8 minute read
Holly & Her B’ME Dream Salon
By Matt Clarke
A woman who truly needs no introduction to the world of hair, Holly Sharpe is a trailblazer renowned for her mastery of vivid colours. Her creative approach to colour has made her a sought after professional, with partnerships with brands such as Danger Jones, Tuft, and Revlon Professional.
I’ve personally been friends with Holly for over a decade now and have watched her career boom, from working in a small shopping centre chain salon to owning one of Brisbane’s boldest, coolest salons. It’s been awe-inspiring to watch her career growth.
Speaking of the boldest and coolest Brisbane salon, B’Me Hair. Holly has also crafted a salon that feels like Barbie’s very own dream house, wall-to-wall pink, the salon offers a vibrant and welcoming space for clients to explore their boldest hair aspirations.
Yet Holly’s influence extends far beyond her salon. She has taken on all aspects of the hair industry. From innovative colour techniques to setting new trends, Holly’s work has not only transformed her clients but also inspired a new generation of stylists.
Whether she’s transforming a client’s look or mentoring aspiring stylists, Holly’s influence is felt throughout the industry. Her passion for vivid colours and her dedication to her craft continue to set her apart as a true leader and inspiration in the world of hair.
A chat with Holly…
Let us know about Holly, what drove you into the world of hair?
Hairdressing has quite literally been my dream job since I was little. I moved to Australia when I was 14 from London and didn’t quite fit in, so after a lot of thinking, my parents let me leave school and start hairdressing full time when I was only 15 (it was a punt because I was the child who easily got bored of every single dance class/sport I decided I wanted to try).
I thank my lucky stars every day that they let me start hairdressing, it has absolutely pulled me through the hardest times of my life so far and has been my safest place. Hairdressing is a part of me, and I love it with my whole heart.
Haha, the punt that truly paid off, now clearly colour is your game, talk to me (a hairdresser, petrified of the colour world) about your approach to colour and where this love for bold vivids stems from.
When I was studying at Brisbane School of Hairdressing, we had to paint the colour wheel, and when the teacher came over and saw the absolute MESS I had made everywhere on what I had to paint, he said, ‘Well, we’ve found the colourist of the class, ha-ha. I love everything about colour. I love how it can make someone feel like themselves and see themselves in a way they never have before.
I know for me when I went red for the first time, it felt like an evolution, and I was really finding who I was as a person (I will never come out of my red hair phase ha-ha). So, to give that gift to people is amazing, no matter their age/ethnicity/gender colour can literally be for everyone.
That culture of making people their authentic selves is exactly what B’me has become known for. You opened in the new location a year ago, way bigger and way pinker, tell us about it, how is the new shop going?
I opened the new and improved B’Me Hair with my business wife Tab, and I LOVE IT. It’s what my dreams are made of (I was the child that ALWAYS had a pink bedroom) and every single morning I step foot in there I feel motivated and inspired to keep chasing after whatever wild dreams I have.
Not only that, but we have also created a beautiful and safe space for all our amazing community to enjoy (the recliner massage basins are always a win too).
I am so proud of B’Me Hair and can’t wait to see what we can achieve next year!
It’s no easy feat being a salon owner, I’m sure the stress has already shaved a few years off, what are your tips to managing the trials and tribulations of owning/ running a salon? Give us an insight into the success?
Oh man, I took over the business just 4-6 weeks before the dreaded Rona hit. I had just hired my first ever apprentice/ employee and honestly had NO IDEA what I was doing when it came to business.
For me, some things I’ve learnt over the last 4-5 years of being a business owner is: most favourite things, sharing something I love so much with others to help elevate their skillset is just something you can’t beat and something I will always do.
1. Be patient, Rome wasn’t built in a day. Give things time to grow and be consistent. You got this!
2. Focus on who is showing up to support you, not the people you thought would be there. Use your support people and It’s 100% ok to ask for help/need help.
3. If you’re lucky enough to find someone to be in business with, DO IT!! I’ve been working with my business partner Tab for 2+ years now and it has made something that felt very lonely at times so much better.
My main goal has always been to create a safe space for my team and clients. A creative space that my team can thrive in and achieve as much as they desire to. I’ll forever be working on that but have learned a lot of lessons along the way and will continue to do so.
You’ve completed a national tour of your course ‘prism placements’ sponsored by Revlon professional. Tell us about the tour? What education means to you? And how you went about designing a course/ what this course meant to you?
Prism placements was a great success! It was amazing working with Revlon Professional again and being able to share it with stylists around Australia.
I’m a huge believer of the KISS method ‘keep it simple stupid’ so when I created the prism placements workshop, I wanted it to be simple yet effective with a versatility to suit all stylists and clients. It was super fun, and it was amazing seeing so many stylists try something new and think outside the box!
You also were just on the main stage of Hairiest with Danger Jones, who just launched into the Australian market, tell us about your experience on the main stage,the brand and how you got involved with them?
I actually saw Danger Jones on Instagram when they first launched in the USA and messaged them multiple times (I have no shame, I will quadruple message ha-ha) about when they would be launching in Australia and then Nick and Bianca at Salon Cosmetics announced they were launching DJ and I hit them up straight way.
They’ve been amazing to work with as always, I worked with them a while back with Colortrak, so I was definitely excited to be able to work with the team again. It’s the best creative brand on the market and I am so grateful to be a part of the team. David and Alexis who created the brand are probably two of the coolest humans I have ever met, and I will be inspired by them always. What they have created has been made with pure love and passion and I love that shit!
Watch this space because they’re just getting started!
Now that you’ve conquered Australia’s biggest stages, what’s next for Holly Sharpe Hair?
Well, if you know me, you know I always have some kind of project in the works, so my business partner and I are going to be opening a Hair and Beauty Kingdom Brisbane location VERY SOON!!! We are so excited to be able to offer people all their hair, beauty and barber essentials and some incredible brands!
We have also been working on our own premium hair extension brand called ‘Couture Hair Extensions’. We have spent the last 2+ years trailing all different hair and we have finally found the best hair I’ve ever worn! This will be for trade only to start with and available very soon! I also will have education happening in 2025 for colour and hair extensions so keep an eye out for the dates for the first half of 2025!!!
Other than that, I plan to keep making people’s hair dreams come true and making the magic happen in my beautiful pink palace!
