Hair Life

By Nathan Plumridge

Welcome to the Hair Life Podcast with me Nathan Plumridge.

28 years ago I was a confused teenager who had no real idea of what I wanted to do as a career and no real passion for anyt... more

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FAQs about Hair Life:

How many episodes does Hair Life have?

The podcast currently has 70 episodes available.

Hair Life episodes:

March 06, 2022Interview With Béatrice Dautzenberg
In this episode Nathan talks to Béatrice Dautzenberg, Managing Director of L’Oréal Professional Products Division for the UK and Ireland, to celebrate International Women’s Day and share some tips and guidance on how to succeed both at work and at home.

KEY TAKEAWAYS
There is never a perfect balance between family life and work, I get asked this a lot by younger women. When I was a young mother and leader, I tried to do everything perfectly but that created tension. When I realised I could only do the best I could at home and at work things changed for the better. It’s all about your team, I believe in the power of the ‘dream team’ both with work when I need to do family things and the support from my husband when I need to do work events.
I try to step back, pause and breathe when things get challenging. I also believe in the power of collective intelligence. The more diverse your team is – in personality, ethnicity, gender – the more you have different points of view on each complex topic. I like to build scenarios of how to deal with these complex topics and run through them with the team, evaluate the pros and cons and then I can be confident we take the best option.
L’Oreal has a good ratio of women in management positions, 54% in the UK and Ireland, and does a lot to support women from the moment they start their career with training, to maternity leave where you get extra months to look after the baby. I was not even aware of a glass ceiling until I heard about it in training! You don’t have to behave, dress and wear your hair like a man to succeed, you can be yourself here.
The world would be a better place if more women were CEOs, high up in government, and even the arts. Companies that have more women (and more diversity in general) on their board and leadership teams achieve better performance. We need to show girls that they have strength and can be strong from a young age, the same as we tell boys. We need to have good role models, mentors and sponsoring in place to help with support and networking.

BEST MOMENTS
‘It’s very important to support and help your partner as much as they support you.’
‘When I have a good night’s sleep or get a swim in the morning I feel much better to take on challenges throughout the day and on the contrary, when I’m not able to look after myself it’s harder.’
‘Asking for help is very important.’
‘One thing you should do to help women is to become a mentor to them, it can’t start early enough; at school, for example.’

ABOUT THE GUEST
Béatrice has studied Business and Marketing in France and Spain before joining L’Oréal 14 years ago. She has worked in France, United Kingdom, Australia, Belgium and Canada across Sales, Operational Marketing, Co-Development with the Labs, International Strategy, Business Development & General Management. She is passionate about the endless opportunities offered by Techs, Digital, CRM (data-to-personalisation) and Artificial Intelligence to transform the way we collaborate, work and live. Béatrice believes in the power of Collective Intelligence & Leadership and explores with her team new ways of working & innovative tools to leverage it.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/b%C3%A9atrice-dautzenberg-4a9a241

ABOUT THE HOST
Welcome and thank you for reading this, I’m Nathan Plumridge salon owner and Hair Stylist. I’ve been in the industry for nearly 30 years and have been a salon owner for 23 of them. I have been fortunate enough to work and learn with some of the biggest names in the industry and this has given me the experience and drive to now be here with you sharing my experiences.

CONTACT DETAILS
www.hairlifeshow.com
Instagram is @nathan.hairlife
Email me at [email protected]
This show was brought to you by Progressive Media
...more
41min
February 20, 2022A Healthier You and Your Team
In this episode Nathan talks about what else the Hair Life podcast is about: Living your best life. One of the biggest topics of discussion he’s noticed recently is keeping healthy as you age, so here he suggests some things you need to be aware of and some solutions for you to keep fit and feel good.

KEY TAKEAWAYS
Every salon worker and owner has probably worked a day in the salon where they feel beaten up by standing all day and moving in awkward positions. This is something I think about when I look around my salon and see people with hunched shoulders or arched backs – it really frustrates me. How can we correct that? Many not in the hair and beauty industry, like office workers suffer with these things daily.
I believe in getting the best help from the right -people, PTs, sports rehab trainers. This is your career, if you can have marginal gain each and every day that makes you feel better, it’s worth it. But, I know it costs. If you can’t afford to spend this much money on yourself there are a range of simple exercises you can do that will start helping you.
The essential ingredient to this is strength training which can be done in a number of different ways: tension bands, using your own body weight, then free weights and dumb bells will build muscle. It will make you feel 100% better. Looking and feeling good is what we should be and ageing well is what I want each and every one of you to do.
Go and stand in the mirror and look at yourself standing naturally in your underwear. Is there anything that doesn’t look quite right? Pictures don’t lie. This enabled me to look at what I needed to work on. Also, look at your shoes, where are they worn?

