In this episode Nathan talks to British hairdressing icon, Errol Douglas, to talk about his career as a hairdresser and salon owner.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- My ex-wife, Jo, was frustrated with me always coming home unhappy from my job as an ambassador for other salons and companies. She said: “Why don’t you open a shop or start your own business?” I was fortunate enough to live in London and so I was always enthralled by fashion and I was earning a lot of money, my accountant – Kim – became my business partner who had a background in property law, so she was a great fit. That changed my life. But it was the most challenging thing ever, opening up in Knightsbridge where there was a lot of snobbery and the high rental charges. But we got in and are still there 24 years later.
- People think it’s materialism but it’s not, you’ve got to take in the ambiance of your area; if it’s going to be trendy, Shoreditch, open floors, walls and concrete then do that, but if you’re attracting that person who’s always travelling first class or getting a private jet and you’re getting recommendations from the best hotels in Knightsbridge, come on and do the maths!
- The lowest point in my life was getting divorced. Jo was my pillar of strength, we had four kids, though our first child passed away, and I thought marriage was for life and we were a team. So, when that broke up I thought someone had buried me, it took me ages to get right. Being a typical Capricorn, I threw myself completely into work and capped everything else off. It was tough. The light at the end of the tunnel was realising we were never getting back together and that I had too many other mouths to feed and I had to pull it together and be a leader, especially for my kids.
- If you’re trying to find where you’re going, you have to write a few things down that really motivate you. And you have to be realistic, if you live in Wales or Manchester you have to ask yourself if you’re going to stay in that area or come down south. You have to target people, write down who inspires you, what section of hairdressing inspires you, who you want to have an apprenticeship with – because people who flit around on apprenticeships tend not to finish.
BEST MOMENTS
‘Being in business is not all about being creative, you have to understand your vehicle.’
‘My inspirations in this business were John Frida, but he was a bit of a gentleman, but Nicky Clarke was the first rock star. I was enthralled by them because they were British, I got to know them and work with them, they were iconic.’
‘Our industry is synonymous with bringing everyone together and our events are copied by other industries. It’s one of the best professions in terms of high points and endorphins in the world.’
‘Open small, have at least one person you can trust to share the load because you can’t and shouldn’t be doing everything. Also, don’t over-spend on anything, stock, wages, extravagances. Put something aside if you can, try not to have an overdraft if you can, keep it realistic and small and if you can, don’t sign your life away.’
ABOUT THE GUEST
Errol Douglas first started working in an East London salon aged 11. He gained his initial qualifications at Roger Heart's age 16. During this time, he met Paul Edmonds and moved to Neville Daniel. When Paul Edmonds opened his own salon in 1984, Errol became Edmonds' Artistic Director until he opened his own salon business in Belgravia in 1998.
Errol’s session styling and fashion work is regularly featured in magazines such as Vogue, Harpers & Queen, Tatler, Red, Cosmopolitan and Elle. He has worked with a number of notable clients, including Diana Ross, Brad Pitt, Barbra Streisand, Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell, Melanie Griffith, Dawn French,...
