How To Cut It in the Hairdressing Industry

EP387: Broke, Bruised, and BACK! – Alex Walker’s No-Excuses Return to the Top

45 min · 13 de abr de 2026
Portada del episodio EP387: Broke, Bruised, and BACK! – Alex Walker’s No-Excuses Return to the Top

Descripción

Welcome to Part 1 of a two-part series where I’m joined by Alex Walker—a Torquay-based haircutting specialist, educator and the founder of AW Hair and Alex Walker Education. We recorded this episode inside Alex’s purpose-built education studio in Torquay, Devon (UK)—a dedicated space away from the salon where hairdressers can learn through in-person sessions, small groups, and online education, while staying connected to real, commercial salon work. Alex’s journey began at 17, when he fell into hairdressing almost by accident. What started as a job became a craft. He went all-in on haircutting—especially short hair—with a mission to raise standards and help hairdressers understand the why behind what they do. We dig into the realities of ambition, rapid growth, and salon ownership—and the moment everything changed. After his businesses went into liquidation, Alex was left asking: “I haven’t got five days’ worth of clients… what am I gonna do now?” This is a powerful conversation on resilience, rebuilding, and staying commercially relevant.     CHAPTERS: * 11:11: The Journey of Self-Belief * 21:27: Transitioning from Hairdresser to Salon Owner * 22:54: The Hard Lessons of Business * 27:55: The Shift to Education * 32:34: Financial Insights and Stability * 38:30: Balancing Family and Career Dreams     RESOURCES FROM TODAYS EPISODE: * Join the waitlist for Spotd HERE [https://getspotdapp.com/] * Follow Spotd on Instagram @getspotdapp [https://instagram.com/getspotdapp] * Alex Walker Salon CLICK HERE  [https://alexwalkerhair.co.uk/] * Connect with Alex on Instagram @alexwalkereducation [https://www.instagram.com/alexwalkereducation] * Alex Walker online haircutting education HERE [https://stan.store/alexwalkerhaircutting] * For everything else Alex Walker CLICK HERE [https://linktr.ee/alexwalkerhair] * View our video podcast with Alex Walker on YouTube @howtocutit [https://www.youtube.com/@howtocutit] * Connect with How To Cut It on Instagram @howtocutit [https://instagram.com/howtocutit]

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episode EP394: Hair Colour Ingredient Truths with Wella’s Ursus Schweitzer artwork

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Are scary ingredient headlines warping your colour decisions? In this episode brought to you by Wella Professionals UKI [https://wella.com/], we’re joined by Ursus Schweitzer—an R&D connector who bridges the lab and the salon floor. He observes how products [https://howtocutit.com/inside-wellas-rd/]are really used, then translates complex chemistry [https://howtocutit.com/inside-wellas-rd/] into clear, salon-ready truths. Ursus cuts through the noise and decode what’s really inside the bottle so you can make smarter choices and educate clients with confidence. You’ll learn how to separate study-based evidence from clickbait, why full formulations and purpose-built systems (including alkalizers) matter more than single “hero” or “villain” ingredients, how credible sourcing, biodegradability, and sustainability guide modern development, and practical ways to translate science into salon language. An episode perfect for hairdressers and salon owners who are ready to swap noise for knowledge. Hit play!   ----------------------------------------   CHAPTERS * 6:32: Why Ingredients Matter Now * 10:54: Ammonia Versus MEA * 16:15: The Truth About Controversial Ingredients * 21:06: Talking Confidence With Clients * 23:08: Busting Ammonia Myths * 26:05: Responding To Ingredient Concerns * 28:24: The Future Of Formulation * 33:13: Curiosity Over Caution   * ---------------------------------------- RESOURCES * FOR MORE ON WELLA EDUCATION CLICK HERE [https://education.wella.com/] * VISIT WELLA STORE HERE [https://www.wella.com/professional/en-GB] * CONNECT WITH WELLA PROFESSIONALS UKI ON INSTAGRAM @WELLAPROFESSIONALSUKI [https://instagram.com/wellaprofessionalsuki]

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episode EP394: Hair Colour Ingredient Truths with Wella’s Ursus Schweitzer artwork

