Hi everyone. Here's a blog from Will to kick us off on our BRAND NEW website & app, which launched at the end of March and Easter Monday respectively.
I am writing this blog with my two daughters hanging off of me during the Easter holidays and just after the most manic time of my hairdressing & business career so far…
During January to March I have dealt with some huge milestones both personally & professionally.
On a personal note, the whirlwind that ensued on the back of the release of my Mental Health video has been incredible, and at times, overwhelming. From this moment, we have had the most amazing feedback and response to all things Mental Health. January was also the month that I adapted to new medication for a recent diagnosis of adult ADHD. I can now say that I am off of all my previous medication for Mental Health issues and now I am living with both the ADHD diagnosis and the correct medication. I am really pleased to allow myself to be open and honest with you all about this. And I hope others will find the courage too in their own time.
Off the back of this, I started a new company called Open Chair, which has just released it‘s first course dates of the year (July) as we look to empower a new generation of hair professionals in the UK. It‘s safe to say that starting another business whilst running WBH and making huge personal adjustments has been a challenge but one that I know will help the hairdressing industry going forward.
Open Chair has also been featured in March’s editon of Professional Hairdresser magazine and April’s edition of Modern Barber magazine. A proud moment for me and Open Chair.
In salon, we have introduced new staff working rotas, as some of the team now work 4 days a week as we look to ensure our staff are working to their fullest potentials. As a promise to my staff and their well-being, WBH now offers private medical insurance as part of their employment perks. Something I am really proud to offer. On top of this, we have introduced another new staff member, Jared, who joins us upstairs in the ladies salon. We now have 8 talented and inspired hairstylists and barbers who will push the WBH brand to the next level. Myself, Nia, Joe, Paige, Orlaigh, Katy, Dan & Jared cover all aspects of hairdressing, ensuring every client can be looked after with us.
March brought my first motivational talk I have been asked to do since the Mental Health video I released. I attended North Herts College to inspire their barbering students to be open and honest about their Mental Health. With at least 2 more talks in schools/colleges booked in April, I hope to inspire the next generation to be transparent about any potential struggles in an attempt to motivate them to be the best versions of themselves.
Lastly, I have spent the last 6 weeks making the final tweeks to our new pricing structure which went live on 1st April. We appreciate times have been tough over the winter but businesses haven’t been exempt from rocketing costs and bills. In order to function at the levels we once did, we introduced an average increase of12.5%. Some services are higher than this and some are a lot lower as we made adjustments to the tiered pricing structure at WBH. If you love having your hair done with us, ask us for the best ways to keep your frequency the same whilst watching the pennies too. We have some great tips!
Lastly I want to say thank you. Thank you for your support and thank you for the response I got when I opened up. I saved each and every response I got as they genuinely meant the world to me.
I hope you have all liked the new-look website and app! If you haven’t done so already, you can download the app from the Apple App Store & Google Play - search Will Brown Hair. Let us know your thoughts….
Who will use the app for up-to-date info and booking appointments?
YEAH ME!
No, I’ll just use the website
I need to go and download it now!
With a busy 2nd quarter coming up, I can’t wait to share with you everything that has happened at WBH over the coming months.
Catch up soon! Will
p.s if you have any ideas on what you’d like to see in the forum section of the members page then please send us a DM. We’d love to get the ball rolling on some fascinating conversations with our loyal members.