In the beginning:

I started hairdressing in 1983 with Braids Salon Northampton they had salons in Milton Keynes, Birmingham and London. I loved my job working with so many people and looking after clients. Although the salons were very trendy and hip they didn’t really care about their clients and because of this I left to look for a company that did.

I found a salon, again in Northampton called Catz, owned by a very talented lady called Joy Agar that ran it., To this day she is the most talented all round creative hairdresser I’ve known. She was the one who taught me how to cut hair. I stayed 3 years, but still something was missing! Joy wasn’t teaching me about business or service.

I left in October 89 to become a stylist with Michael Barry and John Hensman. I worked between two salons as a stylist, doing stock control and learning any task they threw at me. I knew this would help me in my long term plan to own lots of salons, reach my goals within the industry and to become a salon director.

I stayed for 2 years, but in 1988 I left to work in Newport Pagnall in a salon called Scruples, which was owned by a guy called Guy Christie. He changed my whole outlook on hairdressing and with his help he sent me on courses with 365 day hairdressing (of which Greg was a member). The company 365 hairdressing was owned by Steven Way and Lesley Spear’s. There I learnt about consultation and the real key to success in our business. In those days we called it the Five Step Recipe. It was a consultation technique that got all the information out of a client. We would ask our clients:

1. Why they changed hairdressers?
2. Why they had come today:

• if they were going out,
• just for a maintenance cut,
• special occasion etc

3.. Have they got time for this? Making sure it is ok with them

4.How do they manage their hair at home?

5.Find out what they would like and suggest a change

6.Make sure you tell them you are going to listen to them, most client’s leave their old salon because their hairdresser didn’t listen to them

7.Find out how long it has been since their last hair cut and make sure we give them the instruction to manage their hair at home!

8.I could go on and on…………………

Thing I love about my job:

I love the feeling I get when someone comes in and I can see they are not happy with the way they look. They might have just had a baby or may just be feeling down and they want me to help them feel better about themselves. I know how to do that by taking the time and care to give them a colour or style. I can send them home feeling good about themselves and looking great (even doctors can’t do that). It’s simple. There is always an away to make someone hair look better! It’s just the time and the interest in the client that is important.

I also love to see new stylists go onto the salon floor for the first time. I feel really proud of them. Most of them don’t realise how much it means to me to see them succeed in their profession and be great hairdressers. They develop from kids or school leavers into these bright creative young stylists that are completely different people from when they walked through the doors 2 or 3 years before. Some move on to other salons and some stay, but that is just business but the whole development of them is great to see.

People who inspire me:

VIDAL SASSOON: He is in my book of ‘The Greats! He was the man who revolutionised our business by inventing the blow-dry! That’s just naming one of his innovations. His haircuts are the basis of all our work today. Amazing!

ANTONY MASQOLO (the Tony from Tony&Guy): Probably the sharpest business man I know, whilst being a great hairdresser and fab photographer!

MY WHOLE TEAM: They never cease to amaze me with some of the work they do!

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