From Salon Owner to Author

At the age of 5, Cathy Vescio-Dibella and her family moved to Craigieburn in Victoria, a place that was once known as a little country town, and has now turned into a thriving community.

Growing up, Cathy loved the space around her and playing tennis was her favourite past time. Hanging out after school with friends was always fun and if she came home before the streetlights came on, the freedom to just be a teenager and to explore her surroundings was what she loved to do most.

Cathy’s hairdressing journey started at the age of 15, well in a professional sense anyway, when she got her first part time job in a salon.

“I knew that l was passionate about hairstyling and would practice at home on my brother, sisters and other family members without my mum knowing, at the age of 12. The outcome of my cutting and colouring didn’t always produce the best results but nevertheless, l kept practicing.” Says Cathy.

At the age of 16 Cathy started her hairdressing apprenticeship. Due to an unexpected circumstance, Cathy left the salon she was an employee of and ventured onto completing her Cert 3 in Hairdressing at the Australian Academy of Hairdressing. In 1988, at the age of 18, Cathy was unexpectedly offered to buy the business of which she was an employee. Forever grateful to her parents who took a risk and put up their family home as collateral so that Cathy could get her first bank loan to buy a business, before she knew it, Cathy took ownership of a hairdressing salon in Craigieburn.

Being in the salon always felt like home for Cathy. Within the most colourful salon walls, Cathy never lost her passion for creativity and built her 33-year legacy, 1988-2021, by mentoring and nurturing her team as a priority, ensuring the salon was a safe and happy workplace environment for all to enjoy.

Meeting so many amazing people along the way of her career, Cathy was eager to learn everything about hair and was also forced to learn everything about running a professional business.

Cathy’s Innovations family always came first because by taking care of her employees, in return her employees would then take care of the salon and their clients. At team meetings this was regarded of upmost importance and was at the forefront of maintaining and building her salon brand. The salon was a safe space, and the door was always welcoming for everyone. Engaging with people and building relationships was also of great importance.

“Embracing how the hair and beauty industry continued to evolve, has been amazing, and employing so many diverse and unique team members to learn from was a bonus.”

“I always felt young at heart being amongst my team of all ages. The salon platform was theirs to enjoy, and l provided them the freedom to be their unique self, learning from each of them. The diverse personalities I crossed paths with have enlightened, educated, and transformed me, and so much more, all at the same time. Listening, asking questions, and embracing what everyone has to offer is important. Even the employees who rocked the boat a little, they will always be life lessons from which to learn from”

“What l learnt the most was that l wanted to ensure that l provided a salon culture that made everyone inclusive. No one ever knew who the boss was because that wasn’t important to me. What was important and can often be undervalued and overlooked is that your team are the backbone of your business, and that should always be respected and not taken for granted. My team are family to me”

Cathy was on a mission to get at least 5 years out of any 1 employee and was blessed with more than half a dozen employees who lasted a decade or more!

For more than 3 decades Cathy has been blessed with beautiful relationships that she still maintains to this day with employees, clients, and the wider community.

One of the biggest challenges as a business owner and employer is trying to manage everything, and one of the best lessons l learnt was to delegate responsibilities to others. Providing opportunities, allowing my team members to be an integral and important part of my business was a positive turning point.

I have had the most amazing salon managers who treated my business as though it was theirs and l cannot overlook or undervalue how much that meant to me. Over 33 years, the support from management and team members gave me the freedom to work on my business, and not in my business on the floor, and when l had my children, this allowed me to have flexibility and time out when l needed it.

Breaking up a relationship with a client has also been challenging but necessary. I learnt how to build a positive work culture, salon space and knew what l wanted for me and my team. When clients behaved in a negative, rude, and unwarranted manner, bye, see ya! Can’t have that, and don’t want that in my happy space! Being diplomatic and kind in my approach and letting a nasty client know that it is best they find another hairdresser, and salon to visit didn’t happen often, but if it needed to be addressed, l was onto it!

