How Education And YouTube Inspired Axis Hairdressing Director Adam Ciaccia To Strike Out On His Own Within The Creative Space

Most people get into hairdressing because they love it or were inspired by something or someone. For Axis Hairdressing Director Adam Ciaccia, it was because he was “incredibly uninspired by conventional education”.

He started working as an assistant in a salon, before growing to become a multi award-winning hairstylist and Owner and Creative Director of Axis Hairdressing in Australia.

“I feel privileged to be to be part of the industry that has supported me across so many years,” he says. “I have made incredible friendships and life-long relationships with so many admirable people. But as for me, I am just an individual who is trying to put more into the hairdressing industry than what I am trying to take out.”

With over 20 years of experience, the Australian hairdresser is known for his specialization in modern wearable haircuts as well as colours at Axis Hairdressing and as an educator.

Role as an educator and Director for Axis Hairdressing

Apart from taking up his role in the Canberra-based hair salon, Adam provides haircutting workshops and in-salon education for individuals in a one-to-one format, salon groups and schools/academies.

For Ciaccia, ongoing education is important no matter the industry as well as reaching out to more stylists within the industry.

“I have learnt to work hard on very little sleep and be willing to work seven days a week.,” he explains. “Balance is something only achieved after decades of creating a foundation. If you put too much attention in one or the other, then neither element can be sustained. Working seven days a week has allowed me to do that and after two decades, I can take a day off here and there to create content and do private external education when salon is closed on Monday.”

Education, pitfalls and learning curves

“Matrix invited me to join their education team in 2016, which has been a great honour. I realised quickly however that it’s very easy to get caught up on the limelight of being a platform artist and educator and then neglect your salon,” he said.

“You can’t focus on external education at the determent of your business. It was the salon that originally provided me the platform of exposure and I always need to remember that. Great businesses take decades to build, so it’s really vital I don’t let that slide at the expense of other pursuits.”

YouTube channel launch

With over 20 years of experience, Ciaccia has also grabbed the attention of international clients from India to North America. This is credited to his exposure through YouTube, where he provides accessible education to viewers.

His venture into YouTube after accidentally posting a video that received “really high demand and need for this type of content”.

“YouTube allows me to reach remote area hairdressers and consumers, that cannot access traditional in person education. It is really rewarding to be able to give back and share with people all around the world,” he says.

Now, he has over 139,00 subscribers on the platform.

When shooting video content, he works with volunteers rather than models wanting a beautiful hair creation not models while at the same time making sure they leave happy with their hair.

“I always ensure I use fundamental philosophy to create colour that suits skin tone and eye colour and cutting to shape and complement their face, that varies person to person.”

Positive, negative comments

Aside from positive comments, processing and acting on negative feedback is not always easy. But that doesn’t affect the Australian hairdresser. He chooses to have empathy and accepts negative feedback or comments, because “taste is subjective”. 

“I just don’t response to overly negative comments or people. I do believe however that we can always be improving and growing, so I am motivated by the feedback whether negative or positive and always look at what value I can take away from it to improve my skill and creative work, all about perspective,” he adds.

How much research and planning do you put into creating a new look? Do you leave room for improvization?

It’s about creating shapes and colours that are fashion relevant, but that clients can and would ask for, through that process I find myself combining creativity with commercial demand. That’s how I create looks that are slightly different from others, helping me forge my personal style. 

For a stylist, you have a fairly large social following. What impact has this had on your career?

It has allowed me to travel the world doing people’s hair, meeting new clients and artists, raise awareness for various causes, reach regional hairdressers and young stylists who cant afford access to traditional education.

In the age of social media and intense competition in the market what advice would you give to someone looking to start out as a YouTuber?

Share with our expectation. Expect nothing in return. This will help you make more authentic content that resonates with your viewers. 

What have you been doing to keep busy during the COVID-19 pandemic? How are coping personally and with work?

I have been focused on online education and how we can keep giving back as an industry to get us through these unprecedented times.

Where do you feel most creatively inspired, in a salon, on set or in an – educational setting?

I am most inspired by my own salon staff and the stylists I have the honour to educate.

When I see a student have that lightbulb moment and they really get it, and you see yourself make a difference in someone else’s career or life – that is truly inspiring to me.

Things unrelated to hair that inspire me are to be a better person and businessperson. I believe you have to me multifaceted in life, you can’t just focus on one area. 

How can stylists ensure they maintain levels of creativity, wherever they are and whoever their clients are? Is this something that flows naturally or something that you can learn?

In today’s day and age, education and inspiration are accessible anywhere there is an internet connection. We used to use hair magazines to remain inspired, but now we have a wealth of creative inspiration at our finger’s tips each and every day.