Jose Espitia, PLATINUM.KEY Cutting Educator for KEVIN.MURPHY, uses his experience to cater to different learning styles through his teaching, and that’s why we’ve selected him as Premier Beauty’s March Educator of the Month!

How’d you get your start in education?

I’ve always taken on a teaching role throughout my career as a stylist, but I sometimes struggled with learning the concepts. I realized after taking a learning test that the way I was learning didn’t line up with the way I was being taught. This inspired me to help others to learn what works best for them and their learning style.

What’s your favorite product from KEVIN.MURPHY?

STAYING.ALIVE is my absolute favorite product from KEVIN.MURPHY. I use it in everything I do, from colors to cuts. It’s lightweight and so good for hair—it’s just an amazing product.

What's the newest, freshest approach you're bringing to education?

I have played every role in the salon, working my way up from receptionist to owner. Combined with my experience with different learning styles, this brings a lot to the table in terms of relating to students no matter where they are in their career. I use this to recognize exactly who I’m teaching and tailor my approach to their needs to improve their learning experience.

What are the common problems faced by stylists today?

A lot of stylists become overloaded with the amount of information available these days. I think some brands overcomplicate things to appear innovative and fresh, and this just makes things confusing for new stylists.

I just came back from training with KEVIN.MURPHY in Dallas and was so impressed with the way they simplified the concepts. It’s much easier to build on what you already know by incorporating simple ideas and techniques into what you’re already doing. I think more brands should take this approach; stylists need to be able to be confident in what they know and a simplified approach reinforces that.

What do you want stylists to know about education?

Even though learning things from YouTube and other online sources does offer value, it’s totally different from actually taking a class; YouTube might provide instant gratification in the learning process, but it leaves out a lot of context that you can only get from being immersed in a class. Taking classes allows stylists to truly connect with and absorb the information in a way that watching videos just can’t.

Any advice for educators?

All educators should learn the different learning styles so they can truly teach their students in a way they will understand. Don’t be afraid to slow down, ask questions, and really simplify things.

What are your educator goals?

I love educating for KEVIN.MURPHY. Right now I’m working on revamping the education program in our salon and would like to create a cutting curriculum—sort of a classic collection of cutting techniques.

What new skill would you like to learn? (hair or non-hair!)

I’ve always been focused on cutting, and while I’m good at coloring, I’d like to get better at some of the new techniques, like Balayage, smudges, etc..

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