EP394: Hair Colour Ingredient Truths with Wella’s Ursus Schweitzer

Are scary ingredient headlines warping your colour decisions? In this episode brought to you by Wella Professionals UKI [https://wella.com/], we’re joined by Ursus Schweitzer—an R&D connector who bridges the lab and the salon floor. He observes how products [https://howtocutit.com/inside-wellas-rd/]are really used, then translates complex chemistry [https://howtocutit.com/inside-wellas-rd/] into clear, salon-ready truths. Ursus cuts through the noise and decode what’s really inside the bottle so you can make smarter choices and educate clients with confidence. You’ll learn how to separate study-based evidence from clickbait, why full formulations and purpose-built systems (including alkalizers) matter more than single “hero” or “villain” ingredients, how credible sourcing, biodegradability, and sustainability guide modern development, and practical ways to translate science into salon language. An episode perfect for hairdressers and salon owners who are ready to swap noise for knowledge. Hit play!   ----------------------------------------   CHAPTERS * 6:32: Why Ingredients Matter Now * 10:54: Ammonia Versus MEA * 16:15: The Truth About Controversial Ingredients * 21:06: Talking Confidence With Clients * 23:08: Busting Ammonia Myths * 26:05: Responding To Ingredient Concerns * 28:24: The Future Of Formulation * 33:13: Curiosity Over Caution   * ---------------------------------------- RESOURCES * FOR MORE ON WELLA EDUCATION CLICK HERE [https://education.wella.com/] * VISIT WELLA STORE HERE [https://www.wella.com/professional/en-GB] * CONNECT WITH WELLA PROFESSIONALS UKI ON INSTAGRAM @WELLAPROFESSIONALSUKI [https://instagram.com/wellaprofessionalsuki]

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episode EP394: Hair Colour Ingredient Truths with Wella’s Ursus Schweitzer artwork

EP394: Hair Colour Ingredient Truths with Wella’s Ursus Schweitzer

Are scary ingredient headlines warping your colour decisions? In this episode brought to you by Wella Professionals UKI [https://wella.com/], we’re joined by Ursus Schweitzer—an R&D connector who bridges the lab and the salon floor. He observes how products [https://howtocutit.com/inside-wellas-rd/]are really used, then translates complex chemistry [https://howtocutit.com/inside-wellas-rd/] into clear, salon-ready truths. Ursus cuts through the noise and decode what’s really inside the bottle so you can make smarter choices and educate clients with confidence. You’ll learn how to separate study-based evidence from clickbait, why full formulations and purpose-built systems (including alkalizers) matter more than single “hero” or “villain” ingredients, how credible sourcing, biodegradability, and sustainability guide modern development, and practical ways to translate science into salon language. An episode perfect for hairdressers and salon owners who are ready to swap noise for knowledge. Hit play!   ----------------------------------------   CHAPTERS * 6:32: Why Ingredients Matter Now * 10:54: Ammonia Versus MEA * 16:15: The Truth About Controversial Ingredients * 21:06: Talking Confidence With Clients * 23:08: Busting Ammonia Myths * 26:05: Responding To Ingredient Concerns * 28:24: The Future Of Formulation * 33:13: Curiosity Over Caution   * ---------------------------------------- RESOURCES * FOR MORE ON WELLA EDUCATION CLICK HERE [https://education.wella.com/] * VISIT WELLA STORE HERE [https://www.wella.com/professional/en-GB] * CONNECT WITH WELLA PROFESSIONALS UKI ON INSTAGRAM @WELLAPROFESSIONALSUKI [https://instagram.com/wellaprofessionalsuki]

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episode EP394: Hair Colour Ingredient Truths with Ursus Schweitzer artwork

EP394: Hair Colour Ingredient Truths with Ursus Schweitzer

Are scary ingredient headlines warping your colour decisions? In this episode brought to you by Wella Professionals UKI [https://wella.com/], we’re joined by Ursus Schweitzer—an R&D Product Developer who bridges the lab and the salon floor. He observes how products [https://howtocutit.com/inside-wellas-rd/] are really used, then translates complex chemistry [https://howtocutit.com/inside-wellas-rd/] into clear, salon-ready truths. Ursus cuts through the noise and decode what’s really inside the bottle so you can make smarter choices and educate clients with confidence. You’ll learn how to separate study-based evidence from clickbait, why full formulations and purpose-built systems (including alkalisers) matter more than single “hero” or “villain” ingredients, how credible sourcing, biodegradability, and sustainability guide modern development, and practical ways to translate science into salon language. An episode perfect for hairdressers and salon owners who are ready to swap noise for knowledge. Hit play!   CHAPTERS * 6:32: Why Ingredients Matter Now * 10:54: Ammonia Versus MEA * 16:15: The Truth About Controversial Ingredients * 21:06: Talking Confidence With Clients * 23:08: Busting Ammonia Myths * 26:05: Responding To Ingredient Concerns * 28:24: The Future Of Formulation * 33:13: Curiosity Over Caution   RESOURCES * FOR MORE ON WELLA EDUCATION CLICK HERE [https://education.wella.com/] * VISIT WELLA STORE HERE [https://www.wella.com/professional/en-GB] * CONNECT WITH WELLA PROFESSIONALS UKI ON INSTAGRAM @WELLAPROFESSIONALSUKI [https://instagram.com/wellaprofessionalsuki]

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