Life of a stylist: rick roberts on being persistent and experimental
Published
06th Sep 2020
by kieran
For this edition of Life of a Stylist, we spoke to many of many talents Rick Roberts about his varied career- salon owner, Wahl artistic team member, Schwarzkopf Professional artistic team member and HJ’s 2019 Afro Hairdresser of the Year.
How did Rick Roberts get into the hair industry?
Before I was a hairdresser I was an apprentice electrician. I came into hairdressing when I was 19 and I worked in a local salon in Leigh. After that I worked as a stylist in Bolton. Seven years later I moved to Beverley where I opened my own salon. I joined the L’Oréal ID team and won many awards before joining the Matrix artistic team where I stayed for five years.What is Rick Roberts' present role?
I’m the salon owner of Rick Roberts Hair in Beverley and I’m also part of the Schwarzkopf Professional Artistic Team and the Wahl Artistic Team. I represent the brand Hair Made Easi and my partner Zoe is the brand ambassador for the extensions brand Belami.
What are the pros and cons of his role?
I love teaching and being creative on shows and shoots and doing what I love. I’m grateful that I have a role I love and it takes me around the world which is always an incredible experience. The positives also feed into the negatives as the travelling can mean getting home late and feeling tired and exhausted.What are Rick Roberts' tips for building a name in the industry? I believe in pushing yourself forward, taking constructive criticism on the chin and always working hard to improve your skills. You should assist as many people as you can as assisting is like being given free education. If you can, get some models (they don’t need to be professional) and create a photo shoot. This will allow you to experiment with your ideas and it’s great for you to share on your social platforms. You always need to challenge yourself to get better and to make yourself stand out in your field of work.What challenges has Rick Roberts faced in his career?
I’ve faced a lot of challenges and knockbacks over the years. It has been hard at times and easy to consider giving up but you just have to keep going as each knockback makes you even stronger. Once one opportunity presents itself, after years of trying, you will find many more will present themselves. I’m still pushing myself and I’m still opening doors as you are the only one that can do it. At times it is hard but you have to believe in yourself.What tips does he have for someone who aspires to have a career like his?
If you want to have a successful career, you should never give up on your dreams. You should always ask your peers for help and your idols if you can assist them. If you don’t receive a reply don’t be disheartened as they are probably busy opening their own doors. It’s easy to think it all stops when you reach the top of your game. Yet, we all have different challenges and we are all putting in the effort required to stay at the top. If we don’t there is always someone who will want our position. We all do the same job but we are just on different paths and we are at different points in our careers.
