Hairdresser, who took the leap to go solo and has not looked back since, celebrates shortlist for national award

A Northampton-based hairdresser, who took the leap to go solo and has not looked back since, has made the final for a national award.

25-year-old Brooke Wright has nine years of experience and believed last August was the right time to break away from working in a salon.

Brooke started her venture, Blended By Brooke, when she returned from maternity leave after having her daughter Paisley in March last year.

She runs her business from her home in Moulton and specialises in balayage and foliage – which landed her a spot in the final of the ‘best for blonde’ category at this year’s UK Hair and Beauty Awards.

Brooke said: “Starting up on my own was nerve wracking, but this was always the end goal and I’ve worked my way up.

“It was daunting but I knew it was time. I didn’t want to return to salon working hours and I felt ready for this new challenge.”

Brooke started her career at 15 as a Saturday girl, which she took a break from at the end of school to start a law and business course.

After deciding this was not for her, she then worked at a salon in Duston for seven years – starting as an apprentice and leaving as a senior stylist.

Brooke left there for a salon in Boothville, which is when she fell pregnant and remained there until her maternity leave began.

“I’ve been doing some of my clients’ hair since I started my training,” said the mother of one. “I see many of them as friends and their appointments are like catch ups.”

The way Brooke helps herself stand out from such a competitive industry is “keeping up with what is new, training to be better, and managing her social media platforms well” – which she says is like “three jobs in one”.

When asked what it is like to juggle her two new life paths of being a mother and a freelance hairdresser, Brooke says it is “very intense and the days are long”.

“I love being busy and challenged, so I wouldn’t have it any other way,” she added. “It took time to find a routine but it works really well for us.”

After becoming a mother, Brooke feared it would consume her whole life and there were “not enough hours in the day”.

But when Paisley was around five months old, Brooke was eager to return to doing what she loved and Blended By Brooke was born.

Brooke now awaits the results of the UK Hair and Beauty Awards in April.

She said: “It’s amazing to be shortlisted and I didn’t expect it. I’m little old me with my new business and with past competition success, I’ve always had big name salons behind me.

“It would mean a lot to win and the massive achievement would solidify all the hard work I’ve put in to get to where I am today.”

Over the next few years, Brooke would like to move house and convert a double garage into a salon to allow her to take on more clients.

Her long-term vision is to open a salon and establish Blended By Brooke on the high street.

You can visit Blended By Brooke’s Instagram page here.