A MODERN DAY PHENOMENON By Linda Woodhead
Bianca Boulden & Jaye Edwards
Edwards And Co is a modern-day phenomenon growing from just one ‘freelance only’ salon, launched in 2013 in Surry Hills, Sydney, to now 7 salons, an academy, over 100 employees and 13 freelancers. With plans to open 3 more locations, employ a minimum of 15 new people in the next 6 months, there seems to be no stopping this well-oiled hair industry machine.
We thought it was high time to have chat with owner Jaye Edwards and his right hand ‘lady’, the lovely Bianca Boulden, Company Brand and Communications Manager, to find out more about who and what exactly is Edwards And Co.
HAIRBIZ: CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE CHANGES WITHIN THE EDWARDS AND CO GROUP IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS? JAYE EDWARDS: In the past 12 months
Edwards And Co has continued its rapid growth phase. The Edwards And Co HQ was opened in Sydney which gave us room to grow and develop a full management team. Considering how quickly Edwards And Co was growing we decided we had to alter our business strategy. We put more of a focus on employment rather than freelance, as we believe this will better serve our continued growth within the industry,
HB: WHAT IS YOUR ROLE WITHIN THE ORGANISATION? BIANCA BOULDEN: I facilitate how the brand is perceived within the market and hair industry. I make sure we are always on top with current PR, partnerships, global and national marketing exercises and aligning ourselves with brands that match our same ethos.
HB: CAN YOU EXPLAIN ONE OF YOUR ‘TYPICAL’ DAYS IN THE ORGANISATION? BB: To be honest every day is a little different, depending on what events I have on or what state I am visiting. But I can give you an idea of how a normal day in Sydney would look like; about 2-3 42
Hair Biz Year 13 Issue 2
meetings normally in the AM so I don’t feel too distracted from my inbox and workload. Time is usually spent with media or brands we want to work with, building relationships to potentially work with down the track. Depending on who is in the salon that day I will make sure I spend 15mins with them while they get their hair done to catch up and show face, see what they are working on and if there’s any opportunity to work together. Then I will eat and catch up on emails for the arvo and normally head off to grab a wine with media in the arvo. I am constantly hustling, I feel I was a born networker.
HB: WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS AND CHALLENGES OF FREELANCERS? JE: Edwards And Co now only accepts freelancer
applicants that have one of 3 things:1. Advertorial Background where this is the majority of their work. 2. A large social media presence. 3. An already established clientele which would not require Edwards And Co to give or source clients for them. These three things add to the Edwards And Co
profile overall, which is the main requirement when taking on a freelancer - this is a major benefit for the brand especially because we are still growing. The second being skill, to be a freelancer generally, you would need to have exceptional talent. Which would add to the overall skill level of the team and therefore further elevate the Edwards And Co brand. Also, Edwards And Co does now allow an employee to become a freelancer in the same salon or state. The biggest challenged I faced I think, was a cultural divide, which I do not have now. From the outset and a client perspective, one would not really know who is freelance and who is employed within the salon environment.
HB: DO YOU HAVE ANY APPRENTICES? IS THIS SOMETHING YOU ARE LOOKING INTO FOR THE FUTURE? JE: Yes of course! We have nearly 30 apprentices. Edwards And Co. is heavily focused on employing apprentices or as we like to call them Emerging Talent. We make sure the skill level is the highest possible for our apprentices to ensure the sustainability and longevity of the