3 freelancer facts from the Vagaro Business Masterclass

Creative HEAD teamed up with Vagaro and Apprentice star turned salon owner Rochelle Raye Anthony in an interview where she gave our freelance community key business tips

Rochelle Raye Anthony isn’t just a TV star from making it to the final stage of The Apprentice 2023, she’s a bonafide hair industry entrepreneur, and the owner of hair salon destination, the Dollshouse in Milton Keynes.

In an interview between Rochelle and scheduling software firm Vagaro’s content marketing specialist, Ellie Hutchin, which formed part of SELF/STYLED Sunday’s The Vault, Creative HEAD’s limited-time-only summer content collection for freelance advice, Rochelle explained how she started out in hair, the pressures of being your own boss, and the power of outsourcing to take away the burden of wearing all the hats.

The interview, packed with takeaway advice for freelancers, continues to sit pretty on Creative HEAD’s Facebook page, which you can watch in your own time. Here’s just some of what we learnt…

1. Rochelle understands, as she was a freelancer!

Don’t let the glam salon and TV fame fool you, like so many stylists out there, Rochelle started out on her own and was a mobile hairdresser. She used to go between clients with her kit packed in her car. When she realised that she wasn’t “utilising my time as I could be”, she set up shop in her parent’s sitting room, as she was living at home at the time. “My parents are the sweetest people, and they literally would be in the dining room which was next door and eating as quietly as they could!”

2. You CAN be your own wellbeing “doctor”

The hair world is such a physical industry, with stylists on their feet all day and acting as unofficial therapists for many clients. That’s why for Rochelle, acknowledging when your energy levels have dropped is crucial, such as admitting tiredness. Just as when you get run down physically, it’s your body telling you you’re tapped out, and it’s the same with your mind such as having “brain fog”, feeling more emotional than usual, or simply being tired. These signs are warning you to take a break before you hit burnout. Live off adrenaline, she said, and your health won’t thank you long-term.

3. Understand that you can’t do everything

Once upon a time, Rochelle was managing her “entire diary online” and even direct messaging clients every week and reminding them of their appointments, sound familiar? This was adding on a hefty two to three hours of extra work per day for her. If you can do things that take the edge off, you can focus on being the best stylist you can be, she explained. Think about outsourcing duties like direct messaging and managing social media accounts. Recognise what you’re good at, as you can’t do it all, or you’ll risk burnout. Rochelle likes Vagaro because it’s “a trusted app” where clients can log in and change and request appointments themselves, saving you the stress, but still leaving you, the business owner, in control. You can decide whether you want to accept or move around an appointment, and many other things too!

To watch the interview in full and to discover how Vagaro can help improve your freelance business operations, head to Creative HEAD’s Facebook site here

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