Who Educates the Educators?
In every classroom, there’s a teacher.
But who stands behind them – making sure the knowledge they pass on is relevant, up-to-date, and pedagogically sound?
This article is for anyone who teaches others.
Whether you’re a teacher at a hairdressing school, a brand educator, or in charge of internal training within a salon chain – the question remains:
Who’s educating you?
Knowing – or knowing how to teach?
Many professionals in our industry become educators because they’re good at color. They have talent, experience, and technical skill.
But teaching is something entirely different from just being skilled.
Being a great hairdresser doesn’t automatically make you a great educator.
A great educator isn’t necessarily the best hairdresser.
I remember a stylist who came to my class and told her sales rep she was attending my training.
He said: “She’s one of Sweden’s best hairdressers.”
But that’s not true.
I’m one of the best when it comes to understanding how color works with hair – and how to teach that.
But I’m definitely not the best stylist.
Because those are two completely different skill sets.
I used to be a successful hairdresser with a full clientele. But staying on top as a stylist takes constant practice – it’s in your hands.
And what you focus on is what grows. For the past 20 years, my focus has been on color and education.
Two very different roles
Being a brand educator and being a school teacher are two completely different jobs.
In the school system, you follow a curriculum.
You teach beginners and must go right back to the basics – like how to hold scissors.
As a brand educator, you show how to use a specific company’s products.
It’s about techniques, formulas, and inspiration. You’re not just an educator – you’re also a salesperson and a brand ambassador.
You’re expected to know all the products and drive sales during your visits to salons.
You need to be creative – but you’re not expected to teach fundamentals.
The gap no one talks about
As a teacher, you build your own lesson plans, presentations, and course structure. You’re responsible for getting your students to pass – even if they’re not motivated. You need to understand methodology, grading systems, and how to measure learning.
As a brand educator, you usually receive pre-made materials. The course is planned – you’re expected to deliver.
But you still have to reach people.
You need to gain the respect of salon professionals, be prepared, inspiring – and ready to answer difficult questions. Otherwise, you’ll get eaten alive.
But there’s an even bigger problem that few talk about:
Who keeps the educators updated?
A responsibility – with no clear path
As an educator, you’re expected to take responsibility for your own learning.
But reality often looks different.
Most schoolteachers base their knowledge on two things: what they learned in school themselves, and what they’ve received from the brands they’ve worked with.
But what was true back then may no longer apply. And what’s true today may not hold up tomorrow.
Knowledge evolves.
So the real question is:
Where do educators go to stay current?
Here are some of the biggest obstacles:
1. School leadership doesn’t understand our industry
They don’t see why teachers need continued education. They believe hair color is static – like a math book where 1+1 always equals 2.
But hair and color don’t work like that. Chemistry, technique, and knowledge evolve. What was correct yesterday might be outdated today.
2. There’s no clear path for continued learning
Most education available is brand-driven.
But that doesn’t teach the fundamentals – just how to use specific products.
That creates a gap between what teachers need and what’s available.
3. Knowledge has been replaced by recipes
Over the past 15 years, education has focused more and more on product knowledge – not real color understanding.
The result? We’ve lost a lot of depth in education.
And this doesn’t just apply to schools – it affects brand educators too.
What happens when truths collide?
As a brand educator, you receive training – but mostly in how to use your brand’s products.
You learn how – but not always why.
You’re given the version of truth your brand wants you to have.
And that might conflict with what other brands teach.
It creates confusion – especially when stylists hear different things from different sources.
Leaning on old knowledge and pre-made slides isn’t education – it’s repetition.
Still, it’s not the company’s job to teach the fundamentals.
That’s what hair school is for.
The problem is, there are gaps there too.
And that’s where things start to fall apart.
We need a shared foundation
In a team, the educator often sets the tone.
If the educator isn’t secure in their foundational knowledge – how can the rest of the team grow?
If you don’t understand why the color works – how can you teach someone else?
There are hairdressers out there who know more about color than many educators – simply because they’ve dared to question what they were taught.
It doesn’t matter how great your product is or how polished your presentation looks – if you can’t break down complex knowledge in a way others can absorb, it won’t stick.
That’s why Become A Better Colorist was created
I know how it feels.
I’ve stood there as a teacher, a trainer, a mentor – feeling like I should know more.
Like I should have clearer answers. Stronger explanations.
But there was no education available for people like us.
No well-designed teaching tools.
No frameworks for how to teach color theory.
No space to ask questions outside of brand-specific training.
That’s why I wrote the book.
That’s why I created the education program.
To give educators a reliable, product-neutral foundation – regardless of which brand they use.
Knowledge rooted in understanding – not opinion
Become A Better Colorist is not a new color system.
It’s a foundation.
A product-neutral, science-based knowledge system that helps you understand color at a deeper level – so you can explain it clearly.
And that’s what so many educators are missing today.
Not passion.
Not experience.
But a clear, shared foundation to teach from.
It’s not too late to feel confident
No matter how long you’ve been teaching – there’s still room to grow.
You can fill those knowledge gaps you know exist.
You can stop guessing.
And you can stand in front of your students with true confidence in what you teach.
So – who educates the educators?
Want a stronger foundation for your teaching?
Start with the Essentials Edition – our core program designed to help you understand both color theory and color chemistry in a clear, practical, and inspiring way.
Want to go deeper, Then Premium Edition is for you.
And for professional educators, there’s Special Edition – tailored to your specific role.
📚 Special Edition for teachers is made for those who work in schools and teach students. You’ll get tools to create stronger pedagogy, explain color at the right level, and build a curriculum that works in real life.
🎓 Special Edition for trainers is for those who teach other hairdressers, ambassadors, or technical teams.
As a trainer, you always need to be one step ahead. You need deeper knowledge and understanding than those you train – and that’s exactly what we build in this program.
👉 Learn more at colormetruecorp.com
You can never become better than your master.
So if you want to be among the best – learn from those who are already there.
/Camilla Rörstrand