My favourite part about coming to work is my team. They are such a joy to be around, I never get sick of them! Even on my days off I find myself hanging around chatting to them just because they are such great people. I also really enjoy seeing how much my team develop over time, both creatively and personally. As a team each month we do creative hair education day, and the next we do a personal development day. I am really into self-development and believe it’s such an important part of having a successful team. If you don’t know who you are, you don’t know what you actually want, need and what you can give. By focusing on the selfdevelopment of my team, this in turn creates incredible culture.
What do you feel is so unique about your salon concept?
When I was first opened BLONDEE, I really wanted to create a boutique space that looked different to the traditional salon. Pinterest was my best friend when I was coming up with designs! I sought lighter neutral tones with an earthy feel to suit the theme of a blonde specialist salon. The salon has such a nice warm feeling when you enter with beautiful arches, earthy tones, olive tree, and oak features. I would say it has a slight Mediterranean feel to it. From the minute I opened BLONDEE about 18 months ago, it has been a huge success. The expertise, training, the team and our culture have all played a massive role in the growth of BLONDEE. We have had a waitlist since we opened and outgrew the first location within 12 months! We are a destination salon and pride ourselves on our expertise, as well as the unique client experience, we offer. I am also really particular on client experience. It’s the small things that count such as the pressure point massages, beverages, high quality products, and ensuring our clients all feel appreciated and that they enjoy the time they spend at the salon. We also have created a colour table at the back of the BLONDEE Newstead where clients can work from the salon whilst they have their hair done. That has been a game changer for our clients especially with a lot of them working from home. They have more flexibility and can maximise the 4 hours they spend at the salon. Choosing the right team with the right types of personality is so important to have amazing culture. This then reflects in salon and makes it an enjoyable experience for clients.
What would you say are the core values or philosophies which define your business and leadership style?
The core values of BLONDEE are happiness, passion, and respect. These are 3 traits that I believe reflect my business leadership style. • Happiness – Being happy creates good energy and spreads like sunshine. • Passion – Your passion leads you to your purpose and is what drives us. • Respect – Respect is a full circle. At BLONDEE we respect each other no matter what. We respect our clients, we respect their time, their experience, their loyalty.
What are your secrets for building a happy and high performing team?
Recognising the achievements of others and celebrating each other’s successes is one of my top secrets for building a happy and high performing team. Being genuinely happy and supportive of the success of others makes you happy, and also contributes to building a great culture. Targets and bonuses are really important as well, if we have nothing to aim for, we go nowhere. This helps them strive to do better.
What has been your greatest lesson or piece of advice along your business journey?
You don’t just wake up and know how to own a business or grow a team. You just need to do it and learn along the way. Don’t be afraid to ask help or advice from others who have done what you want to do. You can sometimes avoid making mistakes by learning from other people’s mistakes. Take someone out for a coffee and pick their brain. If anything, they will be flattered. I am also forever listening to podcasts on all different aspects of business/ life/ personal
What does the future hold?
The build is well and truly underway for the new salon, which is located on the other side of the river in Morningside. Services, features, and the design, look and feel will be very similar to the original BLONDEE. “There will be a few small changes which is super exciting. I cannot wait to share it with you!” I have always wanted to create space for my team to have growth opportunities within the BLONDEE brand, including owning their own salon one day with my support. With the BLONDEE Morningside opening, I am super excited to announce that I am partnering with my current manager at Newstead, Holly Calligaro. She has been with me from the start. When I was considering opening a second location, I wanted to give Holly the opportunity to progress her own career goals, while playing an important role in taking BLONDEE to the next level at the same time. We cannot wait to introduce you to BLONDEE Morningside! We’re currently working on the final touches to ensure it is everything we dreamt of and more.
Hair Biz Year 15 Issue 3
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