JAY BIRMINGHAM Talks Freelance Lessons
Celebrity Hairdresser Jay Birmingham talks us through lessons learnt from going freelance.
‘I think the best thing about working for myself is the flexibility of choosing the work you want to do and where you want to do it. I love being able to manage my own schedule. I am lucky enough to work in different cities and countries and it is such a rewarding feeling being able to do this for a living. Being your own boss is an amazing feeling and it fills my with so much pride. I love having the freedom to choose the kind of work I want to do and I think as a hairdresser that is so rewarding. Everything you achieve is on your own merit too and that is an amazing feeling.
Hardest Part
For me managing my diary, arranging travel and accommodation and replying to emails etc is the hardest part of working freelance. The administrative side of being freelance can be overwhelming at times and you need to be really organised. Balancing your work life with your social life is also really challenging. If you are fortunate enough to, I do recommend working with a professional agency who are able to help you with that side of freelancing.
Doing It All
After working in a salon, I did own my own studio for a couple of years. It was great having a base that I could do a full day of clients in when needed. However, for me I realised that I couldn’t do it all. I was working as a freelance session stylist with celebrities, running a column in my studio and as a mobile hairdresser. It comes to a point you realise you can’t do it all and you have to pick what you’re best at and enjoy doing the most. The reason I decided not to continue with my studio was because I realised how much I loved the session side of working freelance and decided to pursue that. You can fall into a habit of squeezing clients in when doing freelance work and end up burning yourself out. In order to maintain some level of work life balance you need to be strict with your diary. Otherwise, you end up fitting too much in on your days off.
Be Open
I find that your clients love to get to know you as a person. I think you need to be open, it makes the client experience much more intimate and personal. Creating relationships with your clients and bringing your own personality into your work sets you apart from the rest. With that said, it is really important to know your boundaries. Keep it professional. Certain clients will want to build that kind of relationship with you and others won’t so you need to be good at reading your clients.
Be Organised
You need to be organised – it makes your work so much more enjoyable and easier for you. Something I like to do on my day off is to take an hour, whether in the morning or evening, and organise my week ahead. I organise my kit for the week, if I am travelling I will pack a bag for that and make sure I have everything sorted. Always make sure you have a good breakfast too – it sets you up for the day!’- Jay Birmingham.
For more info, visit Jay Birmingham here.
