oh you have to get the kids. I have to get my kid. What? Oh, jeez Louise, when are we going to find time for this? We have 100 jobs. 

Ben 
Do you have a guess every time? 

Cameron 
I do. Every time. I don't when I'm actually going to have my friend who's a comedian interview me so people can actually learn a little bit about me, not just you know. because I want to make it funny too. 

Ben 
Oh, good idea. 

Cameron 
Because I want to make it funny too. So, you can figure out who I am, but also add some comedy in there 'cause you can't just listen to boring old what's going on with, why? Why am I here? What am I doing? 

Ben 
Yeah, like, where do you go to school and all that stuff? 

Cameron 
Right, no? 

Ben 
Yeah, that that's what we kind of did too on ours we try to kind of like we call it hair adjacent because we're not like.  You're not gonna learn anything you know we're just bring people on and just goof around for a little bit trying to make everybody look dumb. 

Cameron 
You gotta, you gotta have some fun, you know? You can't. I love it. I love you guys. You're always like we can't take us too seriously. Because really, you can't take yourself too seriously. We're all here to learn. We're all here to have fun and it doesn't matter what verbiage you're using or how you're doing it. 

We're all trying to get from A to B in the same way and do it together, right? 

Ben 
Yeah, I mean that's our whole thing and, in a nutshell, or just trying to keep it straightforward as possible and entertaining. 

Cameron 
Yeah, yeah. You guys are great. 

Ben 
And you know, if you sit through an hour of our presentation or whatever at a show, then we will have done something useful for you. But we will sneak it in there. 

Cameron 
For sure in between your comedy. 

Ben 
You know, it's probably. Yeah, we try to keep it loose, you know, I mean, you know, like... 

Cameron 
You guys are pretty fun to watch You guys are really fun to watch. 

Ben 
Well, you know, we've been to a million shows. You see a million people all the time and there's only so much you can really do with hair cutting. You know it's not like we’re inventing anything new, right now. We're just trying to achieve some goals, you know. When... 

Cameron 
Reinventing the wheel. 

Ben 
Oh yeah, yeah, we say it all the time. We didn't invent anything that you're going to see we did not make it up, and that's OK. But we have seen a lot of other people do it, and we're stealing the best parts and giving it to you now. 

Cameron 
I love that, that's awesome. 

I do actually have my shear guy that comes in and he's one of the sponsors of my shows, so I always talk about him and how he comes in and sharpens my shears. 

 
It's a Style Sharp Shear Sharpening service and Trey. 

Ben 
Oh yeah. 

Cameron 
He was on my first podcast, and I did talk about what an Angel he is because he comes in and he sharpens all of my, feels like hundreds, but only about 7 or 8 at a time and then I get them right back. 

So, and instead of being a commercial, I like to just interject him into each episode. 

Ben 

Yeah, that's cool. 

I wonder if he'd want to drive all the way over down here to Atlanta. 

Cameron 
You know, he... I feel like I should get him on the road, and he would. You guys would get a kick out of each other because you guys are all pretty funny. You'd have a good time in the salon with him for sure. 

Ben 
Yeah, that's cool. Yeah, we do have like a guy that comes through and you know does ours in the salon.  

But you gotta take it over there or whatever mailed to them. 

Cameron 
You got to send them out. 

Ben 
Yeah, so like. It is nice when they can just pop in. We have a Barber in our salon, Chris, that's talking about like getting this setup and like learning how to do it so that could be cool if we could have like an in-house dude. 

Cameron 
That would be pretty. That would be great. 

How many stylists are at your salon, currently? 

Ben 
I think we have like 14 or something like that. 

Cameron 
And how come Jacob got to put his name on the door, that's what I want to know. 

Ben 
Oh, he is the one that's paying all the rent. 

Cameron 
Perfect. Ok, ok Jake, you get that you get that and. 

Ben 
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I came here after it was already going and everything. 

Cameron 
Ok, you joined you joined the party, and you just became it just became the Jake and Ben show. 

Ben 
Yeah, a little bit. I worked at a big salon here in Atlanta for 13 years before I came here and worked for some companies and that kind of thing going around, doing education and whatever and we've been talking for a long time about getting together and then we just finally made it happen. 

Awesome, I was nervous to leave, you know. 

Cameron 
It's hard to make that decision, and that was one of the podcasts that I've already launched was moving from a big salon to a smaller salon. 

And then I have another one coming up that is about moving just moving in general, because it is hard to make that decision. Jump and do something totally new, even though people are going to follow you. Everything is going to be fine, but you just never know what's going to happen, so it's that unknown, that's scary. 

Ben 
It's true, really. And people... Every time you talk to anybody about it, they all say that same thing. And I say it too to everyone. And I had said it to people before I did it. And I was still scared, you know. 

Cameron 
But it sounds like you're doing ok, Ben. 

Ben 
Yeah, it's working out fine, you know? And you think about it for too long, you know? I just saw today that Ryan posted a little Instagram thing where he's like there's never a good time, you just gotta do it. 

