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More than two dozen people gathered at the V Collective on Monday July 13th—completely crowding the hair studio—looking forward to honing their own hairstyling techniques from the lessons of a master stylist. Folks of all degrees of experience, ranging from local cosmetology schools to professionals who have over a decade of time spent wielding scissors, hoping to refine their trade had a chance at a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn from the celebrity and editorial stylist Jerrod Roberts. David and Tina Valencia, always pioneering for ways to set the V Collective apart from other studios, invited Jerrod to come down from his business in Los Angeles to spread his cosmetological wisdom. Jerrod, who frequently styles for actors in Los Angeles, such as renowned actress Linda Cardellini from Mad Men, personally plays a role in developing the fashion trends in Hollywood that end up in the big picture.

The invaluable experiences of a big-leagues hair stylist like Jerrod would prove not just career-changing, but life-changing for those who were serious about improvement. For instance, he stressed the essential link between a customer and their hair, fleshing out how each one tells a unique life story through their hairdo. Making a personal connection to a client means making one to their hair as well, and Jerrod affirmed that a stylist must realize that a customer’s hairstyle must reflect who they are. Picking up on queues successfully, and therefore building relationships with one’s clientele, will bring consumers back over and over again. The hair business is a personal one, treating it so has ushered success for professional stylists like Jerrod and those at the V Collective.

Social media has changed the business entirely, but one must be prepared to deliver. Well aware of the allure of a cute instagram page, Jerrod reminds his students that no matter how many followers one has, their success ​really​ depends on customer satisfaction. Focusing one’s time on skill development, rather than making the mistake of falling into the social media trap, is the most effective use of an up-and-coming stylist’s time. When one bites off more than they can

chew, their social media pages can’t save them! Only diligence invested in their craft can, which takes the form of dedication through years of practice.

They say practice makes perfect, but it also makes permanent. Jerrod’s ability to perform advanced meaneuvers with just his comb and scissors resembles fifteen years of repetition- and one can observe that each swift motion is calculated and methodical, coming from over a decade of caution and care. One could easily remember every fact and detail about styling, but Jerrod’s mastery shows that one can only truly reach such a level through conscientious practice- a step many ambitious students of hair might hope to hastily circumvent. If one hasn’t grasped the most basic techniques, they shouldn’t ever hope to go beyond the threshold of mastery. Even still, practice must be conducted with care, since each of Jerrod’s motions are clearly coordinated with a great deal of thought and precision; a product not just of his persistent practice but of his careful practice.

Ultimately the evening was a resounding success, with the eager crowd of students fully captivated by the innate charm of their instructor. Not just lecturing about but also exemplifying his knowledge, Jerrod made each lesson a personal experience through his attentiveness to every pupil, and brought the material to life with his sense of humor and general enthusiasm. Such an event connected stylists of all walks of life and gave them an invaluable sense of consolidation and embodiment of an art form needed by all, but contributed by few. Just one session with Jerrod affirmed the vision of the V Collective, to bring together a collaborative community of devoted artists so that innovation and creativity can prosper; the realization that one’s hair defines who they are, and that everyone deserves good hair.

About the author: San Diego born and raised, Maxwell Hoffman is a budding world historian for the University of California, Riverside.