Guest Educator – Kurt Kueffner
in Instructor SpotlightEach year, the Institute of Beauty and Wellness brings in guest educators of all backgrounds to support our students’ education and expand their skills and knowledge. This week we brought in Kurt Kueffner, Founder of The Grooming Collective.
Kueffner educated our students on all things men’s haircuts and grooming. He demonstrated a radial cutting template, which is excellent for cutting extremely short hair. This specific technique requires you to begin at the top of the head and work down. A radial cutting template is used to cut shapes that have a tendency to be close to the same length throughout the haircut.
The goal is to be able to get the best shape possible the first time out. -Kurt Kueffner
MEET Kurt
Kurt Kueffner is the founder of The Grooming Collective, which was established in 2017. He has spent the last 30 years educating hair professionals from around the world on the different designs and techniques in men’s grooming. In 2020, Kurt provided virtual lectures to our students, where he informed students on hair design and demonstrated techniques.
Kurt is the Vice President of Education at American Crew and the Executive Director at Aveda. Additionally, at the start of his successful career he apprenticed with Horst Rechelbacher himself, the Founder of Aveda. We are honored to have hosted a guest educator so knowledgeable and experienced in men’s grooming as well as Aveda.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Kurt had very helpful tips for the students on how to properly conduct a thorough consultation with a guest.
I really liked learning the way he goes through his consultation. He learns so much about his guest's personality within the first minute of talking with them. He taught me to stop asking clients, ‘So what are we thinking today?’ I’ll definitely stop doing that! -Gabrielle, Institute of Beauty and Wellness Cosmetology Student
- The comb matters! Kurt demonstrated how important it is to use a comb while cutting men’s hair and he assisted students with this technique while they were cutting their client’s hair.
- Kurt had two main goals he wanted to accomplish while educating our students today which he succeeded in:
- Clarify the path for people who are passionate about men’s haircutting.
- Make it less intimidating for people who aren’t passionate about men’s haircutting.
- Pay attention to time. Kurt showed different techniques to use depending on how much time you have to cut a client’s hair.
In the salon it might make more sense to use shears over a comb if you’re pressed for time and it could help save me a few minutes. I’ll use this tip multiple time throughout my career. -Alicia, Institute of Beauty and Wellness Cosmetology Student
