How To Cut It in the Hairdressing Industry

I can’t believe we’ve reached our 400th episode of How To Cut It! I couldn't think of a better way to celebrate than by tackling the power of career pathways in hairdressing through apprenticeships—something I personally owe my 40-year career to. And to top it off, having a rising star in the industry who came through the KH Group apprenticeship program join us is the absolute perfect way to mark this milestone.

In this episode of How To Cut It, supported by Wella Professionals, I’m joined by KH Hair Managing Director Darren Messias, franchisee Dawn Bramhall, and award-winning stylist Amelia Krasinski to break down what makes a modern apprenticeship truly successful.

With over 100 years of heritage and 19 salons, KH Hair proves that growing homegrown talent is the ultimate engine for salon longevity. Both Darren and Dawn started as apprentices and built decades-long careers—proving that when you offer clear career pathing across creative, business, and educational routes, retention looks after itself.

We dive into the real talk around apprenticeship recruitment: tackling financial pressures, engaging secondary schools, and why KH Hair invests in a dedicated third "finishing year" at their academy to get young team members truly salon-ready.

Plus, Amelia shares her journey from a school careers fair to winning Wella TrendVision Gold, demonstrating how strong mentorship turns ambitious apprentices into the future stars of our industry.

Whether you’re a salon owner looking to strengthen your team or an educator passionate about raising industry standards, this episode is packed with practical strategies to future-proof your business.

 



 

CHAPTERS

3:53 KH Hair’s Career Journey
7:19 Finding Hairdressing Early
8:37 Why Apprenticeships Matter
10:43 Recruiting Amid Rising Costs
13:38 Spotting Passion In Interviews
16:22 Attracting Local Talent
19:27 Settling Apprentices In
20:54 Leading With Support
22:44 A Longer Training Path
25:03 Learning Through Mistakes
28:02 Handling Apprentice Doubt
31:58 Money, Motivation, And Growth
35:30 Mentorship Builds Confidence
38:26 Retention Through Opportunity
41:54 TrendVision Gold Journey
48:44 The Future Of Apprenticeships

 



 

RESOURCES

Follow the KH Hair: @khhairgroup

Explore the brand:khhairgroup.co.uk

Upskill your talent: Wella Professionals Education Portal

Connect with Wella Professionals UKI: @wellaprofessionalsuki

Enter Wella Trendvison:Wella TrendVision

Get ready to meet K18 FutureIQ™! This special episode in partnership with K18, recorded in front of a live audience at SALT Salon London, isn't just a conversation – it's a genuine line-in-the-sand moment, truly redefining hairdressing's future!

I'm incredibly excited to be joined by co-founder and CEO of K18, Suveen Sahib and global brand ambassador Tom Smith. We're diving deep into the revolutionary K18 FUTUREIQ™ launch to uncover why hair longevity is not just a buzzword, but the undeniable future of proactive hair care – a future K18 FutureIQ™ is instrumental in shaping.

Discover Suveen's incredible journey from high-stakes technology to bioscience, as he details the pivotal 'aha!' moments that led to profound insights into hair biology and ultimately, K18's creation through vital stylist collaboration. Tom will then equip you with salon-ready practical insights, revealing the key emerging trends and client demands poised to define the future of proactive hair care.

This is profoundly game-changing: we delve into K18's revolutionary focus on premature hair aging, meticulously connecting shedding, scalp health, and even early greys directly to oxidative load within the hair follicle. Beyond the vital science, we provide your essential toolkit: how to confidently discuss this shift in the chair, who FutureIQ™ is for, its incredibly simple nightly application, and the transformative, realistic results to expect over just 30-90 days.

This episode is packed with monumental lessons designed to ignite your passion, elevate your expertise, and powerfully transform your approach – from mastering hair biology to seeing hair health as smart, scalable business for your salon.

 



 CHAPTERS

3:55 K18’s Origin Story
8:54 From Tech to Hair
12:50 Why Premature Aging Matters
20:08 Spotting Early Hair Aging
21:37 Defining Hair Longevity
27:58 Future IQ Science
33:13 Reading Hair Stress
34:36 Hair Aging vs Loss
35:56 Simple Daily Application
41:38 What to Expect
46:09 The Scalp Frontier
47:41 Salon Wellness Shift
52:10 Future Trends Ahead
54:27 Biohacking the Hair
58:47 Bridging Clients and Experts
1:01:44 Who Future IQ Suits
1:03:06 Why a Serum
1:04:11 Hairline Performance

 



 
RESOURCES

CONNECT WITH K18 ON INSTAGRAM @K18hair_uk and @K18hair
FIND OUT MORE ON K18 AND FUTUREIQ™ ONLINE HERE
CONNECT WITH SUVEEN SAHIB ON INSTAGRAM @suveensahib
CONNECT WITH TOM SMITH ON INSTAGRAM @tomsmithhd

Where can a career in hair really take you? That’s the question at the heart of this episode—and why I’m sharing a special Whair To (W-H-A-I-R To) sampler with you.

