Over the past year eight mentees took part in HJ’s Business Boardroom, in association with L’Oréal Professionnel and led by award-winning hairdresser and industry entrepreneur Sean Hanna. Here's the final installment and an exclusive interview with the winners.
What is HJ's Business Boardroom?
The aim of HJ's Business Boardroom? To take a small group of ambitious business owners and give them proven strategies and shortcuts to improve their profits - better profits drive growth, and growth gives business owners more options and choices. Over the course of a year, Sean took the Boardroom team through the key strategies that help businesses maximise their profits. As well as working closely with Sean, the team was coached by some of the UK’s most successful business owners. Here's what they all learnt.
We've followed the team closely over the past year and keep scrolling to see an exclusive interview with Sean and the winners.
The final stage saw each business owner present their business plan to a panel of industry experts - current Business Director of the Year Samantha Cusick, co-owner of Richard Ward Hair & Metrospa Hellen Ward, Salv Mule, director of The Academy salon group, and Colin Slight GM Commercial, L’Oréal Professional Products Division.
What was the prize?
The business owner judged by the panel to have presented the most compelling plan was offered a £25K contract by L’Oréal. This year’s winners were Liza Raby and Hannah Lowndes of the Burleigh Hair Salon and Academy group. “I loved working with the team this year,” says Sean. “Everyone brought something special, and I loved how they all supported each other throughout the process. Liza and Hannah were fantastic from start to finish: fully engaged, willing to learn and keen to put new ideas and strategies into practice. I was thrilled to see them win over the judging panel.”
An Interview with the Business Boardroom Winners
With this year’s Boardroom now concluded, Sean caught up with Liza and Hannah.
The Boardroom can be quite intense. Were you nervous at the start?
We were nervous but excited too! Even though we’ve both got years of experience in the industry, you still question whether you’re good enough to be there. But everyone was so welcoming, and we soon realised we were all there for the same reason: to learn, grow and improve our businesses.
What did you expect going in, and how did the reality compare?
We expected to learn more about the business side of running salons, but we got so much more than that. It made us look at ourselves, our businesses and where we wanted to go next. We never imagined we’d end up presenting our story to such an incredible panel of judges, let alone winning!
You went through the programme together. Did you ever see things differently?
Oh yes, definitely! We’re two very different personalities, and we don’t always see things the same way, but that’s probably why we work so well together. We’re not afraid to challenge each other, and we both bring different strengths to the business.
Which strategy had the biggest lightbulb moment for you?
It was realising we needed to bring our three businesses together under one brand, Burghley. We’d talked about it before, but the Boardroom gave us the confidence to do it. It’s going to be a gradual process, but we’ve made a start, and that feels really good.
Another big moment was our marketing. Instead of just putting a post together because we needed something on social media, we planned a proper campaign. When that first campaign went out, we both felt so proud. It looked professional, it had a purpose, and it was part of a strategy.
We’re now also looking at working with a marketing professional to help us develop that strategy further, particularly around promoting our individual team members, their skills and the services they offer. We want to help our teams build their own client bases while growing the businesses as a whole.
For us, the biggest difference has been going from talking about what we want to do to actually doing it!
Which of the VIP business speakers made the biggest impression?
Michael Van Clarke really stood out to us. One of the biggest things we took away from his session was the importance of putting yourself in your client’s shoes. Walk into your own salon as though you’re a client, look around you and think about what they’re seeing and experiencing. It’s not just about the haircut, the colour or the finished result. It’s about the whole experience, from the moment they walk through the door to the moment they leave, and most importantly, how you’ve made them feel. He also spoke about knowing your clients, understanding who you’re marketing to and creating a feeling of luxury and excellence. That really stayed with us because we’ve always believed that people might forget what you did for them, but they’ll never forget how you made them feel. Michael’s session reinforced just how important that is, not only in the service we provide but in the whole business we’re building.
Was there anything you had to unlearn, a habit or belief about running a salon that you’d had for years?
That you have to do everything yourself! When you’ve spent years building businesses, it’s easy to become the person who sorts everything out and makes every decision. We’ve had to learn to step back, trust our teams more and spend time working on the business rather than constantly in it. We’re still learning, but we’re getting there!
How did being around the other Boardroom members help? Were you collaborators or competitors?
Collaborators, definitely! Yes, there was a competition at the end, but throughout the programme we were surrounded by people who understood exactly what running a salon business is like. We shared experiences, ideas, challenges and plenty of laughs. Everyone had their own story, and we genuinely wanted everyone to do well. We’ve made some lovely friendships along the way.
How have your team reacted to any of the changes you’ve brought in?
Our teams have been incredibly supportive and proud. One of the biggest things we’ve wanted them to understand is that they’re part of something much bigger than just the salon they work in. With our three locations and training academy gradually coming together under Burghley, we’re creating more opportunities for development, education and progression.
We’re also putting more focus on our teams as individuals. We have some incredibly talented people working with us, and we want to make sure we’re showcasing their skills, personalities and achievements. It’s about helping them grow in confidence, attract new clients and feel recognised for what they bring to the business. Community has always been at the heart of what we do too, whether that’s fundraising, supporting local families or creating opportunities for people who might otherwise struggle to find them. We want our teams to feel part of that bigger picture and be proud of the difference we’re making together. Winning the Boardroom wasn’t just our achievement. It belonged to every member of our team who has been part of our journey.
What advice would you give to other business owners thinking of applying for 2027?
Do it! Don’t sit there thinking you’re not big enough, successful enough or experienced enough. We went into the Boardroom with open minds, willing to learn, and came away with more confidence, a clearer vision, and some wonderful friendships.
Be yourself, be honest about your challenges and don’t be afraid to show your passion. And remember, success isn’t always measured by how much money you make. For us, it’s also about the opportunities you create, the people you support and the difference you make in your community.That’s something we’ve always believed in, and something we’ll never lose sight of.
If you think you would like to be considered for the 2027 Business Boardroom then get on the list now and we will contact you once we start the selection process.
