I used to love going to the salon when I was younger. I would sit there for hours watching people's hair being transformed. That's when hairdressing first caught my attention. I wasn't very academic so I knew I wanted to do something creative and hairdressing seemed like a good fit.
After finding school difficult, moving into hairdressing felt like I was able to do something that finally clicked for me and I found myself excelling and building my confidence. One special memory was being one of four students who were picked from Scotland to go down and perform on stage at Salon International in London. We wore tartan berets and sashes and won our category – we were so proud! College pushed me outside my comfort zone, it helped build my people skills and confidence and taught me valuable life skills too. Even now I refer back to things I learned when I was at college, for example how to keep a conversation going by asking open questions and how to be a good listener.
Hairdressing has provided me with a successful career - I’ve worked in Germany on American air-bases, owned two hair and beauty salons and a barber shop. The thing I value the most is the connection with my clients. Throughout the years I’ve met so many interesting people and had amazing conversations, I've learned so much from them. Recently my career has taken an exciting turn as I’ve created an app to help hair stylists become more efficient to store their client records digitally. I was also delighted to receive a prestigious national award from Innovative UK for my app idea. Hair Tracker app is the legacy I would like to leave in the hairdressing world which has been a huge part of my life for three decades.
I love the idea of making a difference and I’m proud of how I'm changing my career but also staying in the hair and beauty industry. My advice for current and future students is to think big, dream big and believe in yourself. Never stop learning - there's no better investment than investing in you!