“My journey in the salon has taught me to be a good observer and more importantly a good listener. What l enjoy the most is that every client service is different and so is the conversation. The art of ‘listening’ always made me curious and no two stories are the same. My learning experiences became more than l could have ever imagined.”

So, what changed and why did Cathy walk away from her business?

It was all about WORK-LIFE BALANCE!

As Cathy explains…

“Take the time to ask yourself: What do you seek in life? How will you nurture yourself?

Unexpectedly, in 2020, COVID-19, a worldwide pandemic occurred, and everything changed! Residing in Melbourne, Australia and like so many others being at the forefront of extended restrictions in 2020, I was forced to take some time out from my work. This led me to find stillness and space.

Without warning l began to experience mental health issues. What l did discover more than ever before was that l felt as though l was losing ‘myself’ in more ways than one! At times l felt empty! There were days l did not get out of bed and this was alarming to my family, particularly my husband and kids who have always seem me as a resilient, strong minded and positive person.

In time getting the support l needed from health professionals and a network of amazing family and friends was the beginning of what l had not expected to happen next…

During a home renovation l found my poetry book, client story trinket box and my journals. I began to write down my thoughts and feelings and this allowed me to process what was happening in my community, my workplace, my home, my surroundings, and most of all my mind. And so just like that, l felt like l had a new purpose to get up and get going each day.

I decided to tuck myself away to focus on me. A home retreat on the Mornington Peninsula gave me the freedom to work on my writing, a personal project that has been on my mind for quite some time. Getting everything off my chest, became my therapy.

In March 2022 l became an Australian published author. Without any expectations other than for filling a lifelong dream of writing a book someday ‘Unbosoming’ which means a disclosure of thoughts and secrets, came to life, and now lives in libraries, can be purchased from bookstores and is in the hands and homes of 100’s of people. Who would have thought?

‘Unbosoming’ is a collection of just some of the stories that I have heard and experiences I’ve had throughout my life, and during my time as the owner of ‘Think Innovation Hair and Beauty, that over time provided me with a better foundation from which to learn more about myself and the wider community.

These stories cover a variety of different topics including, bad attitudes, manipulating behaviours, dangerous situations, mental health and addiction, sexual encounters, violence, harassment, and abuse to finally Chapter 7, my thoughts, and my Melbourne lockdown, when l was questioning my own state of mind. Everything you read is raw and real.

So why am I sharing what I remember in my writing?

I utilised my mental health issues and breakdown as a moment in time, my moment to release what I have heard, what I have seen, what stories I have been told. me to be the person I am today. My gratitude is with those who have shared and entrusted me with some of their journey.

My hope is that after reading these stories you are positively impacted either in your thoughts or in your actions. I believe that when we listen, be kinder and love more, we can make a difference to ourselves and others.

After more than three decades of experience within a salon without a psychology degree, I have realised that hair stylists, barbers and beauty therapists are some of the oldest and youngest psychologists helping people deal with the issues that they face on a day-to-day basis.

Hairdressers and beauty workers should be acknowledged for ‘acting like makeshift counsellors. I am 100 percent certain that a degree in psychology could have never prepared me for all the conversations l have had in the salon and what l have learnt. I am not just a hairdresser or stylist but someone who makes time to listen to stories. From the early days as a hairdresser, l became a good listener. I believe l became a therapist, counsellor, problem solver, friend, confidante, sister, mother, carer and so much more.

As for the future, l am currently working on an idea of delivering Personal Development workshops for small groups at a desired location that suits business and salon owners.

I am passionate about our industry and want to support workplaces who employ up-and-coming hairdressers, barbers, and beauty therapists. Let us all continue to advocate the importance of making time to chat and encourage our team members to be ‘Happy being YOU’.

My hope is to provide my knowledge and wisdom to encourage a stronger self-belief system in the lives of young people so that they can all try to be the best version of their own unique and individual self, not comparing themselves to others.

Being unique allows you to STAND out from the CROWD which is often a WONDERFUL thing!”

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