ANNE RUSSELL

Anne Russell left school at 17 to start her hairdressing apprenticeship. She finished her apprenticeship in 2019 and competed in the regional round of WorldSkills where she won gold, she then competed in the national stage in Sydney in 2021 and won Silver.

Anne was then selected to be a part of the WorldSkills Australia Skillaroo team, and represented Australia on the international stage in 2022 in Helsinki Finland, where she took 7th place and a Medallion of Excellence!

After finishing her apprenticeship in 2019, Anne travelled solo to London for her first ‘big girl’ holiday! Where she met her uncle Scott Sloan, and attended salon international and NOISE. Anne followed that with a European Contiki, then headed back home with a broken ankle… once returning home she had 2 months off and then made the move to Sydney to start her dream job at Sloans of Lane Cove.

Hair Biz Editor Louise May chats with Anne about her industry and Hot Shot journey.

What made you want to be a hairdresser?

I think wanting to be a hairdresser is one of my first memories as a child! My entire life all I’ve wanted to do when I grow up was be a hairdresser AND live in Sydney just like my uncle Scott Sloan! I have always loved playing with people’s hair.

I used to always do my dolly’s hair growing up never changed their outfits but always the hair! One of my first clients was my Beautiful Nan Noeline (who has passed away), she would always let me blow dry her hair and practice my shampoos and massage techniques on her.

She always believed in me and made me believe I could do big things! Since her passing, I created my first collection ‘Reverie’ in honour of her. I wanted the collection to be beautiful and timeless just like her, and I came away with 2 amazing awards from it.

I love that now as a stylist I can make people feel so confident and give them the boost they could be longing for, give someone their dream hair, or even completely change someone’s look.

To me, it’s one of the most rewarding parts of my job, along with people sharing their stories with me and me also doing the same. (I LOVE TO TALK).

What kind of hairwork is your favourite and why?

I absolutely love styling hair! Whether it’s an up style for an event, or a blow-dry for dinner with the girls, or an editorial photoshoot. The styling is my favourite part.

I love that you can recreate similar shapes on so many people and they turn out all so different, and each time you do the style, you change your technique slightly, or learn something from one of your favourite stylists on Instagram that then changes the way you create.

How do you manage life and work balance?

I don’t... I find it hard to manage a work-life balance. Purely because my hobbies and fun time is doing hair, so I find it hard to not be constantly watching hair videos and planning a colour for a client or a style change or tweak for another.

One thing I do A LOT is spend time with my best friend/mum. She comes to the city a lot to visit which I love, whenever she’s visiting me from the country we love going out for dinners, gossiping, and just hanging out whether it’s shopping or doing her hair. She is truly my best friend, and I don’t know what I’d do without her.

Who inspires you in the creative field of hairdressing and why?

I find a few people super inspiring. One is Sarah Laidlaw! The way her mind works is amazing! I’m always so excited to see any new posts on Instagram of the truly beautiful editorial work she does.

A long-time inspiration of mine is Sharon Blain. The timelessness and perfection in every look are something I’ve always admired about her. And of course, my lovely Uncle, Mr. Scott Sloan.

What inspires me about him is that there’s always something new to work towards. Coming from the same small country town, to who he is now, the name and brand he has built, inspires me immensely.

If you could spend a day with anyone from a business or lifestyle mentorship perspective, who would it be and why?

I would LOVE to spend the day with Lizzo. I’ve always loved her as a person. I would love to spend a day with her and see how she creates her music and works on her brand ‘Yitty’, and always balances her crazy busy life and keeps herself grounded.

One of the things I love about Lizzo is the way she spreads positivity. She is a proud, fit, and healthy big girl like me, and I would love to pick her brain about the way she thinks, so I can tailor that to me and take some of it with me on my journey. The way she presents herself is breathtaking to me.

How important are competitions and awards to you?

Competitions and awards are important to me because they push me to be my best, and to be extra creative and put myself outside of my comfort zone.

I thinks it’s good to always be entering competitions, as it keeps me inspired and looking for inspiration, sometimes where I may least expect it. It makes me think outside of the box and push myself to do something I might find uncomfortable and to also try a new technique.

Can you tell us a little about what you are most looking forward to being a member of the Hot Shots team?

I am super proud and excited to be able to have this opportunity to be one of the 2023 Hot Shots. Being one of the Hot Shots has always been a dream. I still pinch myself to make sure this isn’t a dream, and that I actually am a part of the Hot Shots team.

I am ready to be a sponge for the next 12 months, and absorb everything I can from all of the amazing people that are giving their time and knowledge to us. I think I am most looking forward to broadening the way I think, both creatively and also personally.

I’m extremely excited to be in the house with my Hot Shots team and all the mentors, I’m excited to hear everyone’s stories about their journeys, and how they manage their work/life.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years’ time?

I have no idea... In 10 years, I hope to still be in Sydney, creating beautiful hair. I’ve always loved passing on my knowledge to others and I hope to one day be somewhere possibly in education.

I would love to be able to share knowledge with people up and coming in the hairdressing industry, and help them create gorgeous hair and instil in them anything is possible if you put your mind to it and to work hard.

Fun Snapshot

Worst Hair day: Bright red hair with a fringe and Blunt bob.

Fave Destination: Amsterdam

Fave Drink: Coconut Marg, or a classic coke!

If you weren’t a hairdresser, you would be a: Maybe a therapist.

@annerussell_

@sloanssalons