Cameron 
It’s true, he's always got some inspiration. I'm actually in a mastermind with him right now and he's just always so happy, insightful, full of just positive. He's just like a beam of light, that Ryan. 

Ben 
That is a cool dude. 

Cameron 
He's great. 

Ben 
We're excited to be doing the mob Hero thing this year in Phoenix coming up in August. I think September, maybe? 

Cameron 
It's September 10th and 11th or 9th and. 10th.  

Ben 
There you go. 

Cameron 
I don't know the exact dates, but I think they're filling up fast. So people should get their tickets if they want to. 

Ben 
It is going to be fun. Free plug for that right now. 

Cameron 
Yeah, listen. I know it's going to be amazing. And you guys are going to be there. 

Ben 
We were there last year when it was in Florida, as you remember. 

Cameron 
Yes, yes, that was fun. 

Ben 
Ryan asked us to do it again. And then they made this little flyer and it said cutting and comedy you know for us. 

Cameron 
It is you guys are cutting and comedy. It's if anybody hates cutting education, I recommend that they follow you guys because they will definitely start to enjoy cutting more just because of the comedy and they will also learn a lot. 

Ben 
That's the goal for sure, that's funny. 

Cameron 
Well, I know that was not my thing for a while. I was like I'm all about color and then one day just the light bulb went off with cutting. And now I'm like I need more cutting education. I need to learn how to do this better. You guys do the best blunt bobs the “bixy”. The blunt bobs. 

Ben 
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. 

Cameron 
You guys are awesome. 

Ben 
It’s hot stuff. 

Cameron 
And you guys know what you know what's hot and trending down there in Atlanta, Georgia.  

I love it. Tell me though this is what I always have to ask at the end of all of these episodes is what is the craziest thing that has ever happened to you? 

Ben 
I played music, always growing up, you know, and been in a band, like since I was a little like 12-13 years old or whatever, and that's what I thought I wanted to do to be like a musician. 

And travel on, all that stuff. But there was a time where we thought we were going to be famous and everything. We moved to California. We did some good showcases and stuff and we were very close. 

It was a very tenuous time in the record music industry. All these labels were getting bought and closed because of Napster, you know. 

Cameron 
That's right.  

Ben 
But we ended up just going there and losing all of our money we're dumb 22-year-old kids, you know. We are like dejected and driving home from LA to Atlanta. 

I was driving like 3 in the morning and our trailer with all our gear in it just dropped down off of the road because one of the wheels just fell off and started rolling past us on the highway. You know, just inside of New Mexico, Gallup, New Mexico. I'll never forget it. We called AAA is like 3 in the morning. 

Call AAA, you know they came in like 6 hours or something. We're just sitting in this van. Finally, they. came and towed us over to this place you know this dumb little dumpy service station had to go to Albuquerque to get this, park should fix the axle and we had we didn't have enough money to pay for it and then we got a hotel with the last little bit of money on a credit card that one of those had and we stayed in there and went to Cracker Barrel for every meal because they would give you a free plate of biscuits  

Cameron  
Oh, yeah.  

Ben 
And so, we survived for like three or four days on biscuits at Cracker Barrel, sleeping five people in one hotel room. 

The trailer actually never got fixed. It turned out that he couldn't get this part and it was more expensive than it's worth. 

And yeah, we just lived in New Mexico for three days or four days and then drove home the rest of the way. 

Cameron 
Where did your trailer end up? 

Ben 
It's still there now  

Cameron  
Oh, my goodness.  

Ben 
That was 2002 or three. It’s still there now.  

Cameron 
Oh, my goodness. 

Ben 
That was an insane moment in time. And then when we got home after that maybe another year so that band dissolved, and then that is the springboard that took me into doing hair, actually. Because we are like very particular about our look and our hair and everything. We were doing everything ourselves and then two of the guys in that band start dating girls that did hair and they start using us or models, so we sort of like got into it right then. 

Cameron 
So that was the moment that was the moment your wheel rolling past you that brought you to hair. 

Ben 
Yeah, I think so. In a crazy way that was like the springboard, I guess. 

Cameron 
So, I was going to say a little-known fact. I did not know that you were a musician, so that's my second question at the end of all the episodes is, what's up? What's a crazy thing that's ever happened? And then a little-known fact, and I did not know that you were a musician. 

Ben 
I am actually in four bands right now. 

Cameron 
So still doing it. Good. 

Ben 
Yeah, some of the people that were on that trip I play with now still. 

Cameron 
That's awesome. 

Ben 
But not, you know, we, we just do it for fun like around town here. We're not really traveling and trying to be famous or nothing anymore, but everybody has like a life now and everything so. 

Cameron 
Well, you can't be a famous hairdresser and a famous rock star. Ok, you can only be one at a time. 

Ben 
Oh, I'd like to be, uh, I'd like to continue trying at either one. 

Cameron 
Thank you so much for being on this episode. I really appreciate it. You guys are so busy I'm amazed. 

Ben 
Yeah, it's so fun. I appreciate you contacting us and see if we could come on. That was really fun.