Sean YOELL ...a winner in more ways than one!

by Naomi Mannino

...a winner in more ways than one!
It's not easy to catch up with a guy who owns his own salon, has a wife and three kids, jet.sets to photo shoots in Puerto Rico and Italy, travels to Florida to work with stylist icon Jesse Briggs, and is currently granting interviews with all the top hair magazines. But then I also had to wait to interview him until after his most important day of the year: 'Customer Appreciation Day' at Accents Hair Studio, the salon he owns an operates with his wife in Ontario Canada. Now that's a winner!

How did you come up with the winning cut, color and layout idea you submitted to the 2007 Style Stars Global Hair Contest?
I had the perfect head of hair in front of me and an idea of what I wanted to do. I just love creating short hair styles with an edge, so I started cutting. Then it occurred to me to actually cut deep into the interior of her hair and actually cut out portions creating this amazing disconnection of her cut. Then, I accented the portions that were left with a small amount of red on top of the larger black background of her hair. I wanted the red points to POP so I went so far as to have the photographer use a black background, too for my entry. This cut points to her large eyes and makes them truly striking, don't you think?

Yes! And, who is that stunning model? Have you worked with her before?
The model in my winning entry is one of my stylist apprentices, Anita Baldi. She has worked with me in my salon for about eight months now. She never modeled before but she really 'wore' her new style perfectly. And because she works in the fashion atmosphere of a salon, an edgy hairstyle suited her life. It helped that my photographer from Chalet Studio was so professional and creative. They directed her in how to move and where to look and she did it…beautifully, I'd say!

How and where have you trained? What is your specialty?
I have trained all over the world from Italy to Canada and from Miami to New York as well but my real training and inspiration is my mother, acclaimed stylist Charlene Yoell. My mother took me under her wing and taught me everything I know. Actually, when I was 15 years old, I hated school and my mom said "get a job or get out!" So I worked with her in her salon and learned the business from the ground up. Of course, I also went to St. Claire College of Applied Arts for hairstyling and apprenticed for two and a half years for my own license. I've also spent time in New York, training with Richard Jay who taught me the passion and art of styling hair. He taught me it's not just about looking at a head. It's about looking at the whole person. It's something that always stuck with me.

How many years have you owned your own salon?
My wife Julie and I started our salon six years ago. Would you believe we just had twin babies at the time of the opening of Accents Hair Studio? And since I'm very handy, I was busy building walls, painting, installing shelving, and decorating our new salon. Our salon is very small, very personal…but it's a business we can run together.

What has been the hardest part of your career? The most rewarding?
One of the hardest things about starting our salon was leaving my wife at home to tend to the twins while I was setting up the salon for our opening. Another great disappointment I feel is when I have to let someone from my staff go because I feel they have no passion. If they are just 'going through the motions' my clients will feel that, and that's not why people go to your salon and keep coming back. So I have to let them go and it's always so disappointing to me. The most rewarding part of the job is when you turn the chair around and a woman sees her new style all finished and she shakes her head and says with a giddy voice, "WOW! I can't believe that's me!" I just love that. I love to make other people feel good. Also, winning this contest…this is just one of the greatest things in my career so far!

What is your personal philosophy on styling hair for your clients?
My personal philosophy for styling hair would be that styling hair is not just about hair — it's the whole person: hair, skin, eyes, coloring, body type…and their life. You have to talk to each client. Hair styling is not an assembly line…it's personal. And that's how I treat every client. That's what makes a person want to come back to my salon over and over again.

What makes a style "work" on a woman?
A style works on a woman when it looks like a natural part of her. It doesn't stand out garishly. It fits in with her lifestyle, her daily beauty routines, her skin color, her eye color and portrays a statement that she wants to make about herself to the world. How do I know all of this to create the style? I sit and talk to each client before I ever pick up the scissors! I make sure her style is also every-day wearable and I show her how to do it herself.

Was the photo shoot in Puerto Rico something new for you? What was the best experience about it?
The photo shoot in Puerto Rico was amazing. Another experience in my "year of highs" as this year has turned out to be. Tom Carson, the photographer, was so much fun. Everyone encouraged me to re-cut, re-color and re-style Anita's hair because it had grown again since the time of the entry. We just had so much fun with the cut, the color, the lighting and the backgrounds. Also, working with Jesse Briggs is another experience to learn from. He's professional, approachable, warm and friendly. He has encouraged excellence in our hairstyling community by offering this contest and these prizes. I thank him so much!

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