Where It All Started

I was very fortunate at the age of 15 to secure a work experience placement in a salon. To be completely honest, though, this wasn’t my first choice.

If you’d asked me as a child what I wanted to be when I grew up, the answer would have been simple: “A vet.” I loved animals. That was the plan.

During our final year at school, we were required to complete two weeks of work experience to gain a feel for working life. I requested a placement involving animals as my first preference. Sadly, it didn’t work out, and I had to choose something else. The problem was, I’d never really considered any other career.

My teacher suggested I think about what I enjoyed doing. Almost instantly, I thought, “Well, I do love putting my hair up and styling my sister’s hair.” And just like that, I was placed in a local hairdressing salon.

From the very first day, I loved it.

The team were welcoming and generous with their time. I assisted the stylists, observed their craft, helped care for clients, and absorbed everything I could. When the two weeks came to an end, the salon owner told me she was pleased with my work and offered me a small part-time job.

I said yes immediately.

I worked three hours on a Friday after school and four hours on a Saturday morning. I learned how to wash hair, mastered the art of sweeping (there’s a lot of sweeping in salons!), and of course became well practised in tea-making. But more than that, I watched. I listened. I helped whenever I could.

Somewhere in that time, I realised — this is where I’m happy.

After completing my GCSEs, I decided to go to college to train properly.

From 1997 to 1999, I studied Hair and Beauty, wig making, art and theatrical make-up, while continuing my salon job to support my learning. I even began building a small client base of very patient people who kindly allowed me to develop my skills.

By the end of my two-year course, exams passed, I was raring to go.

Time for a Change

Unfortunately, when I qualified, the salon I worked in couldn’t offer me a stylist position — they were fully staffed. My boss was honest and kind; she didn’t want to hold me back and suggested I look for somewhere that could help me grow.

I didn’t find that “somewhere” straight away.

For nearly a year, I worked full-time in a factory — a job I’d been doing evenings during college. It gave me stability and allowed me to support myself while searching for the right salon opportunity.

Eventually, I found a junior stylist role in a training salon. They wanted me to complete my NVQ Level 3 qualification while working there. I was excited to be back in a salon, refining my skills again.

But after about a year, something didn’t feel right.

Something Didn’t Feel Right

I started to feel stagnant. Underfulfilled. I wasn’t sure whether it was just a phase or whether something deeper was off, but I was losing my enthusiasm — and that frightened me.

After many conversations with my family, we wondered whether I should try something completely different. I was only 20. The world felt wide open.

A family member worked at Gatwick Airport and mentioned there were job opportunities there. It sounded exciting. Customer-focused? Yes. Team-based? Yes. Something new? Definitely.

I applied.

The interview was a group assessment — completely different from anything I’d done before. We worked in teams, presented projects… it was intimidating but thrilling. I didn’t get the job.

Then, a week later, I received a call from a handling agent who had observed that interview. They told me I had stood out and invited me to interview for a Passenger Services Agent role.

This time, I got the job.

New Beginnings

After two weeks of training and being fitted for my uniform, I stepped into a completely new world.

I worked at Gatwick for two years, immersed in the travel and tourism industry. It was fast-paced, exciting, and filled with new people and stories every day.

I was there in 2001 — on that day.

9/11.

I was on a day shift, 8am–8pm. At first, no one quite understood what was happening. But as the morning unfolded, the reality hit hard.

The following day, security levels were raised. Procedures changed instantly. I was positioned beside the American Airlines check-in desks, and the fear in passengers’ faces is something I will never forget. The tears. The uncertainty. The bravery.

We had to remain calm and reassuring, even though internally we felt the same fear.

It remains one of the hardest days of my working life.

Despite that, I loved the airport industry. The energy, the movement, the constant change. I didn’t regret stepping away from hairdressing.

Dreams of Afar

One thing always caught my eye — the cabin crew.

Their tailored uniforms. Their trolley bags gliding through departures. The mystery of where they were heading next.

I began wondering what it would feel like to be in their shoes.

So I wrote to every airline I could think of, enclosing my CV. There were rejections. Some didn’t reply at all. But eventually, a small new airline called me for an informal chat.

