Trigger warning: this episode contains references to suicide.

My guest in this episode of the podcast is Tom Chapman. Tom the founder of The Lions Barber Collective, is an award-winning barber, author, public speaker, global barber director, and international educator. 

I saw Tom give a talk back in October 2021 and knew immediately I wanted to chat to him on the show as I thought his insights would be something that you, my most-excellent listeners, would find interesting and potentially helpful.

Tom started The Lions Barber Collective after losing a friend to suicide and their mission is to reduce male suicide rates by encouraging men to talk while getting a trim - an appointment that might seem superficial but which involves close contact and trust. The Lions Barber Collective’s work has had a meaningful impact, Tom revealed in one interview: ‘This can be life-saving. Well I know it's life-saving - we've saved lives and I hope we continue to save others’.

Tom’s work highlights something that I think perhaps gets overlooked in the beauty industry and that’s the value and intimacy of the relationship we have with our beauty professionals. They provide a safe space where people can often feel at ease and comfortable to open up about how they are really feeling.

I was blown away by his insights and how obvious it is that spotting red flags, knowing how to speak to people who may be struggling is something that anyone working in beauty, who has close physical contact with their customers, clients and/or patients (depending on what field you work in) should be an essential part of training - in the same way Health and Safety is. It is health and safety after all.

I invited him to the show to share his insights and to spread the word. You may not think a hair appointment, an eyelash tint or a leg wax has the potential to save a life, but when you hear Tom’s experiences, you may change your mind…

During this conversation we discuss:

• Creating a safe space for people to talk, especially men for whom opening up about mental health can be more of a challenge.
• How to ask helpful questions and validate someone’s feelings.
• Signs to watch out for to spot if someone may be struggling with their mental health.
• Why you won’t ‘give someone ideas’ if you broach the conversation with them.
• Why we need to offer support to people who work in beauty and grooming to offload after a day of constant interaction and much more.

Tom's books can be found here: Tom Chapman on Amazon.

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