BEST MOMENTS
‘I’ve suffered with my shoulders being out of alignment and my pectoral muscles being shorter on my left side. That’s from holding a hairdryer like I do for 30 years.’
‘Through exercise and really good quality training, it’s freed up, my structure has changed, my shape is better. It’s about having a lion chest – shoulders back, tits out!’
‘Posture is really important for a hairdresser.’
‘If you don’t use energy, wasted energy turns into fat.’

ABOUT THE HOST
Welcome and thank you for reading this, I’m Nathan Plumridge salon owner and Hair Stylist. I’ve been in the industry for nearly 30 years and have been a salon owner for 23 of them. I have been fortunate enough to work and learn with some of the biggest names in the industry and this has given me the experience and drive to now be here with you sharing my experiences.

CONTACT DETAILS
www.hairlifeshow.com
Instagram is @nathan.hairlife
Email me at [email protected]
This show was brought to you by Progressive Media
...more
12min
February 13, 2022One Year No Beer – Hair Life with Nathan Plumridge
In this episode Nathan is joined by Ruari Fairbairns, co-founder of the One Year No Beer programme and author of the 28 Day Challenge to talk about the company he’s set up, the advantages of choosing not to drink and much more.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
I was a party boy when I became an oil broker, I was always the first to call for shots, the last man standing at the end of the night and usually naked. It was my way of dealing what was going on in my head; work like an addict during the week and party hard like there was no tomorrow at the weekend. But at work, the weekdays became the weekend when looking after customers. This caused issues and friction with my wife. I didn’t identify with people who couldn’t stop and didn’t need AA, in the back of my mind I knew the alcohol was holding me back, so I decided to take a break from booze (to which my boss said I was committing commercial suicide). I took the break, and everything got better, especially after the first month.
Many people don’t talk about their feelings or problems or even the darkness that they have. Early on we created a space of vulnerability where you could share and be completely honest where there’s no judgement.
The reason why you have a relationship with alcohol is because of society, watching everyone celebrate, commiserate and congratulate with booze at every occasion. All those neural pathways have been built up over time. In your 20s you’re right in amongst it but in your 30s and 40s it’s more about relaxing, unwinding and switching off. Trying to change your relationship with alcohol on your own with shame and blame is incredibly hard. If you do it with a community of supportive people who are inspiring you it’s a much more pleasing environment to be around.
This journey of setting up a business and trying to have a really big impact on the world is a huge challenge and that whenever you have to take steps back, or there are difficulties, they are incredible learning moments. The key thing is to have the mindset of “what am I learning in this?”

BEST MOMENTS
‘Whenever there’s pain it’s usually a sign to focus on something and change.’
‘It’s made me a better dad, a better husband, better at work’
‘It’s like a toxic relationship, everyone outside you can see what’s going on but you can’t.’
‘Most people have an epiphany between 40 and 60 days, which is why we push for people to go beyond 28 days. Doing a year without alcohol is one of the most incredible things you can do.’
ABOUT THE GUEST
Ruari grew up on the Isle of Mull in Scotland, where he set up his first business selling and servicing PCs on the Island at 16. He followed a career in sales and at the age of 25 he found himself in London as a commodities broker. He quickly established himself as a success and 10 years on he set up and manages one of the leading Jet Fuel desks.
After a few failed attempts, Ruari quit drinking and it fundamentally changed his life. Together with his colleague Andy Ramage, they decided to create something to change the peer pressure around giving up drinking. They founded a community of people that, for a variety of reasons, no longer have the patience to waste time dealing with the adverse effects of drinking alcohol. One Year No Beer was launched in 2016 and was more successful than they could have imagined.
Website: https://www.oneyearnobeer.com/
Social Media: @OYNB
ABOUT THE HOST
Welcome and thank you for reading this, I’m Nathan Plumridge salon owner and Hair Stylist. I’ve been in the industry for nearly 30 years and have been a salon owner for 23 of them. I have been fortunate enough to work and learn with some of the biggest names in the industry and this has given me the experience and drive to now be here with you sharing my experiences.
CONTACT DETAILS
www.hairlifeshow.com
Instagram is @nathan.hairlife
Email me at [email protected]

