In this episode, Yene Damtew and Jamal Edmonds talk about what it really takes to build a platform with substance, from showing up professionally and maintaining authentic relationships to collaborating with brands, uplifting other educators, creating opportunities for local talent, and using influence to build community instead of keeping the spotlight only on themselves.
They also share the origin and purpose behind Coil Confidential, an immersive textured-hair education event happening October 19 in Arlington, Virginia, created for stylists behind the chair and designed to bring together technical education, business conversations, community, and industry connection.
🚨🎤 Coil Confidential is a full-day textured-hair education experience created by Yene Damtew and Jamal Edmonds for stylists who want technical education, business conversations, community, and connection that reflect the real needs of professionals working behind the chair.
👀Learn more and join us: https://www.coilconfidential.com/
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Key Takeaways:
🔅Build relationships before you need them - Yene and Jamal make it clear that Coil Confidential did not happen because of one post, one idea, or one moment of visibility. It came from years of maintaining relationships, showing up professionally, and building trust with brands, educators, salon owners, and industry peers.
🔅Let authenticity be the foundation of your platform - Their platforms work because they are rooted in what they actually care about: textured hair, education, community, professionalism, and creating better opportunities in the industry. A strong platform is not about copying someone else’s lane. It is about being clear on your own.
🔅Use your platform to create opportunity for others - Yene and Jamal could have centered themselves as the educators at their own event, but they chose to produce the experience and highlight other artists. That is a different level of leadership: using your credibility to open doors, not just stand in front of them.
🔅Collaboration can build something bigger than one person can - A major theme of the conversation is that their partnership works because their strengths are different and their purpose is aligned. When collaboration is built on trust, honesty, and shared values, the final product becomes stronger than either person could create alone.
🔅Professionalism is part of brand-building - They both talk about kindness, respect, not burning bridges, showing up prepared, doing the work, and understanding that people are always watching. Your reputation is not only built by what you post. It is built by how you act in rooms, on teams, with brands, and in difficult moments.
🔅Influence is not the same as impact - The conversation pushes back on the idea that follower count automatically equals value. Coil Confidential is built around educators and professionals who can make a real difference, not just people with large audiences. The takeaway: build a platform that means something beyond numbers.
🔅Create experiences with intention - Coil Confidential was designed around what Yene and Jamal felt was missing: education for textured-hair stylists behind the chair, business conversations, one main stage, community, thoughtful breaks, meaningful panels, and an experience where people feel their investment was worth it.
🚨🎤 Coil Confidential is a full-day textured-hair education experience created by Yene Damtew and Jamal Edmonds for stylists who want technical education, business conversations, community, and connection that reflect the real needs of professionals working behind the chair.
👀Learn more and join us: https://www.coilconfidential.com/
The Hairdresser Strong Show is all about Salon Owners, Rising Stylists, and Seasoned Stylists sharing their experiences, successes, failures, and advice to inform, educate, and empower their Fellow Hairdresser. We won’t stop until we are all: Hairdresser Strong.
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The views and opinions of our guests are theirs and important to hear. Each guest's views and opinions are their own and we aim to bring you diverse perspectives, career paths and thoughts about the craft and industry so you can become Hairdresser Strong! They do not necessarily reflect the positions of HairdresserStrong.com
