#ArtistSupportingArtists is a sentiment tied to everything Sam Villa does. Apart from educating the community, he also takes pride in doing everything he can to support them. Recently, he held a SOCIALATHON that brought together amazing artists from all over to join him in raising money for the PBA COVID-19 Relief Fund. A fund that was set up to help hair artists in need. According to a national survey by the Professional Beauty Association of more than 1,200 salon owners/operators on May 4-8, the vast majority of respondents (99.7 percent) said their salon had been closed for more than a month. So, a special group of people banded together on May 17, 2020 for a SOCIALATHON to create a community of wisdom, love and support…and they raised 22K in 13 hours for the PBA COVID-19 Relief Fund.

“My wife has a garden, and it amazes me how the plants endure the rain, wind and brutal storms. I constantly wonder how they’ll survive, yet every morning I see them growing strong.  So don’t lose hope, we will continue to build a community of inspiration and compassion. We will recover, just like the plants…we will nourish, stand and grow tall together in a healthy sustainable way,” says Sam Villa.

Villa rallied the best of the best for the event, including X-Presion, Robert Lobetta, Matty Conrad, Larisa Love, Anthony Mascolo, Tabatha Coffey, Matt Swinney, Chelsea Vonne James, Marco Arena, Mark Busto, Antoinette Bender, Sonya Dove, Ruth Roche, Candy Shaw, Vivienne Mackinder, Gerard Scarpaci, Ammon Carver, Ludovic Beckers, Chris Baran, Chrystofer Benson, Stephen Moody and Ann Mincey.   There were so many valuable heartfelt lessons of encouragement and technique imparted, here are some of Villa’s favorites.

10 BIG Takeaways 

  1. If you’ve learned something, take that new information and be committed to applying it when you reopen and are back behind the chair.
  2. The world doesn’t revolve around just one person, the world simply…revolves.
  3. You can’t have a “Comeback” without a “Setback.” Embrace how you get back into working with your clients.
  4. This era is creating new trends that will earmark all the changes that have occurred. Recognize those trends and apply them at the chair.
  5. In crisis, comes opportunity.
  6. People are paying for the way you think and the way you help them just as much as they’re paying you for the work of your hands.
  7. Don’t compromise your work and shortchange yourself by trying to make a deal for your clients. You are worth every penny you charge, so charge what you’re worth.
  8. As much as you and your business have changed, be aware of the change your clients are also going through under different circumstances. You can be their voice of reason in this time of difficult transition.
  9. Embrace the imperfections you encounter, they can and will lead you down new and different paths of creativity.
  10. Keep the voices you encounter in check and focus on balancing out the message within them.

“I’m so proud of the myriad of different thoughts and ideas this outstanding group of talented artists shared, all in the name of helping others,” says Andrew Carruthers, Education Director.  “We have one chance at existence on this earth, being there for others and giving back makes it a much more enriching journey.”