This show was brought to you by Progressive Media
...more
40min
February 06, 2022Marginal Gains Within The Salon
In this episode Nathan Plumridge follows on from last week’s podcast about costs and how they’re killing the salon industry. This week he focuses on marginal gains: What are they? These are something that top sports teams and individuals use every day in order to make them grow and make them the best that they can be. Just making a small tweak and increasing your potential by 1% can make a huge impact over time. There’s a great opportunity to use this in the hair industry and Nathan explains how.

KEY TAKEAWAYS
If you think about your bank account; if it grew 1% interest more each year and your compounded that interest over 10 years there would be a lit more money in your bank account. That’s just simple maths, that’s what good investment is, it’s all about investing the interest and compounding that down over a period of time.
Instead of setting really crazy goals that aren’t achievable, what about if you focus on 1% growth every week? Value it, look at what’s happened to the business in three months. Suddenly 1% a week will make a 12% increase in three months. That’s huge. Imagine that over 5 years, what’s the potential?
The first port of call for me is the client journey from start to finish. Stand at the front door of your business and think about what you could change. Is it tatty, could you change the imagery to make it more eye-catching to guests walking past or in. How does is feel when you walk through the door, could this be tweaked? First port of call is the front desk: See, Smile, Say Hello – the three S’s. How do your front of house team/stylists/assistance look? Are they professional-looking? What language and key words do they use? Do you make a good cup of coffee, can you tailor your drinks menu? Can you change the level of consultation? Could you get more from that client? Would they rebook more often? Would they buy more product?
I beg you to buy a book called ‘Profit First’. It’s so hard to make a profit now. So, start taking 1-3% of your profits every week and put it away into a separate bank account and let it disappear from your mind’s eye. That will grow and at the end of the year you may get some cash to show over your accounting profit by the end of the year.

BEST MOMENTS
‘A smile is a pretty big marginal gain, if you smile all day every single day, it could change your life for the better and give you an even better life. People would think you were always happy.’
‘This can be applied to every part of your life. Living cleaner, drinking more water, sleeping better. The difference you feel each morning is better.’
‘I think this is 100% doable, and every day this is being done by some of the biggest and best individuals in sports and business.’
‘If we all start doing this now, you’ll be killing the costs, it’s not going to be an issue and maybe your business will grow this year.’

ABOUT THE HOST
Welcome and thank you for reading this, I’m Nathan Plumridge salon owner and Hair Stylist. I’ve been in the industry for nearly 30 years and have been a salon owner for 23 of them. I have been fortunate enough to work and learn with some of the biggest names in the industry and this has given me the experience and drive to now be here with you sharing my experiences.

CONTACT DETAILS
www.hairlifeshow.com
Instagram is @nathan.hairlife
Email me at [email protected]
This show was brought to you by Progressive Media
...more
16min
January 30, 2022Are Costs Killing You And What Can I Do About It?
In this episode Nathan Plumridge talks about the self-care industry, is it being killed by the costs that we’re now getting and, if so, what strategies and things can we put in place to survive 2022 and kill it in 2023?

KEY TAKEAWAYS
It’s been a very hard few years. In 2019, the hairdressing, fitness and beauty industry was growing at its fastest rate for years, we were all crushing it with cash in the bank and making refurbishments and taking on staff. Then the pandemic happened. Two years later we’re all still feeling the effects with isolations, client frequency, debt, high rent, rates, product costs, delivery problems, staff leaving the industry, the list goes on. But, is this an opportunity?
If you have fewer salons and hairdressers leaving the industry, technically you’ve got less competition, but you’ve still got the same number of guests floating around looking for a salon. You can seize that opportunity. Also, the stylists that are looking for a new home to house their guests. You salon or fitness centre could be the new perfect place for them.
Now is the time to look at your salon or business and get focussed. Because where you focus goes your energy flows. When you focus on something you will only start seeing those things, if you focus on your business and you’re business savvy, your business will get better. Start with your costs (landlords need you and so do your suppliers – negotiate), then your team (listen to them), your guests (listen to them), your salon (make it look fresh), your socials and website (does it show people how you are and what your business does? Keep it fresh) and your education (your team need to be fully educated and engaged to deliver the highest quality hairdressing each and every day).
You need to have a profit margin that allows you to thrive. If you don’t have a good profit margin you have to act on this now because 2022 is going to be an expensive year. I’m feeling it right now. For a long time we’ve under-valued our industry. We’ve never really charged enough and now we’re realising we’re amazing and add so much value to people’s lives which we found out during the pandemic. The value of hairdressing has gone up and it’s good to see that salon owners are putting their prices up to reflect this

