Mama & Baby West

Sheridan Rose Shaw is the Creative Director of MAMAWEST. A hair salon and collaborative coworking space which offers a premium salon experience with a dream team that can cater to any hair desire you thought possible.

They are infamous for their colourful AF salon, community spirit, inclusiveness, and dedication to quality service. In the short time that they have been in business, they have been crowned 2022 Most Innovative Business of The Year from the Maribyrnong City Council, and finalised for three individual categories for the 2022 Australian Hair Industry Awards “New Creative Talent, HOTSHOTS and Apprentice of the year”

Hair Biz Editor Louise May recently caught up with Sheridan to chat about her journey so far, and apprentice hairdresser Olivia AKA ‘Baby West’, to chat about her mission to change the way we, as an industry, view, treat, train and support our apprentices after having a string of not-so-great experiences herself. With our completion rate so low on apprenticeships and our dire shortage of skilled staff, it is great to chat with an apprentice to get a different perspective.

SHERIDAN AKA MAMAWEST

Sheridan, can you share with us how your journey in the industry began, What inspired you to start hairdressing as a career? And what are you doing in the industry today?

I started hairdressing when I was 14. I felt like an adult child that was forced to grow up very quickly and didn’t feel like I belonged in the school system. Low key loathed being an apprentice, as I grew up without any boundaries nor discipline. Although, my job was the first thing I found really easy to turn up to. Deep down I needed purpose and direction, and the salon life was the belonging and mentorship I was longing for. The SECOND I qualified; I found my passion! Fast forward 16 years, I am now 30 years old, a salon owner, mentor, and educator myself. I love to give back to the youth of this industry in the way that it gave back to me. This year I finalised for the hot shots and new creative talent category with my first ever creative collection. This feels like the next step for me in my career, pushing myself outside my comfort zone.

Was business ownership always part of the plan for you?

NEVER!!! It was a total freaky fluke. I accidently started my own business when I left hairdressing after 10 years to become a personal trainer. I spent 5,000 on this course that opened the door to leave the industry. I thought “I’ll do a few clients from home to get me through”. I had terrible selfconfidence at this stage of my life and was VERY surprised to see most of my client load followed or found me from home. When I was doing hair for myself, I found an extra 20% in the tank of passion I didn’t know existed. So, 8 weeks into my PT course I dropped out and realigned with hairdressing. It was the best $5K ever spent to get me on the path I would have never carved for myself.

What has been the most rewarding aspect of salon ownership?

The most rewarding aspect of salon ownership is giving to my team what was not given to me. Being the change, I wanted to see in the industry. Being a trail blazer, breaking the mould of our industry, like not working Saturdays. Having the power to change the standards by paying my team ABOVE award and profit sharing with them. I also really value the brand partnership opportunities that have been presented to me as a result of owning a salon. I feel more connected to the industry than I ever have before. And finally, leaning in to being a leader! This is absolutely, my destiny!

You have an amazing salon business. What do you think is the “secret sauce” when it comes to owning and running a successful salon and team?

C.U.L.T.U.R.E - I think salon owners spend way too much energy focusing on the needs of clients and money coming in before their team. Without my team, I cannot service the ever-growing list of clients and inevitably the money will stop coming in. So, my order of affairs is always, look after myself, look after my team and then look after our community. When I first started it probably went a little like team, clients then my needs. Though, I realised pretty quickly I can’t look after my team if I’m not looking after myself. One of the many lessons of life and salon owner.

What do you do to help your team be the best they can be?

First and foremost, I hold space and encourage authenticity. To come as your unique self. We are all so incredibly different to each other and that’s what makes us special. Open communication is essential. Regular conversations about how everyone is feeling. When there is something going on, I give them time and space to process. Even if it means rescheduling a fully booked day and so far in my experience, weeks at a time. This builds a loyalty between the relationship. They can see and feel I am doing everything in my power to look after them and when they return, they meet me with the same energy. I am also incredibly vulnerable with my team; I share when I am struggling as most humans do. I invest in their future and education. They are all as passionate and eager to learn as I am. It is crucial and empowering to being the best hairdresser you can be. Pay above award so they can live-out the fruits of their labour and enjoy their life outside of the salon. I’ve given them a healthy work life balance working 38 hours in 4 days which always ends with a 3-day weekend [by then we need it]! We also don’t work Saturdays so they can spend their weekends with their families and recovering from the bigger 4-day work week.

What are your philosophies around education and staff development?

