Michael Ahmed is OK.

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Michael Ahmad is the creator of The Bearded Beauty Bible, an Instagram/Youtube personal blog that dives deep into the importance of well-rounded self-care. Focused around green beauty, The Bearded Beauty Bible demonstrates that lifestyle, beauty, wellness and spirit are not only mutually informed, but fully interdependent. In the words of Michael “You can’t fully address any beauty concern without looking critically at your health. You can’t evaluate your health without a closer examination of your lifestyle. And you can’t implement changes in your lifestyle if you are disconnected from your spirit. These elements are all parts of the same machine, and we have to nourish all of them simultaneously in order to function properly.” Michael is an everyday inspiration for myself and I couldn’t pass up the chance to let the world know why he’s OK…

ONE MINUTE REVIEW: Find our why Michael is so into @youthtothepeople’s Adaptogen Deep Moisture Cream!

Name: Michael Ahmad

Hometown: Foxfield, CO

Favorite Thing About Nashville: I’ve never been but I would LOVE to experience the strong and diverse musical culture I hear so much about.

Current Occupation: Education Executive for Herbivore Botanicals. This is a total dream-job already, because Herbivore is THE brand I wanted to work for. The creators Julia and Alex are such visionaries and wonderful human beings, not to mention tremendously supportive of my personal endeavors. They are pioneers and innovators in the realm of natural beauty, and continue to cultivate a collection of products that set the industry standard in ethics, cleanliness and efficacy. I still fangirl over my own job, is that weird?

Dream Occupation: Host of E! News. I just want to spill all the Hollywood Tea and periodically fill in for Rob on Keeping Up with the Kardashians. You hear that Seacrest? Call me.

If You Could Live Inside Any Film, What Would It Be? Jurassic World. I don’t want to be present when the dangerous shit goes down, but dinosaurs are just so fucking cool.

If You Could Move To Another Country, Which Would It Be? Probably Spain. I spent a fair amount of time there as a teenager and remember being so confused by how everything shuts down in the middle of the day. Sometimes establishments will take 3 hour lunch breaks. In that way, It’s a culture that has its priorities in line; they work to live, not live to work.

Hair Product You Can’t Live Without? DevaCurl Styling Cream! It enhances my natural texture without being crunchy or drying.

Tell Us A Little About Your Hair History! I have coarse ethnic hair which reeeeally wants to do it’s own thing. I used to hate it, and would try to relax it, flatiron it, etc.  Now, at the age of 30, I feel like I’m just discovering how to cooperate with my hair rather than fight it. You can lust after someone else’s hair all you want, but your jumping off point has to be a true grasp and acceptance of what you’re working with naturally.

What does YOU ARE OK. mean to you? It means that we as human beings are far more capable of dealing with the challenges of life than we think we are. If I were to write out every potential obstacle that could present itself in a whole month, I would CRUMBLE under the weight of that list. But if I just wake up, meet my challenges as they present themselves, and remind myself that I’m okay, I can conquer the world.

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"What I hope for The Bearded Beauty Bible, both the YouTube and Instagram, is to provide a base template for a life well lived. I want to model the behaviors that I am constantly describing. I want to demonstrate just how possible it is to have it all. I want to mediate, workout, eat well and apply green beauty products. I want to speak openly and honestly about brands and companies that are predatory and unethical. I want to educate consumers about how to read labels. I want to connect people to brands that care about the environment, your wellness and your success. I want to help people navigate this big confusing world with love and light, in the hopes that they will turn around and do the same for someone else.”

*This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity by Andy Judd (@Andy_DoesYourHair).

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Andy Judd

Name: Andy Judd

Hometown: Hamilton, OH

Favorite Thing About Nashville: I love how close we are to some really beautiful trails and lakes! The food is also a plus.

Current Occupation: Stylist

Dream Occupation: Traveling Educator / Beauty + Lifestyle Content Creator

If You Could Live Inside Any Film, What Would It Be?

I would live inside of “Blue Lagoon”. The island is incredibly beautiful, their hair always looks amazing, they get a nice tan, somehow they have a beautifully built home and they never seem to worry about dying of starvation even though they technically live on a deserted island. They tend to do pretty well for themselves.

If You Could Move To Another Country, Which Would It Be?

That’s a tough one! I definitely feel like it’d have to be Scandinavian. Generally, the architecture, the views, and the way of life really draw me in. Which country I would choose between them would be tough. I’d need to spend some time in each to really decide… I have been trying to learn Swedish if that gives any hint at where I’d start.

Hair Product You Can’t Live Without?

I have to start with how I cleanse! I’m really in love with Davines Curl Cleansing Cream. It’s this really nice, lightweight cleansing conditioner. I don’t believe in shampoo, as it doesn’t do much except strip the hair of essential oils. I’ve been shampoo free for almost a year now! People think their hair will be a grease ball if they stop shampooing, which might be true but only temporarily. Shampoo dries out the scalp so much that it’s forcing more oil to be produced. When you stop shampooing your scalp will balance back out! I like to rinse with a cleansing conditioner 1-2 times a week and the occasional rinse-and-condition day with just conditioner or a hair mask. For that, my recent favorite has been the Davines Minu Hair Mask. Having a good cleansing routine is ESSENTIAL for healthy hair! Definitely takes priority over a multitude of styling products for me.

Tell Us A Little About Your Hair History!

Oh lord. I look back at what my hair used to be, and although there’s a part of me that still loves it, I also horribly cringe to it. I was in high school when the scene kids took over myspace and really set a new beauty standard/goal. So, that being said, I had as close to scene kid hair as one could have in a small town in the Midwest. Before the scene days, as a young child my mom used to cut my hair into a 90s bowlcut. I have to give her props though; it was a pretty precise cut! I think it’s actually where my love for bangs comes from. In college, I started getting my hair cut at this duo barbershop/salon called Barbetorium and it was the most unique spot I had ever seen! The stylists were traveling educators under their own brand and it became my introduction to seeing that a career in the hair industry could be much more than I thought possible. Now, I prefer to keep my hair pretty short up top, and keep the sides and back a bit longer. It’s pretty mullet-like actually.


What does YOU ARE OK. mean to you?

YOU ARE OK to me means a couple of things. It means the practice of having acceptance for moments, having enjoyment for stillness and allowing yourself permission to give thought and mental preparation for change and evolution. Ultimately, it reminds me that I have to face fear and recognize that fear has no power over me.