INDEPENDENT OF THE MONTH
necessarily have thought about seeking out organic or eco-friendly haircare, but are really happy when they find out that’s what I’m using, and that they’re still getting their hair done in the way they want. So I’m changing a few hearts and minds along the way, which is great!” Along with looking after the planet, Hollie’s other big focus was slightly closer to home, and involved looking after herself and the people that she works with. “In most salons you work on commission and it’s quite hard to earn over a certain barrier. You feel bad about taking days off and holiday, too, as it’s always a worry that your clients will switch to another hairdresser. So when the team at Re:Fresh sat down to discuss how we would like the salon to run, we came up with an idea where we all – including myself and Vanessa, my co-owner – pay the same amount in the business, as a weekly rent. So the salon itself isn’t profit-making, and Vanessa and I don’t make a profit from the other members of staff, but we’re creating a sustainable work environment for us all as a team.” The other people who work at Re:Fresh really appreciate this way of working, and new members of staff have been attracted
“I’m changing a few hearts and minds along the way!”
absence of harsh chemicals and harmful plastics, and you get a place that makes its customers feel as well as look better. Hollie really seems like a woman on a mission – and she has plenty more ideas to continue improving her salon. “I’m constantly looking into new ways to make the business more ethical and kinder on the planet – at the moment I’m trying to find ways that we can use less water, and we’re setting up a refill station so you can bring in empty bottles of our shampoos and conditioners and get them refilled.” Re:Fresh might be a salon that’s very ‘of the moment’, but Hollie has her eyes fixed firmly on the future – not only the future of her team and her customers, but of the planet. Re:Fresh | 16A Mill Road, Cambridge CB1 2AD | 01223 464064 | refreshcambridge.com
to the salon because of the system. “We all work together, and help each other, because we’re not in competition,” says Hollie. “We can take time to be with our families and friends, so that we have a healthy work/life balance, and don’t have to work non-stop for fear of losing money or customers. Re:Fresh is a healthy place to work, not just because of the products we use, but because the way we work contributes to a happier and healthier way of life.” All of this innovation by Hollie and Vanessa has helped make Re:Fresh a really appealing salon; customers comment on the calming, happy feel of the place. And it has a unique look, too, with its clean, fresh lines and light, airy atmosphere – quite different to the look of other salons. Add to this the contented, supportive staff and the
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