BEST MOMENTS
‘Over 8000 hair, barbering and beauty businesses have ceased trading in the UK alone since 2019. Nearly a quarter of the industry!’
‘The forecasts for 2023 for the healthcare market shows potential for huge growth. This could be another 2019 and better.’
‘Maybe this is an opportunity to change the way the industry employs?’
‘Being an entrepreneur is bloody hard, but challenges encourage the best part of you to come out and do better. This is your opportunity to move and to grow.’

ABOUT THE HOST
Welcome and thank you for reading this, I’m Nathan Plumridge salon owner and Hair Stylist. I’ve been in the industry for nearly 30 years and have been a salon owner for 23 of them. I have been fortunate enough to work and learn with some of the biggest names in the industry and this has given me the experience and drive to now be here with you sharing my experiences.

CONTACT DETAILS
www.hairlifeshow.com
Instagram is @nathan.hairlife
Email me at [email protected]
This show was brought to you by Progressive Media
...more
26min
January 23, 2022Interview With Hayley Jepson
In this episode Nathan Plumridge is joined by Hayley Jepson, a mental health coach for hairdressers, who works with individual hairdressers and salon owners. Previously she was a hairdresser who suffered from depression and, after her own therapy, became a therapist herself, which puts her in the perfect space to talk hairdressers through their mental health problems. In this episode the tow talk about noticing the signs of burnout and how you can combat it.

KEY TAKEAWAYS
As a coach, you’re best to coach around what you know well, however, the difference between business coaching and what I do is it’s morally wrong to profess to talk about mental health with no real training. You could coach someone to run a successful salon, but it’s worrying to see people call themselves mental health workers and not really know enough.
I believe that looking after people’s mental health in all areas will help you salon. If your staff are happy, resourced and well-functioning, they’re better hairdressers, their chat and banter is better, they won’t moan and get into mutual moaning.
Mental health is how you feel about yourself and a little bit about how you think about the world. When I’m having a bad day, I tend to think the world is against me, my luck is terrible, a pessimistic outlook. When your mental health isn’t going great, you’re not thriving as a human being.
As a salon owner, you’re being looked at by your staff the same way a parent is by their children. They’re looking to see if you walk the walk and talk the talk. I talk to salon owners about really defining their culture, come up with golden rules, but in a fun way. When tough times happen you’ve got to show up. Though a lot of salon owners are really switched on around mental health, but there’s a real fine line between “it’s OK not to be OK” and still having a job to do, you can look after your staff as a boss, but you’re not their parent. The over-givers are the ones who struggle with this and get burned out.

BEST MOMENTS
‘The pandemic gave everyone some sort of mental health awareness.’
‘How you feel – you’re going to bring that to work.’
‘The opposite of depression is not happiness, it’s hopefulness. When I think about life and I’m hopeful for the future, I know I’m doing well.’
‘Joylessness and resentfulness are the big red flags for me for burnout. They signify that your boundaries are being pushed, or you have too much resting on you.’

ABOUT THE GUEST
Hayley Jepson started hairdressing at 17 at a salon while attending college one day a week. She quickly decided to be a colour technician and worked hard as an apprentice for two years… then Toni & Guy came to town.
Hayley jumped ship and worked her way up to Art Director. She worked for T&G for 10 years at branches in Manchester, Brighton and Belgium and taught in their training academies and on stage for them and even taught NVQ in their training schools.
For the next nine years she worked at an independent salon in Manchester’s Northern Quarter, working hard and playing hard, which eventually led to burnout.
She found it hard to manage the day to day pressures of busy salon life on top of her depression, so she went to therapy which she says changed her life.
After two years of therapy she became interested in it beyond what it was doing for her, which coincided with her getting disillusioned with the culture of hairdressing, so she decided to train to become a psychotherapist.
After qualifying four years later, Hayley quit hairdressing and began working as a psychotherapist full time, specialising in teenagers. But after three years started noticing that the solitary nature of the job was starting to affect her mental health, so she went back to work as a hairdresser one day a week in a salon. She eventually went back into working in the salon full time.
Her aim is to arm hairdressers with the tools they need to avoid the stress, anxiety and burnout that she suffered with and making sure salons make resilience training as important as keeping up with new techniques.
Website: https://www.theresilienthairdresser.co.uk/
Instagram: @the.resilient.hairdresser

