This is a true* and accurate** account of my week as a hairstylist/creative director here at Bach Hair. Any recollections are my own and are not necessarily a reflection of any other stylist. Although I suspect there may be a few similarities…….
Sunday
AM:
Ah, sleep in. If you can call being woken up 3 times since 5.30am and finally getting up at 9am a sleepin. No alarm today, the only day of the week. After being unceremoniously ignored by the children, it’s a leisurely cup of tea and breakfast on the deck while I read my book. The weekly guilt trip in the form of my screen usage pops up, reminding me to check the stats on yesterday’s salon post and get distracted by the endless scroll. Getting inspiration of course!
PM:
Afternoon wines in the garden with the other half, while the children play outside. I bounce some ideas about future plans for the salon creative team, which he very kindly tells me are fabulous. I get a little spark of an idea, which I promptly make a note of in my phone. Is there anything more irritating than instantly forgetting a potentially brilliant thought? Other than faintly remembering you thought of something brilliant but can’t recall the details?
Lazy dinner, followed by movie night, in which my other half will 100% fall asleep within the first 10 minutes, leaving me watch a stupid movie on my own. They say everything is an opportunity for inspiration though, and I end up going down a google rabbithole, saving images for a storyboard to my already overloaded camera roll.
Monday
AM:
Swimming, followed by school drop off. It’s the day before hair wash day and I’m pretty sure it can now stay up on it’s own but 3 bobby pins later and the addition of a scarf and I’m looking vaguely presentable. Usually it’s PT with my sister, followed by tea and couch but today i’m off to a meeting about a *hush hush* project (we do love a makeover!), so it’s race out the door leaving the little one at home with her Aunty and Cousin to play. Race back for school pick up and all the boring homework duties.
PM:
Daily post on the socials done. Bulk email responses and a bit of weekly planning and then it’s relaxing time. After all, Monday is hairdresser weekend!
Tuesday
AM:
I love working part time! Long ‘weekend’ every week! Hahaha. Tuesday is hair wash day, so the children are hustled to the shower after the usual kerfuffle with the brush. I also give mine it’s weekly thorough brush, losing an entire bird nest in the process. Wash mine, wash the children’s, ignore the screaming from the 3 year old, pop in some product – system professional luxe oil and blue shaper, shameless plug – blow dry the fringe and hustle everyone to get dressed and ready. School drop off, then it’s actual day off. Shopping, coffee catch ups and bribing the little one with babycinos and promises of tv. Playing games and chatting with said tiny human. Pick Up, homework etc etc.
PM:
I said day off not night off. The salon is open, so Tuesday night is harassing the staff from home night! I email the leaders about various things, message Ashley approximately 1 million times with social media content requests and suggestions and newsletter updates. A group post or two to the team to ask questions and remind them to take and send pictures of their beautiful work for the hungry caterpillar. I mean the social media platforms. Lovely husband makes me a cup of tea and heads to bed early while I stay up late procrastinating. Sorry, I meant writing the newsletter/blog/meeting notes and planning the multitude of projects I’m currently juggling behind the scenes at work. These creative things take time to perfect!
Wednesday
AM:
First salon day of the week! Mum arrives for a quick handover of the tiny humans as I race out the door before she can finish the coffee I’ve left for her. Listen to a podcast in the car to get in the zone, drink my tea and arrive at work ready to go. The usual fully booked day awaits. Race through the morning, trying to catch up with Ashley (my social media partner) in between our clients, touch base with all the staff to catch up with the salon gossip I’ve missed over my days off, and keep on top of my appointment timing.
PM:
Sneak an afternoon cup of tea in between clients. Have a few chats about what everyone else is doing with their clients while we mix up colours – we love to float ideas to each other, and get a fresh perspective. Discuss why I’m selecting a colour with a couple of our emerging stylists. Sharing my knowledge with the newer stylists is a pleasure and it’s exciting to see them start to gain confidence. Try and help with the jobs when I get a moment. These hectic days make it tricky to keep on top of the boring stuff like towels and dishes. Efficiently, we all finish our clients at 8:50pm leaving time to get the salon absolutely spotless for the next day before we close at 9pm. Remember to post on the socials as we walk out the door. Phew. Home to eat a late dinner and watch X-Files to switch off before bed.
Thursday
AM:
Definitely don’t push the snooze button. More than twice anyway. Hustle to it after the children jump into bed and demand breakfast. Check socials to see interactions, assemble hair into some sort of order, get my groovy outfit on. Race out the door with my tea, leaving the school run to the Mother-In-Law, bless her. Once a month’s leadership meeting was last week, so straight to the salon for another fully booked day. Lots of long cuts today which means lots of blow drys. Long hair day = arm day. Give up trying to chat over the dull roar of the dryer and spend the time writing my next blog in my head and mulling over how I might achieve a colour that is inspired by a sunset over the ocean. Oh, and I really must remember to take a picture of this gorgeous hair when I’m done.
PM:
Weekly check in with Tahlia, our salon manager. Field a few interesting suggestions from my client about their hair and ask a few carefully worded questions while I quietly have a mild panic about how this might be humanly possible in the time I have left and with the head of hair I have in front of me. Thankfully my brain is on quick mode today and I organise a plan to get where we want without too much hassle and we book a few more appointments to achieve our goals. Honestly, I should be a diplomat. Leave at 5pm, leaving behind some minor chaos as everyone else pushes through to 9pm. Oh I love an early finish!
Friday
AM:
Friday off! Which means errands, housework, school run and a movie for the tiniest human while I try to catch up on a few bits and pieces. Storyboards, training planning, images for socials, all the jobs that can be interrupted easily. The “Circle of Life” is an excellent song but I might just stick in my headphones.
PM:
I’m working the weekend this week so it’s a quiet night at home. Early night to be well rested for a big Saturday in the salon. Which obviously means I lay awake for hours obsessing over the tiny bit of colour that didn’t perfectly work on that one bit of hair, thinking about why so many people cut their hair off this week and remembering every single thing I forgot to do. Finally make a list in my reminders and give myself a good talking to about the futility of obsessing about things we can’t change so I can actually sleep.
Saturday
AM/PM:
Ah, the joy. Lovely husband is in charge of the children so I only have myself to worry about this morning. Hair is definitely up today – but dirty hair makes for excellent up styles. Right?! Take my tea to work to drink during the weekly Saturday team connect meeting. So nice to take a breath together before a busy day!
The usual Saturday shenanigans follow; a bit of juggling to fit in a colour change and work around that one person who is always late, throw down some food in 5 minutes while a colour is being rinsed and give out some advice to another stylist about a tricky toner in between bites, try to actually drink some water, come up with a new idea – big or small- for every single client, remember to post on the salon socials, give the apprentices a hand dealing with the mountains of towels, colour bowls in the sink and dishes, finally get to wee around 3pm and speed through the last few hours making people look and feel glorious for the weekend. All while smiling graciously of course! 5pm arrives and the collective sigh of relief is exhaled. The cleaning fairies have waived their magic wands to remove all traces of Saturday mess (our apprentices must be magic – it is the only explanation for the rapid transformation I’m sure!) and we all depart.
After the hectic energy of Saturday in the salon, there is only one thing to do. Sit down. Preferably with wine.
Until next time,
Sarah x
*by true I obviously mean from my very clear and totally unbiased perspective.
** by accurate, I definitely mean these events/thoughts actually happened. But quite possibly this is more of an… impression. I mean, who actually has time to write a daily diary with every dull detail? Besides, what’s the fun in being the author of a blog if you can’t take a teensy bit of creative license? Right?
