Today we’d like to introduce you to Teddy Matthews
Hi Teddy, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Where to begin… After graduating from CalArts in 2001 for acting I decided to move to Tokyo and learn Japanese, and mission accomplished I suppose. After living in Tokyo for several years I returned to the states and began looking for work. I imagined this overseas experience would be highly valued by prospective employers, but I was surprisingly disappointed. I floated around doing different jobs including working as a sales person and tech rep for Apple’s retail stores. I decided ultimately that I wanted to so something portable and creative and I remembered that at CalArts we studied theatrical makeup and some wig-dressing and I enjoyed that and fancied myself rather good at it to boot. So I decided to enroll in cosmetology school in Austin, Texas. I completed the program and then moved to New York where I apprenticed with Vidal Sassoon before settling into a salon in Brooklyn.
Upon the breakout of COVID, I decided to return to Los Angeles, having not lived here for over 10 years. Throughout much of the lockdown I worked for a small business in West Hollywood called TOIRO that specializes in Japanese earthenware pots and tableware. I was able to use my Japanese for work which was a nice silver lining to an otherwise grey period. Upon becoming vaccinated I decided to return to the beauty industry and began working behind the chair again at Floyd’s Barbershop. With my experience I quickly rose to Assistant Shop Leader and eventually became the Shop Leader. At this time I was also expanding my horizons into both working as a fitness professional and interpreter/translator. The demands of management were too much for my additional career goals so I stepped away from Floyd’s and eventually found myself at Southpaw, a men’s grooming salon in Silverlake. With this change I was able to be more flexible in my schedule and have since become a Personal Trainer for Crunch in Burbank as well as a Spin Instructor for Cyclebar in Burbank. I have also continued to work as an adapter/translator and adapted all 13 episodes of “Sand Land”, a new anime by legendary manga creator Akira Toriyama, for the English dub. I now find myself very fulfilled in my work life, being able to continue creating excellent hairstyles, help my clients feel more confident in their bodies and share my love of Japanese culture with the world.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Any period of growth is not without its challenges. Starting out in the beauty industry in my thirties wasn’t easy. Most everyone around you is much younger. Apprenticeships provide you with invaluable knowledge, but require a lot of hard work for not a lot of pay to do so. Long hours sweeping floors and folding foils for minimum wage in my thirties was not an easy pill to swallow. But I did what I could, scraped by and eventually found a spot behind the chair where I began earning a living wage and continuing to grow in my art form. Even then, it’s not easy. Impostor syndrome seems to be lurking around every corner as your career develops, but I think the lesson to learn from that is that it is never shameful to admit you don’t know something. In fact, that gives you the room to really learn it and keep building strong foundations.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
As a hairstylist I specialize in short cuts. I enjoy cutting hair on any and all genders and employ all the tools at my disposal; shears, razors, clippers, ETC. Although I do enjoy doing color, it’s really cutting that has my heart. I have become increasingly known for my clipper cuts and fades as well as for soft feminine razor cuts.
I think that I really take the time with my clients during the consultation to set proper expectations and find the style that best fits their esthetic and routines, and doing so has generated a lot of loyalty from my clientele.
As a fitness professional I think that the time that I dedicate to building my playlists for cycle class or my routines for my PT clients shows a level of detail oriented dedication.
And as a translator / adapter I thrive on being able to share the nuances and complexities of Japanese culture through another language I feel exceptionally passionate about; English.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
Because my work is so varied, sometimes there is crossover and sometimes there is not.
For example I have a client who I met behind the chair, he began taking my cycle classes and now is one of my Personal Training clients. But other clients I have may not initially know about all the other things I do and are often quite surprised. “How do you find time to do all of that?” is probably the most common question I hear in response.
But, it is my ability with Japanese that most people find the most surprising. With my acting background I feel comfortable embodying the language almost as one would a role, and by doing so I have been often lauded for my accent, pronunciation and understanding of conversational nuance.
Pricing:
- Haircuts: $65+
- Spin: ~$25 a class, membership options
- Personal Training ~$100 a session
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @teddyshearfingers @teddy.m.fitness
Image Credits
Colton Mai