ABOUT THE HOST
Welcome and thank you for reading this, I’m Nathan Plumridge salon owner and Hair Stylist. I’ve been in the industry for nearly 30 years and have been a salon owner for 23 of them. I have been fortunate enough to work and learn with some of the biggest names in the industry and this has given me the experience and drive to now be here with you sharing my experiences.

CONTACT DETAILS
www.hairlifeshow.com
Instagram is @nathan.hairlife
Email me at [email protected]
This show was brought to you by Progressive Media
...more
39min
January 16, 202218 Ways To Have A Better 2022
In this episode Nathan Plumridge present his 18 ways he thinks we can potentially make 2022 an even better year than the last couple.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Do all the things that you said you were going to do in 2021: travel, exercise more, drink less and get better at my finances.
Look at your circle of influence. If they’re negative, or battery drainers, and they don’t align with your core values then cut them out of your life and be around the people that charge you.
Check your self-talk. The conversation you have with yourself today has the biggest impact on who you become tomorrow.
Stop procrastinating, researching and thinking about getting started, just get started doing the damn thing!
If you want more money and financial security, then start delivering more value and results with the products and services that you offer.
Stop being needy, seeking validation and approval from everyone. Seeking validation is like drinking salt water when you’re thirsty, it always leaves you thirsty and wanting more. Approve of yourself. Self-love is where you should always start. Believe in you.
Stop being a lazy shit! I see so many people who I know can achieve a lot more.
Lean into adversity. Create opportunities where you can suffer, challenge yourself and get uncomfortable. Everyone has everything at their fingertips these days and it’s not good for us. We need to get out and increase out adrenaline, scare ourselves and pursue things that scare us.
Take all the time and money that you spend on socials to make it look like you’re living your best life and invest it on personal growth or into your business because that’s where you’re going to get your best return on your investment.
Wake up when all your friends and peers are asleep, and work on you and the next income stream you’re going to create.
Build a morning that positions you to win the day. If you win the day, you’re going to win the week.
Eat clean. No processed foods. Train hard when you do. Stay leaner and be aggressive when you need to be.
Be kind and polite. Serve others, open doors, shake hands, make eye contact and just smile more.
Write down your goals and be really specific. Read them daily and act on them with absolute urgency. Put them on your phone screen so you can be constantly reminded of them, and you’ll be constantly accountable.
Trim the fat out of your life. It’s not what you add, it’s what you remove that matters most.
Leadership is often the problem, but leadership is often the solution. 6s and 7s can’t lead 8s and 9s, so step up as a boss and start levelling up.
Chose purpose over pleasure, choose duty over desire and chose hard over easy.
You are the CEO of your life, everything is your fault, everything is your decision. Don’t moan and blame others, take responsibility and own it. It’s your life, live it and love it, no matter what’s thrown at you.

ABOUT THE HOST
Welcome and thank you for reading this, I’m Nathan Plumridge salon owner and Hair Stylist. I’ve been in the industry for nearly 30 years and have been a salon owner for 23 of them. I have been fortunate enough to work and learn with some of the biggest names in the industry and this has given me the experience and drive to now be here with you sharing my experiences.
CONTACT DETAILS
www.hairlifeshow.com
Instagram is @nathan.hairlife
Email me at [email protected]
This show was brought to you by Progressive Media
...more
21min
January 09, 2022Interview With Rob Moore
In this episode Nathan Plumridge speaks to Rob Moore, author, double world record holder, multi-millionaire, the UK’s biggest business podcaster, an educator, creator, mentor to millionaires all over the world. The pair talk about entrepreneurship and running successful businesses and where Rob’s boundless energy comes from.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
If you want to be an entrepreneur and be productive for 10 hours a day and you want to change the world and you need the energy for that, drinking more than one alcoholic drink a night will kill your productivity the next day.
Entrepreneurship isn’t something that’s taught in schools, they teach you to memorise rather than be creative, agile and problem focused. So, I wrote my own education system in my books and would love to launch a library, school or foundation for young people to learn entrepreneurship skills.
Business was hard through the lockdown, our revenue is down from 2019, our profit’s pretty good, but we had to really hustle. I only launched one book rather than two. I always think I’ve got more work to do, I always want to do more.
I listen to podcasts all the time about money, I read autobiographies of successful people, I’m mentored by James Caan from Dragons Den, John Demartini and other billionaires in real estate, I follow inspirational people on social media. But I’ve found my own uniqueness recently, so I’m not copying anyone and can help others now like they helped me.

