As they work their way up, young up-and-coming beauty professionals are blazing trails and making waves. We scoured the country to find out who is doing what and how it all began. Here is our chat with up-and-coming beauty professional, April McDougald.
Salon Magazine: How did you get your start in hair? Why did you decide to be a part of this industry?
April McDougald: I started when I was in high school, working after school and on weekends as a receptionist and shampoo girl at a salon. I decided to be a part of this industry because I loved how excited people were to come and see us at the salon and how happy they were when they left.
SM: What drives and motivates you as a hairstylist?
AM: Passion! Pure Passion. Also, I believe that success is not the key to happiness, happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful and the right clients will come to you because of that.
SM: What is your expertise? What do you specialize in or excel at?
AM: I believe my expertise is communicating and listening to my clients. I also believe my strength is hair colour. I specialize in balayage looks and blondes, but I love to keep a great variety of options available to avoid being bored. I’ve also had the opportunity to work with Joico Canada helping design looks for the Color Intensity line so really anything to do with colour fills my heart and soul.
SM: What is the one lesson you’ve learned throughout your education and career that you still keep in mind today?
AM: The law of colour. Once I finally understood and could appreciate the law of hair colour, I felt so empowered to create or recreate any look that I wanted.
SM: Who is your mentor or who do you look up to when it comes to hair? Anyone in particular on social media?
AM: Damien Carney. Hands down one of the most influential, creative and visionary artists I’ve had the honour of learning from. His attention to detail is by far one of the most important values I brought back to the salon.
SM: Who is your hair hero? Is there someone you want to work with?
AM: I’ve been really inspired lately by Anh Co Tran. His “Lived in Hair” cuts are sexy and sassy! I would love to spend time shadowing him and watching him work. I would even love to get a haircut by him!
SM: As a young artist, what has been the biggest challenge have you faced and how have you overcome that?
AM: Allowing myself to say “no” and having the ability to set boundaries was my biggest challenge. I’ve never been good at saying no for fear of letting someone down or fear of them being upset. I’ve learned that standing up for myself and being confident with what I can do while setting limits is best for everyone around me.
SM: Who gave you the best advice as you embarked on your career and what was that advice?
AM: Trevor Sorbie once said “one of the easiest things for a hairstylist is to become uninspired.” I think of that so often because it’s true. It’s easy to keep on doing the same haircut, the same foil pattern and the same root touch up. It takes passion, determination drive to grow, learn and challenge yourself to stay motivated and inspired in this industry.
SM: What is your one must-have product?
AM: K-Pak Color Therapy Luster Lock Repair Treatment.
SM: What are your goals for the next 5 to 10 years? Where do you see yourself in the beauty industry?
AM: My goals are to work on photo shoots and more editorial work. I would also love to be a Contessa judge or judge other photo competitions. I also hope to still be learning and sharing my craft with others around me. Teaching really does make me feel wonderful. I hope to be working on international stages and inspiring the masses by sharing what I love!
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