5 minute read
The Journey of Cambridge Hair Collective
Excellence and Education.
By Anthony Gray
Nestled in the heart of the Brisbane suburb of Wynnum Manly, Cambridge Hair Collective is testament to Marianne Gay’s dedication to her craft and her pursuit of excellence. With a journey that spans from schoolbased apprentice to educator to salon owner, Marianne’s story is one of passion, resilience, and commitment to providing exceptional service.
The decision to embark on her own salon venture was a culmination of Marianne’s extensive experience as an educator for multinational colour companies. After a decade of shaping the industry’s future through education, Marianne sought to transition from the rigors of corporate life and to prioritise family. Marianne seized a rare opportunity to acquire a local salon, leveraging her corporate expertise to breathe new life into the business.
Marianne’s journey into the world of hairdressing began as a school-based apprentice. Her hairdressing journey led to diverse experiences, from styling aboard luxury cruise liners with Steiner to educating thousands of hairdressers across Australia and New Zealand with Wella Professionals.
Marianne worked for 5 years as an Wella Educator within the QLD team training delivering the Education at the QLD studio. This was followed with a promotion to the role of ANZ Capability Trainer, which was a challenging and rewarding position, delivering the internal onboarding program, and training hairdressers across Australia and New Zealand. It was this rich industry wide experience that laid the foundation for Cambridge Hair Collective.
At the helm of Cambridge Hair Collective, Marianne is supported by Manager Ali Wilkinson. Together, they lead a team comprising seven senior stylists, three apprentices, and one school-based apprentice, each contributing their unique talents to the salon’s success. With a tiered structure based on experience and expertise, the salon fosters an environment where growth and creativity flourish.
The philosophy of Cambridge Hair Collective is rooted in providing exceptional customer experiences and fostering a supportive, respectful culture among the team. While Marianne humbly acknowledges the salon’s recognition as one of Brisbane’s best hairdressers, she remains focused on delivering a service that continues to meet her client’s expectations.
A key pillar of Marianne’s approach is her commitment to attracting and retaining top-tier talent. By prioritising consistency, intuition, and personality fit over skillset alone, she has cultivated a team that embodies the salon’s ethos and values.
Education serves as the lifeblood of Cambridge Hair Collective, driving growth and innovation within the team. Marianne’s holistic approach to training and development ensures that each team member is equipped with the skills and knowledge to excel in their craft. From in-salon training sessions to strategic partnerships with industry leaders like KEUNE and KERASTASE, education permeates every aspect of the salon’s operations. Cambridge Hair Collective partners with KEUNE who are their major partner in salon.
The team utilise their Academy education as well as personalised in salon education. The Cambridge Hair Collective space is also used as KEUNE’s QLD Academy Education. KERASTASE is also a premium offering at the salons Spa area and Home Care. Their education is first class and excites both the team and clients.
Marianne has a very passionate and skilled team that share their skills and love for all things hair with one another. Marianne believes that utilising the teams’ strengths is one of the best ways to learn and develop. As a team there is a lot of respect for one another and each other’s work.
As an example, one team member is the in-house Extension specialist who loves to share her skill set, expertise and real-life experience with those that want to offer the service to their clients. Marianne maintains that this is a highly effective way of learning as the team respect her stunning work. Another team member is an all-rounder makeover queen.
She literally has a fan base of clients as she works absolute magic on every person that sits in her chair. They leave with a new lease on life, and it is infectious. This supports Marianne approach of wanting the team to learn from one another, it makes the teams skill set stronger and grows the salon fan base.
Working with Cambridge Hair Collective to support the salons apprenticeship training, we at MIG Training have been able to witness first hand Marianne’s dedication to nurturing emerging talent. By tailoring learning experiences to individual preferences and learning styles and providing mentorship opportunities with senior stylists, Marianne ensures that each apprentice is empowered to reach their full potential.
Through a 6 month “bridging year” program, apprentices transition from qualification to senior roles, focusing on client acquisition and business development under Marianne’s guidance. Furthermore, Marianne is spearheading an in-house education program focused on enhancing the team’s proficiency in colour techniques. Drawing from her extensive background in colour education and salon-floor insights, Marianne aims to empower her team with practical skills and real-time solutions, enriching their toolkit and enhancing client satisfaction.
As Cambridge Hair Collective continues to evolve, Marianne’s journey from apprentice to salon owner is a testament to her passion for the craft of hairdressing. As she continues to lead Cambridge Hair Collective into the future, Marianne’s vision of excellence and education, will undoubtedly leave its mark.
