As an educator, chances are you’re constantly on the road traveling from one salon or city to the next. While this is one of the perks about this position, it can take a toll on you over time. Learning a few key tips and tricks to ease the process helps cut down on fatigue and help you deliver for your students every time. “Traveling frequently can be rough…but it doesn’t matter, it’s so worth it! I’m driven by a dream that every stylist can love the place they work, the people they work with, the hair they’re doing, AND the people they’re working on. Every cancelled flight, change of plans, airport marathon, gas station dinner (yes, that’s a thing) IS WORTH IT to see this industry grow,” explains Blake Reed Evans, Sam Villa Ambassador and owner of Shear Art Salon (Tampa, FL) @blakereedevans. Get a glimpse of his trips here and here and keep reading for a few of his top travel hacks for salon educators!
Travel Hacks for Salon Educators
Evans travels constantly (at least three times a month) and these are his tried and true hacks to help make traveling as smooth as a silk press for any road warrior.
- Sign up for a loyalty program with an airline and hotel chain. You are working hard traveling for work, which means you need to earn points for an awesome vacation. The higher status you have, the faster you earn points. Equally important, if there is ever an issue (weather delays, a dirty room), your loyalty will be rewarded with quick action. I love American Airlines and Hilton Hotels.
- Pack intelligently! I use Sam Villa Professional Beauty Cases for everything, and I keep the tags attached to keep organized. I have one for brushes, one for pins/clips/combs, another for product, one for irons, and another one for digital accessories like cords and things like that.
- Look for something fun to do in the city you are visiting! I look on Ticketmaster for a concert or check TIkTok for a cool restaurant!
- When booking guests in the salon, only book out 3 months at a time. When you travel like we do, opportunities pop up last minute, so don't stress by booking the entire year out!
- When you're trying to time how long it will take to get somewhere, use the Waze App. You can plug in an arrival time, and it provides a recommended departure time based on traffic patterns for that specific day and time.
More from Evans can be seen on TikTok. Learn valuable information from Sam Villa and team here. Including “Mannequin Mondays,” “Transformation Tuesdays,” and “Wellness Wednesdays” on Facebook @SamVillaPros and YouTube @SamVillaHair.
