Meet Melissa Hammond

*This text is an extract from Part 3 Regional Women Cutting Through of my book, Cutting Through the Grass Ceiling: Women Creating Possibility In Regional Australia.

Mel Hammond has been my hairdresser for a long time. Although she has done my hair many times, she has been the owner of the salon I attend, for more than a decade. In writing Mel’s story, it could be said that she has cut through, quite literally!

When I first met Mel, she was a young woman who had returned from a period overseas and had come home to Gippsland. Mel had been working in Manchester in the United Kingdom while her partner had played professional cricket there. On their return, Mel found a job in a local salon that had a steady clientele and was owned by an absentee businesswoman interstate.

Essentially, to secure her own job and those of some staff she worked with, Mel embarked on a very brave venture. She took over the business, and relocated it with a new name. Ten years on, another larger premises, a sizeable staff, a marriage to her partner, and the birth of two little boys, Mel owns one of the most successful salons in the area.

I interviewed Mel and asked her what it was that made her think her big leap into salon ownership was possible.

Mel grew up in the township of Moe. She attended Lowanna College and in Year 11, her family relocated to Traralgon. Mel decided to commute back to Lowanna each day to finish her school year.

While Mel originally wanted to be a flight attendant, she was told being so petite, she wouldn’t be accepted by any airline as she didn’t meet the height requirements. So, Mel chose to do hairdressing during school work experience and she loved the salon environment.

While still at school, Mel’s early employment experiences were in the fast food industry. She absolutely believes she learned her customer service skills in these outlets. She says they were a wonderful training ground for her. (Now as an employer, she notices people who have had that early experience have better customer service orientation, and she looks for this in their skill base.)

On leaving school, Mel was employed full time in a large retail appliances and furnishings chain. She became the small appliance manager at aged 18. Clearly, her training in customer service and sales had paid off. Mel recalls selling a coffee machine to a woman opening a hair salon. Through the conversation that day, the woman invited Mel to apply for an apprenticeship. She did, and got the job. She continued working weekends in her other job.

When Mel had almost finished her apprenticeship, she met her partner, Kent. He was on his own journey and was due to start playing county cricket in Manchester. Mel moved overseas with Kent, where she worked in hairdressing and hospitality for the 6 months they were away. Mel loved the experience of meeting new people, working for a large hotel chain, and seeing another part of the world in a big multicultural city.

Mel and Kent returned to Australia and settled in Traralgon. She went to the local TAFE college to finish her hairdressing training modules so she could qualify for work in Australia. Mel worked from home for a time, and then got a job at the salon where I first met her, in 2005.

Mel found her place, quickly developing close connections with several team members, including one woman she employs to this day, as her salon manager. When Mel realised that the salon was not likely to continue longer term, she decided she would “go for it” and set up on her own. She looked at shops, signed a lease, and contacted the interstate salon owner to suggest taking some staff with her. Others had already found new jobs. At that point, the owner decided to close the business and Mel opened her new salon.

I asked Mel what it was that gave her the drive to make this significant move at an early age. She said “nothing was ever enough. I always wanted more”. Mel says her early experiences of working part-time after school and throughout her apprenticeship gave her an opportunity to contribute to her family’s income and to have some funds for herself. She also recognised in herself a tendency to be easily bored when she had mastered something, thus looking for new challenges.

Mel says she didn’t give herself time to be scared, and she didn’t overthink her decision. She wanted to open the salon to see if it would work. In hindsight, she says, had she been older, it might have been more daunting, but she was “too excited at the time to see it”. “I think I’m still like that actually.”

At that time, Mel sought the advice of small business support workers in State and Australian Government agencies, so she could absorb all the information she needed to know as a new business owner. To me as her client, even then, she seemed very clear on strategy and who she needed to engage to gather useful information.

Mel says it hasn’t always been easy to run the business. She has had to move people on when things haven’t worked out. Recruitment has, at times, been challenging. There are sometimes difficult customers. Good staff make choices to leave too. She reflects, however, that in moments of stress, she has told herself “what you’re panicking about right now won’t matter in a week or two. There are other good people out there and you can replace the person who’s gone.”

She tried opening another salon in a nearby town, but shut it down within a year. The manager of that site resigned a few weeks before Mel was to give birth to her second baby. She quickly realised she couldn’t be in three places at once and available to everyone who required her attention. She had also found that two salons didn’t mean twice the income. It was, at times, harder and costlier. Rather than seeing it as a ‘fail’, Mel says she is very glad to have tried a second salon and about her clear decision to close it. It seems it was a great learning experience in many ways. Mel giggled, “it still makes me laugh when people tell me I’m loaded because I have my own business. That takes a long time, and it’s not the main reason I’m here.”

Mel says the best parts of her business journey have been watching younger people grow into their jobs. She loves bringing apprentices on board and seeing them through to graduation.

When I asked her what’s next in her career, Mel noted her need to keep growing herself and her skills. Now, as the mum of 2 little boys, and with 10 years in the business, Mel has consolidated. She has her salon manager, and a business coach. She intends to focus on being the salon owner and parent for a few years before she decides what else to try. This will also give space for others in the team to grow their skills. “They don’t need me around all the time – they will be freer.” She is open-minded about opportunities and where they might lead.

One of the things Mel is most proud of is that it’s good for her sons to see their mother in her own business. She wants to encourage the boys to try new things and to have perseverance to keep learning. This role modelling is important to Mel and Kent.

I asked Mel what advice she would give to young girls in preparing for their future. Here are her tips.

• Enjoy your time as a young person while it’s here. Don’t grow up too fast. Adult life will be waiting for you.
• Go for your dreams and don’t let anyone else tell you they’re not possible.
• Learn to be self-supporting, and be prepared for some sacrifice. Save money. Have fun, for sure, but give up some fun to enable you to do the things you need to. I had to sell my car to get a business loan deposit. It was my dream car and I’d saved ages for it. The deposit was more important, so the car went. I bought a cheaper car to get me through. I sold another car later to buy my house block so I could build a home.

Mel Hammond is an example of almost every element in this book. I’m so glad to have met her all those years ago, and to have observed her growth as a business owner and a woman. Her infectious smile and welcoming hugs make me feel special every time I see her in the salon. She’s a Gippsland Girl made Good—actually, Great.

-

Cutting Through The Grass Ceiling teaches women how to change their mindset, gain control of their decisions, better understand their values and become visible in their careers.

In my book, you will read about regional women like Melissa who have cut through the grass ceiling. These women lifted and supported other women. They advocated for change, and they moved themselves forward by making clear decisions and holding themselves accountable.

Real change occurs when women explore outside the small pond. This is where they live fulfilled lives. Are you ready to cut through?

Purchase your copy of ‘Cutting Through The Grass Ceiling’ here

“This book is insightful, inspiring and action oriented. A must read for any woman wanting to live her life and build success on her terms.” Janine Garner, best-selling author of It’s who you know: How a network of 12 key people can fast-track your success.