AMBA 2024 AUSTRALIAN MODERN BARBER OF THE YEAR - EMMA DINON

Emma Dinon has carved her place as a leader in Australian barbering, earning the prestigious title of 2024 AMBA Barber of the Year. Known for her commitment to excellence and her unique approach to the craft, Emma has not only set a new standard for barbering in Darwin but has also showcased how passion and precision can thrive in a remote setting.

Barbershop Editor Louise May chats with Emma about her career-defining moment, the journey that brought her to this achievement, and the philosophies that drive her work.

From building Star Barber into a standout space to tackling challenges like staffing and education in the Northern Territory, Emma’s story is one of determination, innovation, and a deep respect for the craft.

Congratulations on winning the 2024 AMBA Barber of the Year award! How does it feel to achieve this recognition, and what does it mean to you personally and professionally?

Achieving this recognition feels like an accomplishment I never had imagined possible as a young hairdresser, my career has gone by so fast and things are constantly evolving, it has taken a career defining achievement like this for me to actually sit back and appreciate how far I have come and really be proud of myself and my efforts.

Of course, this doesn’t come without feelings of imposter syndrome. Personally, it is a massive boost in my confidence and belief system in myself as to what I am capable of achieving if I put my mind to it. And professionally this award has given me leverage to really make my mark on the industry and hopefully to explore other avenues within barbering and also to Collab with some of the best in the industry creatively.

Can you tell us about your journey in Barbering and how it all began to where you are today?

I began my career as a hairdresser at a reputable salon in South Australia where I was able to be a part of many shoots and competitions to quickly develop my skillset. Naturally I was always better with clippers and short haircuts.

After I finished my apprenticeship, I moved to Darwin and a few years after that I went into barbering. After about 3 years I had bought my own shop. I have a very competitive streak when it comes to my work, and I have always made it a massive priority to constantly seek education, to ensure my work is of the highest standard.

I also have made conscious effort to ensure our work is much more than just skin fades. We specialise in longer, shaggy work (scissor cuts) which I believe sets us apart from most other barbershops.

As much as I enjoy cutting hair, what I have loved the most is the opportunity to connect with other humans of all walks of life, and to become a huge part of each other’s lives. We have the privilege of sharing some really important parts of peoples lives (the good and the bad) and this is not lost on me.

You’ve brought modern barbering to Darwin at the highest standard. What inspired you to take this path, and what challenges have you faced in building Star Barber in a remote location like the NT?

This was a natural progression for me. I believe in doing things whole heartedly especially within my workplace, I will do it really well, or I will not do it at all.

So being a in remote area was not going to be a barrier for me when it comes to offering the highest standard of work. On reflection, this has worked so well for me as we have captured a very niche market. However, this was not a calculated decision... this is just me operating how I naturally operate.

Being in a remote location offers many challenges, staffing, education opportunities, and the ability to easily attend industry events are our main challenges. This just means we have to budget and plan carefully to ensure we can get to at least one thing per year to remain relevant.

Can you tell us about your impeccable customer service and unique experience. Can you share the key elements of the Star Barber experience that set it apart from other barbershops?

Our service is extremely customer-focused from beginning to end and each interaction is very purposeful. We have the standard complementary beverages and hot towel finished, but beyond that, I am very mindful to make this an extremely pleasant space to be in for people of all ages and all genders, with carefully thought-out playlists, heaps of greenery and small touches like Incense burning and essential oils on the hot towels.

Small things like remembering and using people’s names, and remembering details about them to discuss in further appointments, genuinely caring about people, asking open-ended questions and showing genuine interest, are such easy ways to make sure people feel special, heard, and like a part of the star barber community,(many of these skills I learnt in hairdressing and I believe the barbering world could strongly benefit from) I am sure every client that comes into our shop would genuinely believe they are our single most important client.

I believe being a master conversationalist, has been the driving force in my ability to build such a strong clientele.

Shaving is a skill you feel is becoming a lost art. Why do you think this is, and how do you ensure this traditional skill remains an integral part of your services?

Shaving is perhaps a lost art because it is not as glamorous as other aspects of the craft, and perhaps it doesn’t look as good on Instagram. And also, it is an extremely difficult skill to master, and some may not see the value in taking the time to do so. We ensure majority of beard line-ups come with a hot towel shave as a point of difference.

Just having shaves on the menu is a great thing for us as most barbers do not have this. We offer facial services that come with shaves, and due to our love for making people feel good and offering a beautiful pampering experience, we LOVE doing this so naturally the people come!

We have many weekly shaves which are great clients to have because they keep our books full and with shaving being such a niche skill, it comes with a higher price point, making it an excellent money maker for us!

As both a director and a working barber, how do you balance managing your team, running the shop, and maintaining a fully booked column?

This is the greatest challenge of all for me and a feat I am yet to master, however, to ensure I am able to perform all these roles to the best of my abilities I am sure to focus on the basics, eating well, getting enough exercise and getting enough sleep.

All of these factors are imperative to ensure I can manage my stress levels and show up to be my best self every day, I also believe the key to having work-life balance is enforcing strong boundaries with yourself, meaning you consciously give yourself enough rest and downtime, resisting urges to do work on the weekends. You have to enjoy your life, otherwise, what’s it all for!

Having a good team is extremely important to ensure this all runs smoothly I do believe in leading by example so I would never expect my team to do things that I am not prepared to do myself.

Education and growth seem central to your philosophy. How do you keep yourself and your team inspired and updated in an ever-evolving industry?

We try and get interstate at least once a year for education, but the internet is full of so many great resources, there really is no excuse for not keeping your skillset up to date. We use education subscription services and even just Instagram to keep ourselves on the ball.

You’ve created a thriving barbershop with impressive client retention and rebooking rates. What strategies or systems do you attribute to this success?

Strong client focused service and intentional interactions all lead to our impressive retention rates. Retention is the single most important thing to me within a business, it is much easier to retain a client, than it is to gain a new one. I have a formula I use for each client interaction that remains from beginning to end with the entire purpose of rebooking.

I am very purposeful throughout my whole service to ensure this client will come back to me, we are on their hair journey together so suggestive language regarding their next appointment and even just suggesting a rebooking time as they leave is so simple, yet so effective. And again, making every single person feel special. We are fortunate enough to be in a position of such high demand that people know if they do not rebook they simply will not get in for weeks.

Winning AMBA Barber of the Year is a huge accomplishment. What advice would you give to aspiring barbers looking to achieve similar success in their careers?

Do not let self-limiting beliefs stand in the way of you putting yourself out there. Practise makes perfect and you learn so much every time you set out to do something like this and each time will only be better. If you are a total beginner, I advise people to follow the KISS rule (keep it simple stupid) so stick to basics and execute perfectly rather than trying to go completely rogue with something and not nailing it.

I also think the KEY to creating a winning collection is having the best team of people around you possible and really refining your mood board, so you are all clear on the goal look you are trying to achieve. Impeccable preplanning and organisation creates a safe space on the day for you to enter a full creative flow and really have fun with it.

@emdinonbarber @star_barber_darwin