Nation’s Favourite Hairdresser 2018: Kelly Shone-Adams

With the launch of our annual competition, The Nation’s Favourite Hairdresser only days away, we asked last year’s – and the first ever – winner, Kelly Shone-Adams of Technocracy Hair what the win meant to her and how it’s impacted her career and salon…

Well what a year 2018/19 has been - the year I became ‘The Nation's Favourite Hairdresser’! It has been such an honour and privilege and it was all because of my wonderful clients, friends and fellow stylists who took the time out to vote for me. I honestly feel there's no better accolade out there that beats being voted for by the people whom you aim to make happy and achieve all their hair goals for them.

Having been hairdressing for 27 years and opening my own salon four months prior to the competition; to actually go on to win was totally overwhelming. The competition itself was the inaugural competition to celebrate Good Salon Guide’s 25th anniversary, and congratulations GSG, because it was a fantastic success and it just goes to show the love and respect there is out there between stylists, clients and their hairdressers.

What has is it done for me I ask myself? What it has done has opened many doors to other opportunities for me personally and also put my salon, Technocracy Hair on the map. But I think the most important thing is it's strengthened the bond between my clients and myself even more. They are just as proud of the title as I am, and it's always a talking point amongst new clients, as my award takes pride and place on my reception desk.

A massive highlight for me after becoming The Nation's Favourite Hairdresser was taking centre stage at Colour World UK to showcase my work as the UK brand ambassador for MOOD hair colour. Being amongst many respected and highly talented people in the hairdressing industry it was most certainly a career highlight for me. Along with that I also took to the stage on the Colour Expert panel alongside the wonderful and very respected Carolyn Newman and Tracy Hayes addressing the audience and taking questions on the chosen subject of ‘managing client expectations’, which I thoroughly enjoyed as anyone knows me I love to chat (LOL).

Prior to Colour World I had the great privilege of judging who were going to join me in the ’Colour Shair’ at the UK's premier hair colour event of 2019. The chosen three were absolutely fantastic and we still continue to support one another today. It was a fantastic few days and I was so privileged and proud to be representing the Good Salon Guide whom I have built a genuine friendship with during the course of the year. I have also gained so many friendships with other GSG stylists through their social media reach, and this is something I love seeing - everyone supporting and empowering one another to achieve their own goals.

Good Salon Guide’s social media has also been an amazing platform, and they have helped showcase and support my work over the last 12 months since winning last September.

I would actively encourage every member of Good Salon Guide to promote and enter this year's competition, because it has been such a positive and uplifting experience to have been voted the first ever Nation's Favourite Hairdresser!

To anyone whom ever doubts that you’re not good enough or no one celebrates your work and achievements, please promote yourself and invite your clients, friends and family to vote for you, because nobody else is going to do that for you and you might be surprised at what the outcome is! I'm so excited to see whom the 2019/20 Nations Favourite Hairdresser will be and all they accomplish under the title.

Lots of love,

The Nation's Favourite Hairdresser 2018 (aka, Kelly Shone-Adams) xx