About Laura: 
Laura was born into the hair world with her mother and godmother both being hairdressers. From a young age she would work in the salon playing and experiencing salon life. Once Laura was a little older her mother opened her own salon and she would work there after school and on weekends.
Laura hated salon life in her teenage years and decided she wanted to be a vet, having grown up on a farm she was always surround by animals and enjoyed it.
After finishing year 12, Laura decided to seek an apprenticeship in the Sutherland Shire as a hairdresser, as she didn’t feel ready to explore university.
Laura wanted to see what the hair world would look like away from her mother and the salon life she had grown up in.
Discovering a Toni & Guy article in a magazine Laura was curious, Laura then discovered the closest Toni & Guy at the time was Parramatta an hour and 40 minute commute from her home.
Starting her hairdressing apprenticeship at Toni & Guy in Parramatta Laura worked in this space for 8 years moving up through the ranks from apprentice and eventually to assistant manager.
Moving to the Toni & Guy at Paddington it was here Laura discovered her passion for education, educating in the Toni & Guy Academy.
Heading to Abu Dhabi for a year Laura worked as a hairdresser learning lessons and creating hair.
Laura currently works full time in Sydney as a stylist, also working creatively on photoshoots and other freelance opportunities.
What do you specialise in or find creative freedom in?
“Within Toni & Guy you have to choose which path you want to go down whether you want to be a technician or a stylist. A technician being anything chemical related. I always wanted to be a technician” says Laura. “I’m not quite sure why I chose to be a stylist but I always enjoyed watching people flip there scissors around whilst they cut hair. Although I love colour , I just really love literally cutting shapes into people’s hair. Specialising in cutting I also love doing editorial hair.”
Career Highlight so far?
“There has been quite a few in the last 6 months. I was invited to work at New York Fashion Week in February this year. I contacted a lot of people and was able to work with Eugene Soulemain , that was a huge highlight and one I would like to repeat in the future (hopefully I will be less nervous next time). Getting into the 2019 Fame Team and also finaling for Fame Team 3 years in a row. The most rewarding thing was actually applying three times it takes a lot to put yourself out there, through this I have been able to see how much I have grown. Those are my top 3 at this point in my career.”
Career goal:
“I don’t have a specific career goal , but I know I’ve never wanted to own a salon. I know that I’m currently working towards something great. This is one of the beauties of Fame Team is it’s going to help me refine that. I want to get to a point where I’m happy doing my thing.”
When did you first apply for Fame Team?
“The first time was 2016 for the 2017 Fame team as the applications generally go in in December.
I’ve always worked with people who have been involved in Fame Team such as Mandy Kingsman and Nicole Kae. I feel like it was almost a rite of passage. When I moved back from overseas I decided Fame Team was definitely something I wanted to work towards.”
My first experience I admittedly went in really cocky, I thought this is a sure thing. I’m fun, I’ve got nothing to lose and I’ve got amazing training from Toni & Guy. Boy was I wrong! I’ve never felt so sick in all my life the day I had to go in and do the skills test, I had so much to learn. I was surround by the best hairdressers in the country and felt very put in my place , I had no idea what I was getting myself into.”
Laura’s journey to now with Fame Team:
“2016-2017 super cocky I made finals but I didn’t make it on the team.
The second 2017 year I thought I’m really going to give this a cracking go! The skills test in the first part I find it’s really hard to prepare for it as you don’t know what you are going to get. I thought I had prepared my live model better, but nothing flowed or made sense. There was no concise idea or inspiration and it didn’t translate. When my name wasn’t called the second time I went home really upset.
In this round of Fame Team they asked me what have you done since last year as you haven’t gotten in the last two entries. This was a great question as it gave me the chance to tell them everything I had done. I gave myself a week to be sad and wallow in the loss and then I decided I would go for it again. Every night I went to sleep I was so hungry for it I couldn’t sleep. All I could think about was what’s my concept going to be, who can I seek feedback from, how can I contact the judges to find out. Making lists of things I felt I could improve on, to see if that aligned with ten feedback I received.
