What makes a stellar career?

I’ve just asked myself this question –  what makes a stellar career? This year sees me heading toward a milestone. I’m not quite there yet, but in 2026 I will have been working for 50 years … OMG, writing that down made me shudder, and not because I’ve been working…

5th January 2025

I’ve just asked myself this question –  what makes a stellar career? This year sees me heading toward a milestone. I’m not quite there yet, but in 2026 I will have been working for 50 years … OMG, writing that down made me shudder, and not because I’ve been working for that length of time, just because it doesn’t seem real.

In my (currently) 49 years of work I have had a few jobs, from leaving school to work in my fathers’ business, fruit and veg in case you didn’t know, to selling music memorabilia (short lived) and (of course) hairdressing which has been the mainstay of my life.

Starting my hairdressing career with Saks in Middlesbrough was the start of a love affair with the world of hair that continues to this day. I worked for Saks, Jason & Erik, Barberella, all in my home town of Middlesbrough and John Paul Hair in Marske before I decided to try and move into education, and that’s where Wella comes in. I loved hairdressing but felt a need to move on into the world of education. All of the salons I worked in gave me something new to add to my arsenal of skills and I’m forever grateful to them.

Wella was the catalyst for significant changes in my life, moving home and moving into a different job was a huge step which I took with trepidation. BUT – I loved every single minute of my working life with Wella, all 20 years of it. In that time I had a variety of roles, education, sales, academy manager, and, the development of education materials, including being one of the lead team who developed the first colour degree course for the company – MCA. Being asked to present at team conferences and at shows throughout the UK and abroad was a real highlight, something I never thought I would ever be able to do when I stepped into the world of education.

I met many people who remain friends to this day.

I was made redundant when P&G bought the company, and I decided to set up my own business, but before that I spent 6 months at the behest of the queen of colour Annie Humphreys to work on the launch of Vidal Sassoon Colour, truly one of the most wonderful moments in my career. Working alongside the Sassoon colour team in London and the marketing guys in Geneva was challenging and energising in equal parts. I am very proud of the education materials that were developed for the launch of the brand.

Tine to become a self employed consultant, or so I thought. The business, ‘Inde-Cate’ was short lived for various reasons, too many to go into here, but mainly because I spotted a job with TIGI that took my eye.

TIGI was my home for the next 7.5 years and I loved it as much as I did Wella, it was an energetic, fast paced working environment with a great deal of autonomy in the role I had which was a huge growth phase for me personally. Launching colour education to salons with a team of educators was a big challenge and [we] rose to it with great success. TIGI took me to a new level in the development of both education materials and building a team. After working for Wella where a decision could take months to be agreed upon, going to my manager and suggesting something new, to be told, go ahead and do it was an amazing experience which helped me when the next step came along. I was made redundant [again] when Unilever purchased TIGI.

And so, 10 years ago, mrhaircare was launched, education for hairdressers and sales teams alike. Alongside mrhaircare was mrandmrshaircare, a website dedicated to sharing news and views, product information and education for all to access. This was at the time social media was exploding big time and I jumped into it with gusto! But, as with anything new and exciting it soon became too much, at one point there were 12 different platforms all dedicated to mrhaircare. A streamlined business model was required and that’s when I changed the business name to my own (kinda makes sense eh).

So now, as I enter my 10th year of consultancy, with a list as long as my arm of companies and salons that have invested in my services, and with 3 books published (No.3 is at print as I write this) , a website that garners great reviews and a great work life balance, the question – what makes a stellar career? seemed a relevant one to answer from my own perspective.

It’s personal to us all, what we think about our achievements is more important than accolades and awards from companies, peers and workmates. So for me, it’s a simple question to answer.

HERE IT IS: I have achieved more in my working life than I ever dreamed possible, and each company I have worked with, every person I have worked alongside, they (YOU) have all helped me have a career that I am immensely proud of, one that  I can look back at with a sense of achievement and pride.

What makes a stellar career? it’s simply, a mix of ME & YOU, and for that I will be forever grateful.

And, it’s not over yet!

Drawing on personal experiences, salon business and the challenges sales people face in their daily life,
I’ve created a story that can be used in salons and on sales calls that will help overcome the challenges faced in the world of retailing.


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