Our first-ever Self Styled Sunday flew by, with a brilliant, up-tempo mix of education, conversation and inspiration – all created especially for freelance hairdressers.
Our concept for Self/Styled, and especially this Self/Styled Sunday event, has always been to build a sense of community amongst freelance hairdressers, and to support you with advice and information during these difficult times. The full-on digital day of business advice, brand masterclasses, panel talk and star interview drew eyes as far away as Greece, and proved to be a huge success.
The day kicked off with Abby Douglas and Alex Chapman, both members of Wella Professionals’ education team, to talk through the game-changing profit calculator. With your numbers on costs and timings plugged in, it generates a realistic price you must charge to make a decent percentage of profit, and is built to be adaptable for freelancers to be able to shape for their own businesses. Ka-ching! The chat section came alive in the latter half of the webinar as Abby showcased the new Luxelights service, and how a simple three-step process for you can make a huge difference to clients and your bottom line.
Next up were Indola’s global ambassadors, Andy Smith and Paddy McDougall, who showcased the versatility of their new cuts and colours for Indola’s Street Style collection. With masculine-leaning, modern cuts and panelling colour techniques, there were three looks with brilliant dimension and detail. “It’s important to show clients something they can’t get anywhere else,” Paddy urged, with particular importance for freelance stylists. “Show them why they should keep coming back to you.”
That spark of individuality led on perfectly to our first Self/Help session with Beautystack’s Sharmadean Reid. The business-building session looked at the new Beautystack model, and how it works differently to any other booking platform currently on the market. With a focus on imagery, similar to Instagram, but with a more direct search functionality, users can scroll through your looks and imagery of services you offer to book that directly. Amazing!
Coaxing clients back to colour was the focus of our final masterclass, with the legendary Alan Edwards and his art team showcasing three quick techniques which are perfect for either tempting lapsed colour clients back in, or to top-up existing colour with minimal effort for maximum effect. From freehand painting in under an hour to brighter money pieces around the front of a grown-out balayage, these three new techniques from L’Oréal Professionnel are sure to make a big impact on viewers’ businesses.
Film by Pacitti Media for Alan Edwards Hair.
We kicked it into high gear for our Panel Session, featuring three supremely talented freelance stylists: session stylist breakout star Chad Maxwell, colour queen and Pulp Riot Squad member Tegan Robertson, and photographer-stylist and all-around legend Desmond Murray. The theme was Balancing Act, and all three of our panellists had plenty to say, whether it was how they balance their working week and busy schedules, or how they keep sane and draw a line under their work at the end of the day.
Luckily for you, we have the whole session recorded here!
Finally, the day drew to a close with the incomparable Paula McCash. An incredibly talented artist in her own right, she was our first Most Wanted Independent Stylist winner and a key member of Syd Hayes’s session squad. The conversation ran from her fears for the future due to a sudden injury, to how she juggles the business side of creativity, and some of her fashion week highlights.
Enjoy Paula in conversation with our Self/Styled editor Deborah Murtha.
Related Articles
Introducing Self/Styled Sundays
Set yourself up for success!
No fear here! Building confidence with SELF/STYLED Sunday
Confidence-boosting education ahead of re-opening
SELF/STYLED Sunday – secrets to success!
Learn from the best to stand out from the rest
