Sam James-Cockayne is busy woman. The recent nominee for Telstra Young Business Woman of the Year Award is just starting to truly reap the fruits of the past 10 years spent building her skills, client base and knowledge to her current position as Salon Director of ORBE North Adelaide.
After working 6 years in a managerial position at ORBE Hair in Norwood, Sam was given the opportunity to open her own salon and take the brand beyond The Parade. Considering the long and successful history of the name, the opportunity wasn’t offered lightly or taken so, especially moving onto a highly competitive strip. Yet the transition just over two years ago appeared seamless.
ORBE is not just another salon as far as Sam and her team treat it, which has been a big contributor to their success. But this isn’t about big noting, rather about pulling back the veil a touch to see what ingredients have to be combined to set the grounds for success in the first place. The pride placed on service provided at ORBE is really the cornerstone; built upon community, a caring and outgoing ethos and well as attention paid to each individual.
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Sam remains actively learning new skills, techniques and staying across new products to bring back to the salon so that each personalized consultation, quote and one-on-one prior to treatment or service includes photos of trends and potential hairstyles that best suit are up for discussion. Developing trustworthy relationships, being consistent, and honest during the consultation process are crucial, as well as discussing care and maintenance techniques to take home. It’s not rocket science, but it’s thorough attention to detail that is rare to come across.
As the Director, Sam instills many of her personal values into her team. She believes in going above and beyond to ensure that every single person that walks out of their salon feels confident. Her professional mantra, perhaps, could be distilled to be “never discount yourself” shared with her customers through more than just a haircut. If you are a professional then you should not sell your self for less than you are worth.
It’s a mantra we could all do well to remember more often. Something else to remember more often, would be to use a good heat protectant when using hot tools, to help prevent heat damage and breakage. This should be used in conjunction with a deep moisturizing mask or professional moisturizing treatment to replenish hydration and help with the overall condition of the hair; often forgotten steps that Sam would love for people to really heed at home.
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Having the recipe for success doesn’t always mean that you’re guaranteed to nail it, but in ORBE North Adelaide, the parts have come together to be something that truly can push the boundaries of service forward. It’s not often we’re offered a chance to gaze into the mind of a Director and find out about all of the thoughts which go into ensuring that people, on a simple level, walk out of the salon with something they love.
Visit the award winning team at ORBE North Adelaide at 40 O’Connell St and enjoy first-hand what it’s like to be really taken care of by a salon. For more information, visit their website or follow the team on Facebook and Instagram.
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