My working
life today, a far cry from 27 years ago when my teacher Stephanie Gates
recoiled in horror as I announced that
hairdressing would be my vocation “but you have all these qualifications” she protested “you could go
to university, hairdressing what a waste”. Unable to convince me to take the road to
academia, her disappointment was evident as though somehow she had failed me as
a teacher.
England
1985, consensus of opinion was you didn’t need to be smart to play with hair. A
time of high unemployment, and no real long term job prospects, school leavers
were encouraged to pursue further education and if all else failed there was
the YTS, a government work scheme that paid employers to take on trainees to
work towards a formal trade qualification, this was the nearest one could get
to an apprenticeship.
Fast forward to 2012 and the economic landscape
is remarkably similar and sadly so is the view that hairdressing is all about
the glitz and glamour of styling. The reality lies in the back engine room of
bursary level chemistry, and considering that 80% of our clients indulge in
chemical services here lays the real skill.
Whilst dabbling in other career options,
hairdressing was something I never quite escaped, there was always someone
asking if I could help out on a Saturday, which invariably would end up as a
two or three year stint.
In 1995 I immigrated to New Zealand it was
that trade certificate that provided residency, it was then I really
appreciated the value of a qualification. A career providing extensive travel both
in New Zealand and overseas, working in sales followed by education and
troubleshooting for some of the highest profile brands in the world. It has
taken me to Italy, Singapore and the USA for training and has led to further
education in adult teaching and assessment practices laying the foundations for
others. But perhaps what I value most is the provision of sanity and freedom
after having children.
Hands up those who have discovered the
urban myth that parenthood is not the picture you expected it to be. Only now I
truly appreciate my transportable skill for life, seeing many women trapped
like possums in the headlights trying to figure out how they might juggle a
family around work; the stress is plain to see. Some too terrified to even
contemplate the notion decide it is easier to have more children in order to
delay the process.
Ironically it was a group of such women who
first presented me the opportunity to work from home around my children. Bailed
up in a corner at a mainly music group 5 years ago, there was little chance of
escape when asked if I was a hairdresser and had I considered working from
home. Three weeks later I turned up to my first client armed with a builder’s
tool case, portacot and 8 month old baby and almost 3 year old. Within 3 months
I had over 60 clients and have never looked back.
Today my children are 6 and 8 and the
business has expanded into make-up and wardrobe styling working in perfect
synergy with hairdressing, utilising my entire skill set creating the complete
head to toe make-over on a personal one on one basis or in group workshops. Setting
up a blog 2 years ago has developed further opportunities to reach a wider
audience both directly and indirectly. As of next month I will be writing a
monthly column for the Kapi-Mana newspaper on styling, despite never having
studied journalism. Life is very busy but balanced even allowing me to give 2
hours a week as a mentor for Supergrans Charitable Trust working with disadvantaged
families on a voluntary basis.
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