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44 The Colorist | MARCH/APRIL 2015 | thecoloristmag.com talk soup Because he's on the road so much, he likes to work in his yard—"I f nd tranquility in it," he says—whenever he has any downtime. HIS MOST TREASURED POSSESSION is a metal teasing comb his grandmother gave him. "She was not a stylist as was my great-aunt, but there's something about it that makes my heart smile," he says. JOHN SIMPSON Goldwell Lead Artistic Director North America John Simpson gets real about growing up in a small town, who inspires him and why he became a hairdresser. T e Infl uencers Over the years, he's drawn inspiration from a variety of beauty pros for different reasons. "I admire the discipline of Annie Humphreys; the edgy British colorist Tina Fahey; the photographic work of Robert Lynden; the brilliance of Irvine Rusk; the detailed show production of The Doves; and Beth Minardi, who showed us how to turn hair color into a business," he says. HIS BIGGEST EXTRAVAGANCE? McQueen and Valentino HIS IDEA OF PERFECT HAPPINESS? Flights with no delays or connections, plus a room upgrade at the hotel where I'll be staying. FAVORITE CITY? Berlin WHY? Berliners are full of life, celebrating their own unique individuality. HE GREW UP IN CANONSBURG, a small town about 30 minutes outside of Pittsburgh. "As a kid I couldn't wait to get out and move to the big city," says Simpson, who f nds it interesting that he now owns a home close to where he grew up and has learned to respect the things he took for granted as a child—the traditional values, the sense of respect everyone has for each other, the mix of cultures, ethnicities and religions that found a home there. "No matter how much money they had or where they came from, everyone had their own unique sense of who they were at the end of the day," he says. "All that is a huge part of who I am today." T e quality he most admires in others? Humility HIS MOTTO? "Life is not a dress rehearsal. Live and love it to create it." TURNING POINT PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY OF GOLDWELL In the 1980s, a successful salon owner in Canonsburg, PA, opened a salon where "big city" stylists rotated in and out. Seeing these fashion, hair and makeup personalities practice their craft in his hometown made Simpson fall in love with the industry. "The owner of that salon, Sam Pankas, completely changed my life," says Simpson, who decided to enroll in beauty school instead of college. As a kid, he played saxophone. REGRETS? Not so much other than not acting on an impulse to move to New York, Los Angeles or Miami when he was young. "I was afraid of losing the success I'd gained in Pittsburgh with a great clientele," he says. "It's funny because I'm now looking at places in both New York City and L.A." He's worked at Lewis Salon, often called the "Color House," in Pittsburgh's tony Shadyside section since 1992. Years ago, he invested in a partnership there.