Developing Talent at EGO: From Apprentice to Stylist
Hairdressing is one of those professions where what clients see in the mirror is only part of the story. Behind every finished style are hours of practice, guidance and experience that happen quietly in the background. At Ego Hair Burton, developing new stylists has always been part of how the salon works.
For more than thirty years the salon has taken on apprentices and trained them from the ground up. Long before Suzanne and Ben took over the business five years ago, Mark, the salon’s founder, had already built a culture of nurturing young talent. That approach remains central to the salon today. Suzanne leads the training programme, supported by Catherine and Mark, while Ben focuses on helping younger team members develop the customer service, confidence and communication skills that turn a good stylist into someone clients genuinely enjoy coming back to.
Between them, the team brings well over one hundred years of combined experience in traditional and modern hairdressing. From classic short cuts through to long hair and current colour techniques, the aim is always the same, build strong foundations first. Training at Ego Hair Burton is never rushed. Stylists start with the core techniques, repeat them until they are confident, and only then move on to more advanced services. The goal is not simply to produce someone who can perform a haircut or colour, but to develop well rounded professionals who understand both the craft of hairdressing and the people sitting in their chair.
Learning the craft, one step at a time
Every stylist at Ego Hair Burton follows the same basic path. Apprentices begin by learning the foundations of the job and gradually build their confidence through a small number of services they can repeat and refine. Rather than trying to learn everything at once, the focus is on mastering a handful of core techniques first. Once those feel natural, the training expands into more advanced work.
Cutting is usually where the most time is spent. Colour work often builds confidence early, but cutting requires repetition and precision, so it becomes a major focus of the training programme. Evening training sessions are a regular part of this process, where apprentices and junior stylists bring in models and work closely alongside Suzanne and the senior team to practise and refine their skills.
Katie is the most recent stylist to move through the programme. Having recently completed her Level 2 apprenticeship, she has now stepped up to the role of Junior Stylist and has begun taking bookings with clients. Much of her training is currently focused on refining cutting techniques, working closely with Suzanne to build confidence and consistency behind the chair.
Eleanor is further along the same journey. Now working as a Senior Stylist, she has developed a strong reputation in the salon for hair extensions, an area where she is fully trained and continues to grow a loyal client base. This was a path Eleanor was keen to develop and one the salon fully supported, and it has become an area where she is now seeing real success. Like every stylist at Ego Hair Burton, her progress has come from building strong foundations first and then specialising as her skills and interests developed.
Supporting new stylists
One of the most important parts of developing new talent is giving stylists the chance to work with real clients. Practice is essential, but confidence truly grows when a stylist begins working behind the chair and building relationships with the people they look after.
At Ego Hair Burton this happens gradually. Stylists move through clear stages, beginning as apprentices before progressing to Junior Stylist and then Senior Stylist as their experience and confidence grow. Each stage reflects where they are in their development, and the price of their services reflects that too.
For clients, this creates a great opportunity. Booking with a junior stylist often means accessing salon services at a lighter price point, while still benefiting from the support of the wider team. Every service is overseen by Suzanne or another senior member of the team, ensuring that the standard of work remains consistent with what clients expect from Ego Hair Burton.
It also allows clients to become part of the journey. Many of the salon’s long standing customers have supported stylists as they developed their skills over the years, watching them grow from apprentices into confident professionals. It is one of the things that makes the atmosphere in the salon feel welcoming and supportive, both for the team and for the clients who visit.
A long tradition of growing talent
One of the best examples of how the programme works can be found within the team itself. Catherine, now one of the salon’s most experienced stylists, first joined the salon as an apprentice nearly 28yrs ago. Over the years she has built a loyal client base and developed her own reputation as a skilled stylist, and today she plays an important role in helping guide the next generation of hairdressers coming through the salon.
Stories like this are exactly why developing talent has remained such an important part of the Ego Hair Burton approach. Hairdressing is a craft that takes time to learn properly, and having experienced professionals willing to pass on their knowledge makes a huge difference to the confidence and ability of young stylists starting their careers.
For clients, it means you are always in safe hands. Whether you are booked with one of the senior stylists or supporting a junior stylist as they develop their skills, every member of the team works within the same supportive environment where experience and guidance are always close by.
And for anyone considering a career in hairdressing, it shows what is possible. The salon is always interested in hearing from people who are passionate about learning the craft and building a career in the industry.
Developing new talent has been part of Ego Hair Burton for more than three decades, and it continues to shape the future of the salon today.