BEST MOMENTS
‘The greatest lifeforce energy comes from doing what you love and loving what you do.’
‘Sales, marketing and how to use money should be taught in schools.’
‘I try to create content every day. I want to help a lot of people start and scale their businesses, being a content creator is one of the most fun jobs to do and it’s a great way to grow my following, create multiple income streams, create collaborations/interviews/partnerships.’
‘It feels good to have a positive impact on lots of people. But life is the best teacher.’
ABOUT THE GUEST
Rob Moore is The Disruptive EntrepreneurTM. Investor. Multiple business owner. Author of 17 best-selling business books, including ‘Money’ & ‘Life leverage’. Prolific podcaster & content creator. 2x public speaking world record holder. Founder of the Rob Moore foundation.
At the age of 25, Rob was £50k in consumer debt; less than five years later, a self-made multi-millionaire. He co-founded the Progressive Group – starting with Progressive Property, then Progressive Successes and the Entrepreneurs Business academy (EBA). Rob’s training companies are one of the largest in the UK, & now globally.
He continues to disrupt as an entrepreneur and businessman, with interests ranging from property development to public speaking and digital media. He is a writer, communicator, social media influencer and philanthropist. His 8 books have been translated into more than a dozen languages and received over 9,000 reviews, and 200 1 stars!
Having given 1,500+ speeches in the last decade Rob is a sought-after keynote speaker. Known for his ‘Rob’s Rants’ and direct, tactical content, using his real-life business experience. Rob is a mentor to many millionaires and celebrities and has helped 10,000s of start and scale up entrepreneurs.
Rob has interviewed 15 billionaires and over 150 of the most successful people on the planet in multiple disciplines. Rob is RISE board member on the Princes Trust & did the highest recorded single raise.
Website: https://robmoore.com/
Socials: @robmooreprogressive
ABOUT THE HOST
Welcome and thank you for reading this, I’m Nathan Plumridge salon owner and Hair Stylist. I’ve been in the industry for nearly 30 years and have been a salon owner for 23 of them. I have been fortunate enough to work and learn with some of the biggest names in the industry and this has given me the experience and drive to now be here with you sharing my experiences.
CONTACT DETAILS
www.hairlifeshow.com
Instagram is @nathan.hairlife
Email me at [email protected]
This show was brought to you by Progressive Media
...more
31min
January 02, 2022Interview with Ian Bishop
In this episode Nathan Plumridge speaks to Ian Bishop, co-owner of the very ethical hair colour brand Organic Colour Systems. They discuss the brand in great detail and the shift in the hair industry for a cleaner and more environmentally friendly way of doing what it’s done for years.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
The colour took two full years of development. The branding and the products we use as part of our system is really a well-being thing. It’s not just the non-ammonia colour with the certified organic ingredients and the natural base, we look after the integrity of the hair. We look at a holistic approach.
The stock order boxes are FSC, the plastic inside is post-consumer recycled plastic, the chips literally are corn starch and wash down the drain with water, we changed our packaging tape, saving 90 miles of tape a year going to landfill. Over the years these changes have become very important. Anything we can do to recycle and reuse waste has got to be a positive.
Salons often struggle to engage their clients on social media, but if someone’s got an understanding and interest in sustainability you tend to get more communication, which is a good thing for customer loyalty.
If you want a long career you want to be reducing your exposure to things that are in aerosols, and gasses and chemicals that come from colours. You don’t want to be breathing in that stuff as much as you can help it or coming into contact with colour pigments. But, if you’re a stylist, applying products onto a client, you want to know you’re doing something that’s as safe as possible.

