Sarah Johnson
Who is your favorite Mascolo and why?
Asking me to choose my favorite Mascolo is like asking someone what their favorite type of music is. Nearly impossible to answer. Having the pleasure of meeting Anthony, Bruno as well as Zak, I could honestly say I favor each of them for different reasons. I admire Anthony’s creative mind. Watching him work is like watching someone conduct a symphony. Bruno has the type of business mindset I have always admired. He is the definition of perseverance (don’t get me wrong-artistic talent is embedded into each minuscule cell that makes up this family’s genes) Zak has a head turning energy. He’s humble but driven and he’s a pure example of a hard worker. His stage work isn’t too bad either
Do you remember your first day of beauty school? What was going through your head?
Ha! Oh man. I thought I was so cool. Strutting around in my all black.. I was young. I thought- yep here I am. Looking cool and going to college to be in a cool industry. I had no idea what was ahead. I just wanted to cut hair and look fucking rad.
You wear a ton of hats! Tell us about all of your beauty ventures.
When 11 years ago I graduated it took me 6 different try’s to pass my stateboard in California. Haha!! I’m laughing because that is when the reality of how “cool” I was set in. I just wanted to do hair, you know? I didn’t want to study. I grew up real quick. Having to take my boards over and over wasn’t cool. I jumped into the industry finding my love for cutting hair. I started to build my clientele and three years into working- my life kind of came to a halt. I had to have Brain surgery. My brain is bigger than my skull so they had to like rebuild the anatomy of my cerebellum. So for a year and a half, i had to relearn how to walk and use my hands. Lift my arms kind of thing. It was a battle but the love of this industry is was drove me. I opened my own salon after recovering. Back home in the Deep South of Georgia. I specialized in barbering and spent many years cutting men’s hair. When I had an opportunity to work for Toni and Guy- I jumped on it. Educating and furthering my own education. Selling my shop to work for them was the best desicion I’ve made thus far in my 29 years of living. Between taking students down to Skid row and cutting hair for the homeless to achieving my own goals by winning Pro Total look (with the assistance of a very talented- Camilla Santos) at the Toni and Guy photographic awards.. this industry holds so much. I am just trying to do more daily and leave each person I meet feeling better about themselves.
Favorite item from the Capsule Collection?
Euphoria and Alter Ego. Hands. down. The disconnection. The method to all the madness. I was swooned. I am still swooned.
What advice would Sarah today tell Little Sarah on her graduation day from cosmo-school?
Humble yourself and show up. Do more. Every single day.
What makes the Toni & Guy brand family different?
They believe in you. They have healthy competition in the family that does nothing but drives us all to be better. To do more. They show up. And they don’t let you fall behind. It’s not sink or swim. The leaders lead from behind us.
Something most people don’t know about you.
I count every time I open and close my shears when cutting a clients hair. Then write it down so the next time they come around I am able to cut it in less time. Hopefully improving. It’s a strange competition I have with myself.
What traumatic hairstyle have you been guilty of rocking?
The Bieber circa 2007? Anyone from Toni and Guy reading this- round layers from the original classics.. ha!
3 shows or education events you won’t be missing this next year?
ISSE SHOW- Long Beach, Ca
Bronner Bro- Atlanta, Georgia
Photographic Awards/World Release- Dallas Texas
Words to live by…
Do More.
I knew I was a Hair Nerd when…
I couldn’t look at any men’s haircut without wanting to clean up their hairline haha Or sketching for fun was headsheeting disconnected haircuts I’ve made up.
Stalk Sarah
IG: @ SJay_Johnson