When did you know hairdressing was the career for you? This week we talk to Steph Austin, salon owner of First Impressions in Aylesbury. Steph tells us all about her journey into hairdressing. Similar to many hairdressers her first clients were her Barbie dolls, and then she moved on to the next available clients, her sisters Barbie’s; cutting, styling, whatever little Steph could think of… So, let’s hear a little more about the rest of her journey.
When and Why did you decide to have a career in hairdressing?
Since I was a little girl I was cutting all my barbie dolls’ hair, since the age of like 7, I was cutting and styling. I’ve always been quite creative… When I left school I went straight to college but figured the college setup didn’t suit me so from there I went into the salon.
How’s your journey been through the industry?
After I qualified, I worked in a salon for roughly seven years, and worked my way into a managerial position. I did realise that teaching was something I was particularly interested in, so I went on to complete my assessors award, and now I absolutely love teaching! I moved to a different salon, and fell pregnant with my daughter. And to be honest, I wasn’t planning to buy my salon when I did… But then the salon that I have now, came up for sale as my daughter was born. It wasn’t in my plan, it all just sort of happened! I have now had this salon for almost nine years, it wasn’t very well established when I took it over so I’ve spent a lot of time building and growing it. We’ve now got a strong team and we have brought on apprentices who I teach. Along the way I’ve always done courses, I’ve also been lucky enough to do London Fashion Week, and Celebrity Juice. I’m always trying to do different aspects within the industry.
What are you most proud of about your salon?
The fact our salon has grown so much since I have taken over. To look back at where we started, the reputation has grown significantly amongst the community, it’s incredible to see! We achieved regional finalists of England’s business awards last month, which was a brilliant achievement. We have an incredible team, we are all very supportive of one another, and everyone gets along really well. We strive for a professional environment but we also enjoy it being relaxed and having a laugh with each other. Clients love it!
What has session work brought to you and your business?
It’s a fantastic challenge for me, I see it as an adventure. I’ve never done anything like it before, so it really put me out of my comfort zone and gave me an incredible experience. Everything I learn I bring back into the salon and show the team what I’ve learnt to help them grow and develop their own skills. As well as this, it’s always nice to put it out there for the clients because I do a lot of weddings. Anything extra I do just helps teach and learn new skills, both for myself, the team and clients.
Where do you get your fashion inspiration from?
I predominantly find inspiration through magazines, hair journals, searching online, celebrities, and TikTok. There are so many avenues of inspiration, I think it’s amazing!
You recently introduced Unite Hair into your salon, why did you choose Unite?
Mainly because I worked with it at London Fashion Week, and I fell in love with the range. I loved the products, the packaging was beautiful and I thought it would go really well with my salon and my clientele. Not only this, but my team love it just as much as I do, which is a real bonus!
What’s it like being part of the Unite family?
Everyone is really supportive, and the rep who comes in is always really friendly. We’ve only had the products for a month so we’re still finding our feet with it. There are so many options by being a part of Unite, you get to do all the Runway Ready courses which are really good for the team as they get the opportunity to learn more about fashion weeks, which I think is a great opportunity for them! Overall, it’s got lots of benefits.
Since you’ve been working with the Unite hair range, what has emerged as your favourite products and why?
The 7 seconds range, is really popular with the team and the customers. The detangler spray is really useful, especially to cut with, I spray it in before I cut the hair. I also love U:Oil, it seems a little more luxurious than another brand we have in the salon and clients really favour itt too. It does obviously depend on the condition the client’s hair is in… I like that you can intermix the products, so when I am blowdrying, I mix these. The other favourite is the Boosta Volumizing Spray. But all around the products are doing very well in the salon!
Discover how to join the Unite family by contacting us today! Learn more by visiting Lacey’s Distribution.
For more news from Unite click HERE
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