WAHL EDUCATION- ANYWHERE, ANYTIME

Despite existing for more than 104 years as an iconic and globally respected brand for barbering and hairdressing, Wahl continues to adapt, evolve, and progress for the benefit of the industry. Education is a crucial part of Wahl Professional’s brand identity, having opened The Wahl Barber Academy, offered the Wahl Fade It Forward® scholarship program, and held countless live events. However, in this increasingly ondemand and globalized world, Wahl felt it was time to create a platform of education that could be accessed by professionals anytime, anywhere.

We caught up with Stephanie Polansky, Wahl’s Director of Global Education, and Garrett McGuire, Wahl’s Global Brand Director, to talk about the newly launched Learning Management System (LMS).

Stephanie explained: “Wahl Professional tools are available in over 170 countries, but we noticed that each market had its own separate website, with its own separate content. So, we thought, what if we made a platform that was accessible to professionals globally? A single place where they could not only access their region-specific information but education from global Wahl educators, too?

“At Wahl, we know how important inperson education is, and we are certainly not intending to replace that with this platform. Instead, our goal is to create accessible education for everyone as a supplement and resource to our customers everywhere.”

If you are new to barbering, selecting and investing in the right clipper can be a daunting task. Why are there so many? What are the differences? Which one is right for me? These are all questions you may ask yourself. Stephanie explained: “This is another reason the LMS is an important tool, as it offers a wide variety of on-demand videos of each of the Wahl Professional tools in action, with explanations from each educator for why and how they are using that specific tool. This way, customers can understand the details and differences of the tools before they make their purchase, so they can be confident they have made the right choice for them.”

Garrett added: “Education is a core value for Wahl Professional. It’s not just about the products we sell; it’s about showing professionals what they can do with the product and how it can help them take their career that next step further. With the LMS, we hope it will help introduce the next generation of professionals to Wahl and provide them with everything they need to be successful.”

There is a lot to be accessed from the homepage of the LMS while all being very user-friendly and accessible. Professionals can access on-demand content from Wahl’s vast library of educational videos for barbers and stylists of all skill levels. The platform will also feature monthly ‘Lives,’ where instructors from all over the world will offer demonstrations to the global audience. The platform will also be a place where professionals can access information such as details about in-person global events and sign-up information, as well as details about Wahl and its list of Global Educators.

If professionals want to attend a Wahl course, such as the Future Maker Classes but don’t have the ability to travel to attend in person, they can also pay to experience these classes through the platform as ‘Premium Content.’

As barbers and stylists make their way through the courses on the platform, they can track and celebrate their progress by receiving badges. With one course watched, they receive a bronze badge; with three watched, they receive a silver badge; with five courses, they receive gold; and after 10, viewers receive a platinum badge.

Stephanie said: “The ‘gamification’ and badge system is great because it is something that professionals can share on their social media to show their clientele that they are continually investing in education and keeping their skills sharp.”

For Stephanie, making the platform user-friendly and intuitive was important. She said: “When you are a busy barber, and you get a 10-minute break, you might want to spend that time watching a segment of one of the educational videos. But there is nothing more frustrating than every time you go back to that video, it restarts at the beginning. When building this website, we thought of all of these little details, like making it easy to go back to your ‘in-progress’ videos or mark videos you want to watch in the future.”

The LMS platform will only continue to adapt and grow from here. Stephanie said: “We intend to keep a close eye on the user experience of the LMS and pull data about what content is the most popular and what people are loving, so we can continue to offer professionals the content and education they want.”

Check it out at education.wahlglobal.com

Garrett concluded: “The LMS is intended to be a hub of connection. It is just another example of Wahl bringing people together from around the world to share common interests, while moving the industry forward. That is Wahl’s goal in the industry; to create a common ground where professionals can come together, share techniques, share their love for their craft, and gain the best education and the best quality tools.”