BEST MOMENTS
‘It doesn’t feel like a global brand, it’s very much still got the feel of a family business with a fairly small team of around 60.’
‘Not all synthetics are bad and not all naturals are good. Deadly nightshade is a perfect example!’
‘I’m always being told I should be more in people’s faces on social media, I have definitely seen a more collaborative side of the industry in the last two years.’
‘In the last two years I’ve learnt that we’re very resilient as a race, and as hairdressers. Having your hair done is a very important thing, especially female hair.’
ABOUT THE GUEST
Ian Bishop started out in the hair industry around 25 years ago as a sales rep for Fudge for three years. Through that he met and began working for Rob Dixon, who had his own distribution business run out of his garage in Milton Keynes, selling bottle of Organic Colour Systems. Eventually Ian and his wife bought the company from Rob when he retired four years later and spent 10 years growing the business. In 2014 Ian was asked to join the board of partner firm and manufacturer, Herb UK. He now deals with the salons, sales teams and educators that promote the brand in the UK, North America and Australasia.
Websites: https://www.organiccoloursystems.com/
https://www.herbuk.com/
Email: [email protected]
Socials: @organiccoloursystemsglobal
ABOUT THE HOST
Welcome and thank you for reading this, I’m Nathan Plumridge salon owner and Hair Stylist. I’ve been in the industry for nearly 30 years and have been a salon owner for 23 of them. I have been fortunate enough to work and learn with some of the biggest names in the industry and this has given me the experience and drive to now be here with you sharing my experiences.
CONTACT DETAILS
www.hairlifeshow.com
Instagram is @nathan.hairlife
Email me at [email protected]
This show was brought to you by Progressive Media
...more
46min
December 26, 2021Interview with Edward Hemmings
In this episode Nathan Plumridge talks to Edward Hemmings, owner and salon director of the Alan d Education Group. With over 30 years of hair and education experience, Edward and his team provide outstanding hair and barbering education from their two sites in London and Ipswich. The pair talk about education in the hair industry and a number of other key subjects.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Young hairdressers need to get clients in their 60s and 70s, they’re brilliant clients. They come in every four weeks needing a colour and a perm done, it’s fantastic!
If you’re going to be a multi-salon group these days you need to be a Headmasters, Rush, Toni & Guy where it’s all about systems in place and software and perhaps software allows you to be a bit better. My earliest memories was rushing staff from one shop to another when what you want to do is focus on the salon that’s good and keep the staff there. So, we dropped the number of London salons.
Education is different, you’ve got 30 seconds to make an impression with a client. I’ve got a day, week, month, six months or year. If a student has a difficult Monday, we make Tuesday better. If you give them a great Friday, they forget what went on the rest of the week!
The age of apprentices is, in some cases going up because people don’t always make the correct career decision at 16. Plus, older apprentices tend to learn quicker without some of the issues a younger person will have.

BEST MOMENTS
‘We’ve now got to manage our student’s expectations differently now we’re back face-to-face. We now have to slow people down.’
‘Thanks to Covid, everyone’s become an educator and the way in which we deliver education has changed to be much more engaging and empathetic.’
‘Being a great hairdresser doesn’t make you a good educator.’
‘During lockdown our stock went up hugely, people were prepared to break the rules to get their hair done and hairdressers were prepared to break the rules and go and do it. That’s how important we are, we are futureproof, you have to come to us physically.’
ABOUT THE GUEST
Edward Hemmings started his career in hairdressing (after a brief stint as a banker) in February 1992, training in Dean Street before moving to a salon on Regent Street and worked his way through from stylist to manager. Eventually he moved away from salon life and into education in 2000 while all the time still keeping his hand in doing hairdressing.
Currently, Edward is Creative Director and Director of Education at Alan d. He also heads up the Business Education Programme at the Fellowship for British Hairdressing.
Alan d Education Group website: https://www.aland.co.uk/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alandhairdressingeducation/
Instagram and Tik Tok: @alandhair
Edward’s social handle: @edwardhemmingspresenter
ABOUT THE HOST
Welcome and thank you for reading this, I’m Nathan Plumridge salon owner and Hair Stylist. I’ve been in the industry for nearly 30 years and have been a salon owner for 23 of them. I have been fortunate enough to work and learn with some of the biggest names in the industry and this has given me the experience and drive to now be here with you sharing my experiences.
CONTACT DETAILS
www.hairlifeshow.com
Instagram is @nathan.hairlife
Email me at [email protected]
This show was brought to you by Progressive Media
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39min

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