I studied Hairdressing at Swindon College for 3 years, back when my ‘becoming a hairdresser’ adventure first began. During this time, I learned all the basics of hairdressing including tinting, cutting, perming, put ups and so much more.
My name is Jamie Hewington-Booth, some of you might remember me from Leos Salon, but we will come back to that later on in this story.
Throughout my initial training, I was ‘top of my class’ and my strength lied in put-ups/up-dos. Mostly, I enjoyed competing against my peers, always coming in the top 3 of the ranking for competitions related to put-ups.
I very much enjoyed my time at Swindon College all those years ago, however, there is so much more to the craft of hairdressing that just the styling and cutting of the hair.
A salon is a business, and running a business involves so much more that can only be taught on the ground, getting hands on experience in a salon environment.
Abiding to cleanliness and hygiene guidelines is extremely important, as well as ensuring stock is replenished and all products that clients will require are available at all times.
It was at this point that I learned that to be an successful hairdresser, I would also have to be an efficient cleaner, receptionist, accountant and I’m sure you will all agree with me – at times, even a therapist or a shoulder to cry on! There was definitely a lot for me to learn, and I was more than ready to take on this challenge.
Read more here:
Chapter 2 of my story takes us to my advanced training at Leos Swindon Salon in Colview, Swindon.
I spent 3 years training at Leos and these are years that I will cherish the most.
My old manager at Leos, Jackie Rye and late co-worker, Tony Martin, saw from very early only how much I dreamed of being the very best hairdresser that I could be and how willing I was to put in all of the hours, blood, sweat and tears required to achieve this.
Everything I know to date is thanks to the both of them and I will be forever thankful to Jackie for always pushing and challenging me to reach the next level in my hairdressing career.
She taught me that in hairdressing, you NEVER stop learning; times change, styles change and we have to keep adapting to meet trends and demand in order to survive as a business in and everchanging beauty industry.
At Leos, Jackie and I never decided on a particular date for me to ‘go on the floor’ as a stylist (start working on clients of my own) however, one very scary, busy Saturday some years back gave us no choice but to throw me in at the deep end, and get me out on the floor for the very first time.
It was a whirlwind of a day and before I knew it, I had a full column of real life clients staring back at me! I completed the day, all clients were delighted with their choice of cutting/styling and I remember feeling so proud of myself for completing my very first day on my own.
The first day of my career as a solo hair stylist at Leos had finally arrived, and I spent the next 5 ½ years working alongside my Leos Family, creating the best experience and delivering a huge range of hair styles, colours and cuts for our beautiful clients.
2020 hit us like a truck. The Covid-19 Pandemic that swept through the world brought an end to an era and the salon succumbed to the pressures caused by the virus. Our Leos Family was no more. 30 years of Leos came to a sad end and this, in my mind, only meant one thing – I would have to continue my story alone.
My solo stylist adventure was supposed to begin in June 2020 however, due to covid-19 and current Government social distancing measures, this will likely not be the case. Do not fret, I am very much ready to get the ball rolling as soon as it is safe to do so and restrictions are lifted.
Words cannot describe how much I miss all of my lovely clients, I cannot wait to get back ‘on the floor’ and see you all once again. In the meantime, I have not wasted a single hour of lockdown.
Between home schooling and house-keeping, I have been enhancing my skills and knowledge by continuing to train to bring more services to you once I am able to.
I am currently completing my Diploma Certificate in the Nano Ring Extensions method with Rapunzel Hair Academy, who have allowed me to do this as a distance course so I can fulfil my training and take my examinations from home, where it is safe to do so.
Luckily for me, one of my house mates has nano ring hair extensions installed and I have been able to carry out real life practice on her hair during lockdown, as she also needed an 8 weeks maintenance appointment that her usual salon could not provide due to Government restrictions.
I am super excited to bring this new service to you all in Swindon, alongside all of my other services and once lockdown is lifted, I will be fully qualified and insured in nano rings hair extensions installation but I will need some models, willing to have their photo taken for my nano rings hair extensions portfolio**.
This concludes my story so far and I cannot wait to add more chapters to it in the coming months. I hope to see all my clients very soon and to any new clients, I cannot wait to meet you and hear your life story, now you have read mine!
Here we are, a brand-new year and a brand-new chapter for The Hair Booth!
I will be returning to work in March 2022 after having my beautiful daughter, Phoebe. Running The Hair Booth as a business for its first 18 months was so incredibly challenging but one of the most rewarding and enjoyable decisions I have made in my career to date.
I met many new clients and it has been great to see you all again, whether for your usual cut and blow-dry or by helping you to correct your adventurous lockdown hair experiments!
I am looking forward to slowly getting back into the swing of things post maternity leave and of course, meeting many more of you to help you achieve your hair goals.
Working alone in my own small salon has been challenging and although I miss having my old colleagues in the room, I have grown and developed my personal hairdressing flair for the better!
I have learned so many new skills in my spare time, such as adding nano ring hair extensions to my portfolio which I am extremely proud of.
I am now in a position where I am able to boost the hair extension side of my business to bring this new service to more and more of you in the next few months.
In the meantime, I will be training in Brazilian blow-dries, so keep an eye on my news and promotions as models will be required once I am fully trained and of course, as always, this will come with hugely discounted prices and introductory offers.
On my return to work in March 2022, there will be a few changes to the way I work, my hours and my prices. As I have my beautiful daughter in the house now, she is my main priority, so she may be lurking around for a cuddle.
Rest assured that I will still be keeping a professional environment within the salon space – unless you want a cuddle, of course!
So, that concludes my story so far! If you have any questions or queries then please give me a call/text or email, these will be answered as soon as possible.
Till next time my beautiful clients!!
Love, The Hair Booth x
Sponsored by swindon.co.uk