2 mins
FREE to be ME
HJ finds out more about Leanne Chadwick’s freelance journey – it’s seriously inspiring
HJ: Leanne, when did your freelance career begin?
Leanne: Let’s start from moving to London from Cornwall back in 2016. I started working at a salon in West London on a freelance basis. This was my first self-employed position and the first time I actually used Wella Professionals – and I haven’t looked back since.
What does freelance mean to you?
Self-employed, rent-a-chair, working from home, mobile – all of these labels count as being freelance. What I love about being freelance the most is that you are ‘free’ to be who you want to be. You can be all the above at the same time. For example, when I was self-employed renting a chair in London, I would often have out of salon days where I would be at photoshoots, music videos and TV shows. It’s great to switch it up and to find what you love the most within hairdressing.
Let’s fast forward to you being the face of Leanne Chadwick Hair, blonde specialist and educator...
I rent space in multiple locations now and Wella Professionals has had such a big part to play in my career. I started to attend the Wella Studios for classes, and this is where I found my love for education. Wella Professionals as a brand has taught me so much on my freelance journey, which I hope to teach others in the future. The Wella Professionals education platform is massive, with a huge variety of classes. This isn’t to say you can’t do it all, because you can. I did, I found that doing it all helps you find what you love the most in your career. I’ve done session styling, been a salon colourist, a mobile hairdresser, I’ve rented a chair and delivered education.
So where are you now?
I currently rent spaces in different locations. I am based in London and in Hertfordshire for my clients. I rent out salon space on Sundays/ Mondays to hold education classes. I travel to salons to teach my blonding classes showcasing all my must-have Wella Professionals products such as 8/03 Colour Fresh, which is my absolute saviour. And right now I am also styling hair for the TV show Celebs Go Dating. So freelance life is great!
Any tips for going freelance?
Becoming a freelancer can be quite a scary jump. But with the right mindset and motivation you can smash it. For me, my motivation came from attending the Wella Studios and feeling even more passionate about our industry. An eye opening moment for me was during lockdown when I became a Wella Passionista. I was over the moon about it. I always thought it wouldn’t happen to me because I’m a freelancer and not working for a salon. It’s so great to work with a brand that support freelancers and become part of the Wella Professionals family.
Wella Professionals is proud sponsor of HJ’s Freelance Week, which runs online from 24-28 October. Head to hji.co.uk to see daily content that will arm you with knowledge, inspiration and education – all targeted at freelancers
For more information visit education.wella.com/home