Constantly going over what I would say in my head when I next stepped on that stage. I felt in previous years I had let nerves overcome me and I needed to work on that.
In 2019 and I went into round two I was confident and excited I felt really good about it. Going into the Australian Hair Fashion Awards I was really nervous but I still felt like I had it , because I had put so much work in, this was 2 1/2 to 3 years in the making. When my name was called it felt right, it was something I really wanted, through persistence and dedication it felt really good to work so hard and be rewarded for it.”
Laura’s 12 month plan to achieve Fame Team:
“First I found gaining feedback was super important, I didn’t let up I contacted every judge I could via an contact avenue. Out of about 10-12 Judges I managed to reach around 8 people. Some of the feedback I gained aligned with my list which then gave me a clear idea of what I wanted to focus on.
Secondly I looked into public speaking. Toast Master’s is an international course, it’s relatively cheap and was recommended to me by Sharon Blain. I was lucky enough to have a client who works in corporate executive training. She teaches people like Jen Hawkins how to speak in press conferences. One weekend we met up and went through some pointers then once I had my look for the hair we met again and went through it all. She started filming me which was really hard , she would film and then say no start again, no start again. I think the camera was good as it kind of simulated somebody looking at me, I mean I love talking but when it’s in front of industry leaders and people you look up to you just forget everything.
Also up skilling I had done cutting for so long but some of the feedback I got was that my looks weren’t polished. As hairdressers I think we can become a bit set in our ways. I slowed down and took my time and started to make conscious decisions whilst I was doing hair rather than going off habit. Sharon Blain suggested a bunch of people to follow on Instagram. I attended every hair event I could to network with people in the industry and support the 2018 Fame Team. I flew to Melbourne for Hair Expo.
You have to be willing to take what the industry is offering and that is so much education and so much mentorship and it’s not just in your own salon you need to get out and learn from other people. It’s a pay it forward thing what you get out of Fame Team you need to give back and keep helping the youth of our industry.”
Hair or life idol?
“Mentorship is something I’ve always wanted, having also read a lot of articles on obtaining mentors. I would say one of the biggest influences in my career, in these later years has been Mandy Kingsman. She is so willing to give her time, meeting up with me for coffee to talk about where and what I want to do, she has been such a rock for me. Also as a hairdresser I look up to her skill level, previously watching her cutting when we worked together it’s like watching an artist.
Lyndal Salmon I’m a really big fan girl of hers. She is definitely someone I look up to and want to be like. She has a really creative mind and extremely original ideas.
Renya I see her up there as an ambassador and there are all these men and she holds her own in these situations and that in itself is a credit to her. Lauren Mc Cowan I love all the gals in this industry.”
Tool in your kit that you cannot live without:
“My Janeke super brush the big gold one. It’s a really great wet to dry brush I have one at home for my hair and one in my kit. ”
One piece of advice for someone wanting to enter Fame Team:
“Just one?! If I had to pick just one it would be “don’t try to be who you think they want.”
I think the first year I looked at previous winners and thought yep that’s who I need to be. But obviously that didn’t work out because it’s like wearing someone else’s under pants, it’s just uncomfortable you’re not going to do it naturally and people are going to see it.
Even if you think your work is not Fame Team vibey material just do it because it will be the best version of you, when I finally did something that I wanted it just felt more natural and the judges see that.
Everyone kept saying to me it’s all timing you will get in it’s all timing and I kept thinking what does that even mean. Over 3 years I was older and growing more confident with my style and had grown as a stylist trying things that were a little different for me.
“Make lots of mood boards, pin boards and figure out what you want.”
What are you most excited for now you are a part of Fame Team:
“Definitely the mentoring, like I mentioned before I’m just so hungry for it. Also going overseas to be mentored. Just revealing in it all I feel really good about it. We will travel to London and the United States. Just to be in the same room as these people and be mentored by them is invaluable. That is probably what I am most excited for.”
X Alisha