Aura Friedman, Breaking Down Barriers and Tumbling About It
August 15, 2016 | By Kelly Ehlers
Do you love Jennifer Lawrence, Carolyn Murphy, Sophie Dahl, M.I.A, or Lady Gaga’s hair color? If you answered ‘yes’ – then you’ll surely love the Tumblr blog “Color Makes All The Difference.” Aura Freidman, Wella celebrity colorist, is the author of this popular blog, inspiring us daily by posting her take on future trends and the use of color in her everyday life. Friedman’s savvy use of social media has allowed her to expand her professional and personal brand and is no doubt one of the most sought after editorial colorists in the business.
I had the opportunity to chat with Friedman about her career and how social media has helped her share her work and generate new clients.
With a whole basketful of celebrity colorist and editorial work you have really made a name for yourself as a colorist in this industry. How did you climb your way to the top?
A lot of hard work and determination. I just did EXACTLY what I wanted to do. My dream has been to work with people that inspire me, from coloring musicians hair, to models, to working on set and collaborating with some of the biggest visionaries. I feel privileged and humbled and lucky. I am blessed to have a great team of people that believe in me and I hope they know how much I appreciate them!
It helps me spread the word, whether it’s press coverage or editorial photo shoots – I post that content on multiple social networks, including: Tumblr, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. I have different followers in different places and those followers help share my work virally. I think this type of sharing can help motivate others in my field – and show them that they too can strive for anything with their careers!
How do you use social media to showcase your work? Your Tumblr is one of your biggest online presence platforms, where did that idea originate?
To be honest I like to share things that inspire me, sharing my work is just a by-product of sharing inspiration. Tumblr is an easy platform to do just that.
If you were talking to a stylist looking to break into editorial and celebrity color, what kind of advice would you give him/her?
Being in NY or LA helps. Just work hard and imagine that every client is a celebrity, every person should get the most beautiful hair because they represent you, your aesthetic. My first celebrity clients came to me as a referral from other clients.
The nature of business has changed with the internet and the social sphere. How is social media affecting the salon industry?
What I see happening now is amazing! I get clients who come in just based on my esthetic on my Tumblr blog, which is great. The client already has a feel for my work, and our taste is similar based on the inspiration I’m posting on my blog. Additionally, a lot of my clients look to my blog for a starting point for their next color. It’s my goal to constantly create trends and open up my clients to creative ideas – Tumblr is a great outlet to do so.
What are your top 5 blogs to follow?
Sloane Cuts You on the Opening Ceremony Blog
Goddess Huntress
Thomas Dunkin Hair
Beauty By Bens
Being a colorist is an art form, what other artistic outlets do you enjoy?
I enjoy art in all forms – taking the concepts and conceptualizing ideas from all mediums. I often create inspiration boards for ideas and for future trend forecasting.
What we can see when we look at Friedman’s awesome career is that art can be an online expression as well. Tumblr is a great place to express your creativity, showcase your work, and gain inspiration. When you visit “Color Makes All The Difference” it’s an art gallery, and an online advertisement for Friedman’s brand, one that’s no doubt helped the talented colorist build both her personal brand – and her clientele.
To connect with Friedman, check out her social networks here:
As always, feel free to contact me at: kehlers@evokebrands.com with any questions and, be sure to “like” our Facebook page.