ELEVEN Australia Collective Awards

This year saw the launch of the ELEVEN Australia UK COLLECTIVE AWARDS with awards up for grabs in over 5 categories. Many of our amazing ELEVEN Australia salons entered, and finalists were chosen and invited to the awards ceremony at Salon International. We asked our winners a few questions to discover what it takes to put an award-winning entry together.

ELEVEN AUSTRALIA UK SALON OF THE YEAR

JUDGED BY Wonderful Brands Joint Managing Director Andy Camping , our finalists were;

• Atelier Hair Couture
• Salon Ginger
• Elysian
• Michael John Hair Artworks
• Josh Lee Hair
• Roberts and Gray
• Heir Salon

We learnt putting together the entry for The Eleven Salon Of The Year Award was an enlightening experience. It allowed us to reflect deeply on our journey and business practices. Here are some key lessons we learned:

The act of writing the entry was a positive exercise for the entire team, it allowed us to reflect on the positive aspects of the business and understand the potential for further success, this in itself added a boost in team morale and provided motivation and focus. We were given the opportunity to acknowledge the contributions of our team and recognise their efforts and achievements.

The process prompted us to take a step back and critically assess HEIR Salon strengths and weaknesses. In doing so we are able to identify what makes the salon unique, but also where we can make improvements. Identifying weaknesses, as well as strengths is the first step towards addressing them and improving business operations, systems and services.
The end to end experience has given us the opportunity to recognise and reward our team as well as continually improve our services and build a reputation for being a top quality high street salon.

My biggest tip for anyone thinking of entering awards is to show the impact of your incredible business. Even the smallest of salon businesses can make the biggest of impacts. Numbers, analytics and reports can paint a picture, but it’s the impact of your business which tells a story. The real ways in which your business has helped people and made a lasting impression. For us it’s about the impact we make in the lives of our customers and our team. Case studies and testimonials can speak louder than a graph showing business growth. Your business has made a difference, in some way, this is what makes you unique and worthy of an award win! So find a creative way to share this!

When we found out that HEIR Salon had won The Eleven Collective Salon Of The Year Award, We were overwhelmed with gratitude. It was a moment of validation for all the hard work and dedication our team put into HEIR salon. Winning this award has not only boosted their confidence but also motivated us to aim even higher in our business endeavours.

Colourist Of The Year

JUDGED BY Head of Education Melvin Royce Lane & Education Director Lindsay Perez-Solomon, our finalists were;

• Douglas Reid – R&R
• Pamela Cooney – Clay Hair Studio
• Stacy James – Stacey James Presents Style
• Jamie Boot – Salon B

What I learnt about myself entering the award was that It helped me learn that even tho I own a business now there is always room to make time to be creative! It helps keep ideas fresh and creates excitement in the salon you can’t beat!
My biggest tip is be true to yourself and put forward your own sense of style and what you see as forward-thinking.
Winning the award just makes you feel amazing! By being recognised just makes you feel that you are getting it right and makes you want to do it again!

Member Of The Year

JUDGED BY Wonderful Brands Education Director Jo Robertson, our finalists were;

• Toni Roberts – Roberts and Gray
• Zoë Rees – Biss Hair Therapy
• Zoey Louise – Salon B
• Jamie-Leigh Oliver – Micheal John Hair Artworks

What I learnt about myself when I won the award was that if I really put my mind to it and have more faith in myself I can do anything. I also learnt that I am good at my job and I should have much more confidence than I do have with showcasing my work and how I get to where I need to get.

I have never entered an award so the tips I would give is just do it, you’ve got nothing to loose, just make sure you put everything you have into it and the most important thing is you did your best. Entering is the most confident thing you could do.

How I felt when I won both my awards? I sobbed like a baby! I just cried (with happiness of course) I have never won anything before and I lack so much confidence within my job, I’m so used to always being knocked so I didn’t have high hopes but knowing that I won two awards I was and still am over the moon and I sing about them with pride! But I’m always trying to improve myself to always be better as a just in case. I couldn’t be more thankful to the eleven team for boosting my confidence so much!

TREND IMAGE AWARD

JUDGED BY Co-Creative Director Andrew O’Toole & Co-Creative Director Joey Scandizzo our finalists were;

• Douglas Reid – R&R
• Jamie-Leigh Oliver – Michael John Hair Artworks
• Hollie Herring – Hair at No.2
• Eloise Taylor – YOKE The Salon

SOCIAL MEDIA AWARD

JUDGED BY Head Of Education Melvin Royce Lane and Jo Robertson Wonderful Brands Education Director, our finalists were;

• Katie Guise – Ochre Hair Studio
• Zoë Rees – Bliss Hair Therapy
• Jamie Sean Boot -Salon B
• Zoey Louise – Salon B
• Joshua Lee Partridge – Josh Lee Hair

What I learned about myself by entering the awards is that I’m so busy in the salon that I rarely get the time to reflect. Compiling the entry made me realise how much we’ve developed in business since launching five years ago and actually made me feel quite proud of how far we’ve come!

If you have never entered an award before and if you feel you deserve to be recognised for a certain achievement/award- just go for it! Sitting down to draft the entry can feel a little daunting, especially as hairdressers are not used to being behind a laptop so if necessary seek support. A friend, family member or professional who has copywriting experience will be able to help you effectively convey why you deserve to win.

Another handy tip is to carefully consider the criteria for the specific award you are applying for and write down your key notes in bullet point format. This will help to ensure that the entry remains concise and relevant, which is critical in order for the judges to measure if you are the deserved winner.

When we heard our name being called as a winner we were over the moon. At Josh Lee Hair we are huge advocates of ELEVAN and have been using the products for several years now. To be recognised is an honour.