Whair To is the new short, punchy, question-led podcast from the soon to launch hair industry opportunity platform Spotd, built around real stories from people working across our industry. No heavy studio chat. No host. Just straight-to-the-point answers that show the many different routes a hairdressing or barbering career can open up.

In this best-of selection, you’ll hear:

Paul Corbett (Director of Advanced Education at Francesco Hair Salons) on going from apprentice to creative director, salon owner and international educator—and why simply showing up to events, learning from others, and committing to mentorship can change everything.

Lawson Bliss on entering the industry almost by accident, finding his feet in Birmingham, and discovering that understanding the business side of hair can be the difference between a job and a long-term career—plus what it meant to open a salon with his mum.

Jax Hirst (founder of the Never Just Hair Facebook group) on freelancing, running a home studio, building education and mentoring projects, and the realities of boundaries, energy, communication—and knowing when to ask for help.

Rob Howes (Wella Professionals) on a journey that’s taken him from college to cruise ships, salon life and education, into digital and data—alongside a setback that taught him resilience and proved just how many directions this industry can take you.

If you’ve ever wondered what’s possible in hair beyond the chair—or you’re looking for that spark of motivation—this one’s for you. And if you want the full stories, you can find the complete episodes by subscribing to Whair To? wherever you get your podcasts.

Hit play, and see WHAIR hair can take you!

 


CHAPTERS

0:10 Podcast Intro
0:57 Introducing WHAIR To?
2:34 Spotd Launch
5:00 Paul’s Career Journey
8:56 Lawson’s Salon Story
11:14 Jax Builds Community
15:04 Rob’s Education Path
18:23 Wrap-Up

 


RESOURCES

Learn more on Spotd by going to getspotdapp.com
Connect with Spotd on Instagram @getspotdapp
Listen and subscribe to WHAIR To? podcast on Apple Podcasts HERE
Listen and subscribe to WHAIR To? podcast on Spotify HERE
Connect with Rob Howes on Instagram @thewellahairguy
Connect with Jax Hirst on Instagram @jaxrhair
Connect with Lawson Bliss Instagram @lawsonbliss 
Connect with Paul Corbett Instagram @paulcorbett.hairdresser

Can a hairdresser and brand truly serve both consumers and the industry? That’s the hook of this episode—and the focus of our follow-up to our most-downloaded podcast of 2025. Recorded live at HairCon, with renowned celebrity hairstylist and founder of mdlondon, Michael Douglas.
Friend of the How To Cut It podcast, Michael Douglas is back to share why he’s returned to an industry event after building a consumer-led platform and launching mdlondon tools and styling products. He argues there’s no real divide between “professional” and “consumer” because it’s the same client, and says his lockdown Instagram Lives proved that sharing expertise fuels salon bookings rather than replacing them.
Michael addresses the industry backlash he faced, charts mdlondon’s evolution—from a shelved cordless concept during lockdown supply issues to early sales struggles and a Black Friday turnaround—and urges hairdressers to share knowledge, go live to attract clients, and help bring new talent into the industry.
This is a conversation you’ll have an opinion on, either way!
 



Chapters
 

4:19 Lockdown Consumer Pivot
11:12 Lives Build Demand
15:58 MD London Origin
18:47 Shampoo Myths
20:05 Retailing in Salons
25:22 Building the Next Generation
27:17 Breaking Into Celebrity
29:14 Education and Opportunity
31:04 Salon Partnership Deal

 



 
Resources
MD London Website: mdlondon.com 

MD London on Instagram: @mdlondon

HairCon on Instagram @hairconshow

Spotd App find out more getspotdapp.com

Connect with Spotd on Instagram @getspotdapp

How To Cut It on Instagram @howtocutit

Still guessing your prices?

If you’re a freelance hairdresser or salon owner who feels guilty raising rates, this episode is your permission slip—and your plan. In this How To Cut It panel, Georgia Bell, Ruth Lundstrum (Freelance Suite), Samantha Toogood, and Samantha Blues reveal why hair pros undercharge and how to price with confidence. We strip emotion from money, swap rigid menus for bespoke, hair-type packages, and build pricing that covers wages, tax/VAT, profit, pensions, sick pay, education, and cancellations. Ruth busts the “clients can’t afford it” myth—spending is a choice—and shares real numbers, including intentionally outpriced services that prove value sells.

Learn when to raise prices, how to stay booked, and the differences between salon and solo realities, plus the financial gaps NVQs leave behind.


CHAPTERS

0:05: Pricing Playbook Kickoff
7:47: VAT, Value, and Priorities
11:19: Real Rates, Real Services
18:10: Fear, Packages, and Price Hikes
20:31: Money, Greed, and Freedom
24:40: Educate, Earn, and Level Up
25:54: Business Basics and Profit
27:34: Comfortable Living Defined
28:36: Property, Branding, and Pensions
31:16: Financial Education for All




RESOURCES

REGISTER TO JOIN SPOTD HERE
FREELANCER SUITE CLICK HERE
SAMANTHA BLUES CSI CLICK HERE
GEORGIA BELL EDUCATION CLICK HERE
@georgiagracebell/
@ruth__lund
@samanthabluescolourcoach
@toogood_hair_well_being_