Putting himself out there to the online world well before many others while sticking to an agenda-free philosophy of sharing his work and inspiring others, Adam Ciaccia is a master cutter with the largest hair specific channel in the Southern Hemisphere, writes Cameron Pine.

Unassuming and somewhat the quiet achiever, watching Adam in action is perhaps where his great skills are truly realised. Creating content without looking for fame, Ciaccia’s aim is to fundamentally inspire his team and the greater salon community. A great, calm and calculated online persona have leveraged his videos in excess of 15 million views – making him a true leader in the hairdressing digital space.

“I don’t have an agenda. I chose to be a hairdresser, therefore I owe it to myself to be the best human and hairdresser I can be. With this simple mantra, I hope to inspire others to be the best versions of themselves,” he says.

Not only leveraging his personality and skill, there has been huge benefits to his salon business, Canberra’s Axis hairdressing – doubling salon turnover in record time. It’s the motivation and gratitude from his subscribers that drives him to create more.

“You can’t always do things in life for money, sometimes you need to do things for your soul. Via YouTube I have started a journey of sharing knowledge in the hope of leaving a legacy,” Ciaccia says.

Giving great hope to the many hairdressers around the world that can’t access hairdressing education because of the location or due to other financial means, Ciaccia’s legacy is to share knowledge.

“His holiness the Dalai Lama said, ‘Share your knowledge, it’s one way to achieve immortality – unless YouTube is deleted my content will remain long after I’m done, this is my legacy,” says Ciaccia.

What travel and shows do you have for the remainder of 2019 and what will be the most significant for you?
I’m headed back to LA and NYC in September where I have private clients that I cut. There are about 30 hairdressers that I’m mentoring at the moment, so I’ll have a workshop for them, one in LA and one in NYC. I’ve also done a bit of work with the Prema salon crew and ANTI collective which was a very rewarding experience. I also have a huge amount of exciting digital content that I am working on for the second half of this year, which will take me into early 2020 with a bang.

How does the way people engage with content vary in different countries? How does it differ in Australia as opposed to the US, for example?
From a hairdresser’s perspective, the way we seek education and inspiration has changed with the introduction of social and digital media; this trend is global. Hairdressers can now access video content at home on their digital devices, drawing inspiration from artists and stylists all over the world. This has dramatically changed how informed and connected we are as an industry, it’s opened our eyes to the level of expertise and talent our industry. In Australia we definitely consume digital differently, in the US they have been watching YouTube like conventional television, at home on their couches for years now, this is just starting to catch on in Australia.

YouTube has been amazing for me, for example, without my YouTube platform how would hairdressers or consumers in other countries have even known I existed, now they do.

Platforms like YouTube, Instagram and Facebook, are effective influential spaces for our industry when it comes to accessing content, trends, techniques and education. Gone are the days were you need to wait for an artist to come to Australia from abroad to access their education. It’s an exciting time to be in, and America is most certainly one step ahead of us in effectively harnessing and leveraging these platforms.

What key things do you learn and get inspired by when you travel?

Inspiration comes from so many places, but ultimately at some point it has to come from within. Traveling gives me the opportunity to think about a lot of things, hair and the direction I want to take my craft is definitely one; I guess the places I travel to could have an influence on this also. You learn a lot about yourself when you’re away, I am often outside my comfort zone, this is where the best learning and growth comes from.

What is the biggest challenge you face with online content?
Time! Family is first, always! Then the salon is my first career priority, to run a successful business is tough, it requires a lot of hours. My spare time beyond the salon is divided between educating for Matrix and creating my digital content, which I am blessed to have the support of Matrix on, who share my vision for how I deliver my education. So time for me is the only barrier to delivering the level of content I would love to create.

If you could focus on just one aspect of your career what would it be?
To be a better leader. We’re not born leaders, yes, we are all capable but it’s a skill we need to learn. I am grateful to be surrounded by many great leaders in their given fields, they inspire me to lead and be courageous.

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