I know 2020 wasn’t the year we all expected but there have been some positives in it for me.
I want to take this moment to share with you all some of my highs/positives that I am taking from 2020 and will carry with me into 2021. Some of these are personal growths but also business growths.
Some of you reading this may not be aware that I started 2020 in Toronto, Canada.
I had moved out there in 2019 and was working as a freelance hair stylist in bridal, events, day to day clients and working in a blow dry bar. My experiences there were incredible and I have a lot to thank Toronto for. My time there was cut short due to Covid. I had planned on moving back to the UK in 2020 but just not as soon as March. Like many others I had to make decisions when Covid hit.
Below are some pictures from my time working and exploring Toronto. I want to take this time to thank the companies I got to work with.
2020 was an adjustment. Adjusting my day to day life, adjusting the ‘to do list’ and ‘goals’.
Back in January I wrote out my 2020 goals
- Make a decision on whether to move back to the UK
- Attend several hair courses- esp. Hair By Hannah Taylor
- Wedding fayre
- Network
- Continue working full time as a hair stylist
- Increase my qualifications
Moving back to the UK was ticked off in March. Then lockdown hit and my list was staring at me. All of us not knowing what was going to happen but all of us with time on our side. I knew I couldn’t just sit inside watching Netflix all day. (Although I ticked off a lot of shows)
First thing on my agenda was to find a temporary job. With just moving back home I wasn’t entitled to the Furlough scheme or self employment support. I was lucky enough to find a local job at a small supermarket close by and have been working there temporarily since. Having this job allowed me to earn some money but also still allowed me time to work on my hair styling skills and take hair jobs. I haven’t been able to carry on full time as a stylist but I’m fortunate enough to have work in this time where redundancies are frequently happening. I have been able to do some weddings this year, a photo shoot and carry on booking weddings for next year and so on.
Embracing social media
This year saw many of us embracing Instagram Lives and IGTV’s/Reels. Hair stylists all over the world took to Instagram and Facebook to share their knowledge and skills by doing live tutorials, talking with guest artists and collaborating. It brought the hair styling industry around the world closer together. I was able to continue my training by styling along with many Instagram Lives and catching up on replays. I created many styles and picked up new techniques. I signed up to Lorna Evans online education which gave me access to so many tutorials and a Facebook group that had regular Lives. It has a great community of stylists where you can share your work and ask for advice. This has helped me to continue my education but also provide myself and many other stylists with continued confidence in a time where we weren’t sure when we’d be back at work or having the opportunity to have face to face education again. I highly recommend becoming a member.
Click here to explore the Lorna Evans hair education website- https://www.lornaevanseducation.com.au/
Getting creative and business minded
I have found the support from other members in the wedding business to be so helpful this year. More than ever, we have needed guidance, advice and a listening ear. For me the Faye Cornhill Wedding Business Club has been just that. I joined this group at the beginning of lockdown and it has provided me with so much insight. I’ve improved how I approach my business and increased my brand awareness. With the help of the club, it encouraged me to create a website for my business. Paying for someone to help me create the website wasn’t an option so it was time for me to get inside the world of web creation.
With the advise from others and using a youtube video by Ferdy Korpershoek.
I created my website www.haircreationsbycolette.com, using www.siteground.com and www.wordpress.org
Networking
It was important to me to create connections with other like-minded wedding professionals.
My first opportunity to expand my brand and create connections was when I was contacted to attend and have a stall at Heskin Hall wedding fayre. This was one of the first wedding fayres post lockdown and also my first wedding fayre.
I had the fortunate opportunity to be part of a stunning bridal styled shoot in Manchester. All the suppliers involved were local. The shoots took place at Whitworth Locke Hotel and the surrounding outside areas. The theme was Beverly Hills meets industrial Manchester. The whole day ran smoothly. The interior and exterior of the building was beautiful. The efforts from all the suppliers were incredible and it showed off in the excellent pictures that both photographers took. [insert photographers]
A major high point to this shoot was that it was then featured in the Brides Up North Blog. My first published feature 😊
To read all about the photo shoot in Brides Up North blog please had over to this link https://bridesupnorth.com/2020/12/17/a-cali-inspired-city-wedding-shoot-in-manchester/
2021 attitude
As 2020 has come to a close it is time to collect my thoughts and look to the New Year. Most of us right now would just wish for a better year than 2020. With that in mind, I will still be creating my goal list and look forward to ticking it off.
My 2021 goal list:
- Keep building connections with other businesses in the wedding industry
- Take part in more photo shoots
- Be featured in another bridal article
- Learn a new style and technique every month
- Create interesting blog posts every month
- Introduce the new business project I’m working on to the public and showcase it in a photo shoot.
- Take part in another wedding fayre
- Increase my wedding bookings
- Create more hair tutorials
- Workout 3/4 times a week
- Read for at least 20 minutes before bed
- Continue walking outdoors
- See family and friends as often as possible
What’s on your list?
Would love to hear about your goal list. Please leave in the comments below if you are happy to share.
Happy New Year everyone!!