Winning wisdom with clayde baumann

Clayde Baumann at DJ Ambrose won Schwarzkopf Professional Colour Technician of the Year at HJ's 2014 British Hairdressing Awards. We caught up with him to find out what winning meant. How did it feel to have finalised for the awards? Being shortlisted for a British Hairdressing Award is an accolade only a select few ever achieve, so that in itself is a huge honour. To join the illustrious roll-call of names that have achieved such a feat is a massive confidence boost. It's not something you can't describe. It makes you want to be better at everything you do. How did it feel when your name was announced as the winner? I was completely overwhelmed. There were five other very worthy competitors and in my case, one of them was a colleague. I was quite emotional and very moved. There's a certain sense of kudos that you cannot achieve under any other circumstances. To be acknowledged by such an esteemed collective as a valued specialist in your field is irreplaceable. It has certainly been the pinnacle of my career to date, though I'll say it's encouraged me to push forward and I will definitely enter again. What is the value of winning a British Hairdressing Award? The appreciation and acknowledgement of passion, skill, dedication and teamwork is a massive morale booster. The spin-off for me and my team means that we get even more external bookings on training and education and it ratifies us as a valued source of inspiration and education in the industry. We've noticed an increase in client generation through recommendation and word of mouth. What advice would you give to others when thinking of entering the awards? As always, preparation is paramount. Make sure you have a strong idea and direction for your concept. Research is pivotal. If you have what you perceive as a revolutionary concept, you still need to support it with good reference and inspirational material. When shooting your collection make sure all members of your team not only know what your concept is, but they understand it and are passionate about it too. This will mean that, although you are directing your shoot, your team will take initiative and bring good additional ideas and energy to the fold. I think it's very important to note that if you've spent a great deal of time, money and effort into your entry, it's as important to ensure that you've followed all the guidelines, rules and regulations. The logistics surrounding the organisation of the judging is so intricate that so much can be said for ensuring that your collection and all its paraphernalia is clearly marked. Lastly, enjoy yourself! Whilst a bit of nerves is always good to help bring out your best, too much anxiety can stunt your creativity. Ensuring that your inspiration or concept is something you're familiar with helps make it more enjoyable. Good background knowledge also allows for unexpected nuances to your creations.

See the winning collection from Clayde Baumann below!

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