I am so incredibly passionate about not just PROFESSIONAL but PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT. I believe to lead by example, I have to take responsibility for all of my affairs. I have and have many professional and personal mentors that hold me accountable to my behaviour. I’m also not afraid to apologise. This creates a safe space for myself and my team lead by the value of humility. I am obsessed with being the best version of myself, this of course includes professional development. We are all regularly engaging in education to stay up to date.

We recently invited Jamie Furlan to MAMAWEST to take the whole team through 3 haircuts. That’s been one of my fave days as a salon owner. I wish in the past, my boss’s had have done that for me. When training my apprentices, if there’s something I’m out of touch with, I will always engage with another educator that I know can deliver and give them the skills they trusted in me to leave them with. Meditation has been a key to maintaining the incredible life beyond my wildest dreams that can on the flip side be very challenging to hold. Recently I did a wedding with one of my team and before we began the crazy day we sat down and did a guided 5-minute meditation. It was very powerful.

What’s the most valuable lesson you have learned along your journey?

So far in answering these questions there’s definitely been a thread of humility. I’ve got to stay right sized, not less than, not more than. See my strengths then acknowledge and work through my weakness. When launching MAMAWEST and even shooting my first collection I had this intense belief of not being good enough. It was only through rising above these experiences that I was truly able to see my worth and that the voices in my head were a load of ****! Mindset is everything!

What have been some of the best decisions you have made in business?

Engaging in a business mentor before I opened the salon outside of our industry for fresh perspective. Designing a pricelist based on my overheads, not the salon down the road. Giving back to my industry by taking on two apprentices. They have taught me so much and shown me that I am absolutely born for this role. Getting the space double the size of what I thought I needed. REACHING OUT to the people in my industry that I admire and telling them! Life’s too short not to express how you feel and it has led to some incredible relationships.

If you had the power to change one thing about the industry, what would it be?

WOW! What a question......! I can proudly say, I have the power as a salon owner to change the industry by the way I lead my team. I treat them the way I treat myself. With love, kindness, and respect. I look out for their best interests and always find a way to give more. I find ways to look after them like no one ever looked after me as an employee and I feel really proud of that. Because of this I know whole heartedly I am a fabulous lady and can hold my head high.

What is your mission, or what have you set out to achieve in your career?

My mission is to become an award-winning salon recognised for the impact that we are having not just nationally, but globally. To create a new world for our industry. Based on love not fear. Creating my own standards and values. Collaboration, connection, and community.

What is on the Horizon for Mamawest and yourself?

When I launched MW in the middle of the pandemic, I got a space double the size of what I thought I would need. 18 months later, THANK GOODNESS for that as we are at total capacity. Now, I have this crazy desire to find a space double the size of this one to create more impact in others’ lives. My present and future team and community.

OLIVIA AKA… BABYWEST

Olivia, can you share with us how your journey in the industry began, What inspired you to start hairdressing as a career?

When I first had to think about what I wanted to do in my last two years of high school I originally wanted to be a graphic designer, but it just didn’t feel right. I’ve always loved really colourful hair and I really wanted to learn how to create amazing vivid hair, so I started my apprenticeship 6 months after finishing high school. ready to leave the industry altogether, with covid and past experiences I fell out of love with the industry but after I met Sheridan, she had been so sincere and excited about wanting to give me a spot at Mamawest. I really felt like I found my people and she’s given me amazing opportunities and so much support since starting there.

What do you love most about the industry?

I love all the education that has become available, I love that more hairdressers are wanting to share their skills and tips that they have learnt over the years. It’s really inspired me to want to teach the things I’ve learnt one day with others in our industry and continue seeking out further education to be the best I can be.

Who inspires you to be the best you can be?

Definitely Sheridan, everything she has done and is doing really inspires me. All the extra education she does to be the best hairdresser she can be, and all the work she puts into herself to be the best person she can be really inspires me to do the same.

If you had the power to change one thing about the industry, what would it be?

I would change how apprenticeships are done, so many apprentices don’t get enough training and support from employers, and there isn’t anyone checking in enough to make sure apprentices are getting what they need. I spent a lot of my apprenticeship with no support or regular training before Mamawest and unfortunately it happens more often than it should.

What advice would you offer to others who are interested in starting a career in hairdressing?

Find a salon that you vibe with and go with your gut, it’s so important that you find somewhere that will support you, value you, and give you a safe fun working environment.

What is your mission, or what have you set out to achieve in your career?

I want to be a mentor to apprentices and employers on helping change the industry for all the future apprentices, I want to help train and source training to give apprentices the opportunities I wasn’t given until I was 4 years into my hairdressing career.