It involved an aptitude-style test and conversations with senior team members. It felt relaxed. Different.

A few days later, I was offered the job.

The Adventure Begins

Training lasted six intense weeks. Safety drills, first aid, conflict management, high-end cabin service. Jumping from aircraft slides. Entering smoke-filled cabins. Boarding life rafts in water.

At the end, if we passed, we earned our uniform and our wings.

My first flight was to Innsbruck, Austria. Exciting and nerve-racking in equal measure. A little turbulence — and a lot of nerves — left me feeling unwell, but I leaned on my training and my crew.

That flight became a defining moment. A lesson in composure.

After a year, I was promoted to Senior Cabin Crew, leading the team, briefing before flights, handling paperwork and managing any issues onboard. I loved the responsibility.

Over five years, I travelled to extraordinary places — some glamorous, some challenging, some unexpected. We were a small airline; we were more like family than colleagues.

Then 2008 arrived.

The global financial crisis hit aviation hard. My airline made redundancies. Thankfully, a Scottish-based airline opening a new base at Gatwick offered to take many of us on. We retrained quickly and continued flying — together.

Future Dreams

By 2009, after seven incredible years in the skies, something shifted.

I had met my life partner.

The excitement of travel began to feel different. I no longer wanted to experience beautiful places alone. I wanted stability. Shared memories. Being in the same time zone. Time with family and friends.

I began thinking about the career I had tucked away years before.

Hairdressing.

Back Again

After much thought, I decided to “clip my wings.”

My partner and I lived 45 miles apart, so I searched for salon work in Lewes — a central point for both of us. That’s when I found Shape Hair.

The timing couldn’t have been more perfect. They were looking for part-time help. I explained that I hadn’t practised hairdressing for some time, but my passion was still there.

I brought in my own model for a trial.

I was offered 16 hours a week.

Those early days were transformative. I was given time, encouragement, and training. My confidence rebuilt. Skills resurfaced. New techniques were learned. I was home.

Shape Hair later became Shape Hair and Beauty as I introduced my beauty qualifications to the business, expanding our services. Real friendships formed. I never longed for the skies again.

When the opportunity arose to take over the salon, it felt right.

The takeover happened in April 2020.

Challenging Times

Not the easiest timing.

The salon couldn’t open. Bills still needed paying. There were dark moments where I questioned everything.

But I had incredible support.

I redesigned the website, created new procedures, redecorated and refreshed the space. I built a waiting list and stayed connected with clients. I prepared for the future that felt just out of reach.

On 4th July 2020, we reopened.

It felt like our Independence Day.

It was exciting. It was scary. But it was also a reminder of how important what we do really is. Our clients’ loyalty and warmth carried us forward.

Growth and New Chapters

In 2021, I returned to college — over 20 years after first enrolling — to complete my NVQ Level 4 Advanced Hairdressing qualification.

It was monumental.

The course focused on advanced colouring (my favourite), business management, and creating a professional style collection. For my final project, I managed a full photoshoot — styling, lighting, costumes, make-up.

I asked my partner to be involved.

We had no idea how much we would both enjoy the experience.

That single project opened an entirely new path for us. We now work as TV and film Support Artists — sometimes enjoying a cuppa in a café scene, sometimes blending into a busy crowd. Seeing behind the scenes of productions is surreal, and we often look back at how it all began.

Hair, Air… and Back Again

From sweeping salon floors…
To airport departure gates…
To the skies above Europe and beyond
And back to the salon chair again.

Every chapter shaped me.

And now, I get to share these stories with my clients — between foils, trims, colours and conversations. They are wonderful ice-breakers, beautiful memories, and reminders that life doesn’t always move in a straight line.

Sometimes it loops.

And sometimes, that’s exactly how it’s meant to be and I am exactly where I’m meant to be.

Thank you for taking the time to read my story. Writing it has reminded me just how winding — and wonderful — the journey has been. Every twist, every leap of faith, every return has shaped not only my career, but who I am today.

I truly believe that nothing we learn is ever wasted. Whether in the air or behind the chair, each experience has given me skills, resilience, empathy and perspective — all of which I now bring into the salon every single day.

And I’m so grateful that my journey has led me here.

With love,
Jo

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