A day in the life: dylan bradshaw, salon owner and stylist
"As a family man, mornings start pretty early for me. Along with my wife Charlotte, who manages the salon, I get the kids up and take them to school before heading off to the salon. It's located right in the centre of Dublin which is a great location, so we'll normally just jump in the car and get there in no time.
"When I get into the salon in the morning, I'll begin the day by having a quick chat with the reception team as I'll normally have a full column booked up six to seven weeks in advance. Every day is so different looking after up to 10 individual personalities - you really have to be in the zone.
"Having won over 30 hairdressing accolades my team and I pride ourselves on excellence and giving each client a really dedicated experience. We've just opened our academy, where training is provided by my in-house stylists and colour technicians, which is another really exciting venture.
"I'll be with clients during the afternoon, or dealing with anything that comes up during the day, as you have to prepared for anything that's thrown at you when running a business. I'll also make sure I have a catch up with all my stylists before leaving between 7pm and 9.30pm.
"When I'm not at the salon, I really do like to spend as much time as possible with my family. The issue with owning your own business is that you're usually the first in and the last out. I'm nearly 40 years old and I can't remember the last time I had a weekend off! Being in this industry is a lifestyle choice and because I get so little free time when I do get it I like to be with the ones I love.
"I ended up in hairdressing by accident to be honest. My mother got me the job as she thought it would be a good way for me to stay away from other boys my age and out of trouble. I started hairdressing part time for about two years until I got kicked out of school and it all sort of took off from there.
"Hairdressing didn't come naturally to me at first, I had to work really hard at it but when I moved to New York for two years working for Bumble and Bumble things really changed! I came back from the U.S. at age 24 and just three years later, I opened my own salon.
"The best thing about having this career is the opportunities it's given me. I've been all over the world and back again, working on the MTV Music Awards and the Golden Globes, as well as backstage styling on most major TV shows in Ireland and the UK. Winning the L'Oreal Colour Trophy was also a real highlight. The list is endless!"
