Mollie Barnard, Founder of The Hair Hut: "I Was Supposed to Be a Dancer"
Mollie Barnard and I have been friends since school, but I'd never actually asked her about her story. She sat down with me at The Hair Hut in Essex to talk about 18 years of dancing, a career everyone frowned upon, and how she built something she once couldn't picture for herself.
Mollie Barnard had spent 18 years wanting to be and training as a dancer, each week her mum and dad sitting in the car for three hours, 3 times a week, every session, while she trained at Dance East in Ipswich. She had secured a place at dance school in London, had paid her deposit, and her halls were waiting for her. But the day before she was supposed to go, she turned it down.
What followed was years of being frowned upon: by teachers, by friends, by anyone who had watched her dance since she was three. She earned about a hundred pounds a week while everyone around her landed salaries and bank jobs. She carried the guilt of parents who had given everything to a dream she had walked away from.
Today, Mollie is 30 years old. She runs The Hair Hut from a salon her parents built in her garden in Essex, with 160 clients, fully booked five days a week, weddings twice a month, and an ever-growing waitlist.
Before we sat down, she told me she'd been trying to figure out what she possibly had to say.
Photo: Mollie Barnard, professional hair stylist & founder of The Hair Hut. Photographed by Lazaro Studios.
“What the hell am I going to say? I'm just a hairdresser.”
Turns out, plenty.
So how did you even end up working in a hair salon in the first place?
MOLLIE: Mum had her hair done with Hollie, who owned the salon. And mum said to Hollie, 'Can Mollie come and do work experience here?' So I did my work experience there in Year 10, loved it, and Hollie then gave me a Saturday job. I earned twenty pounds for a whole day, and I was buzzing. I was like, ‘Oh my God, twenty pounds.’ And I just loved it from the start. I loved being around people, the environment, and making people feel good. So by the time I got into my dance school auditions, and everything was sorted, Hollie was already someone I really looked up to. She'd been in my life for a couple of years by then.
Take me back to the day before you were due to leave for dance school in London. What happened?
MOLLIE: Hollie said to me, ‘We'll offer you a full apprenticeship. We don't want you to go.’ So obviously, I had everything sorted, all my halls, my deposit, everything was done for dancing. And I came home and had really big chats with mum and dad. Dad was like, ‘Can you just do one day of dance school? Just go for one day.’ And I was like... ‘no. I just want to now stay at home as I’m a massive homebody.’ And then that was it. The dancing career finished.
And I'm guessing hairdressing wasn't exactly the career everyone had imagined for you?
MOLLIE: Back then, hairdressing was really frowned upon. It was kind of seen as a career path for thick people basically, that they didn't have any qualifications, and who didn't know what to do with their lives. A lot of teachers came to me and had meetings with me, as they only ever wanted the best for me. I was extremely lucky with my teachers, who I will always be so grateful for. My head of year, Mr Highway, was like, ‘Are you sure this is what you want to do?’ Ms Gough, my dance teacher, pushed against it because she believed in my dancing career; she was the one who guided me to Dance East. Everyone was very much like, ‘What are you doing?’ I know it only came from a caring place.
And my friends, not my close friends but friends around me that were in my dancing life, they were also like, ‘What are you doing?’ It was again frowned upon.
I'd probably only say it's the last five years that it’s less embarrassing to say that that’s your job. At the start, you wouldn't want to be known for doing hairdressing.
How did your family feel about it all, given how much they'd invested in the dancing?
MOLLIE: My mum and dad were just so supportive from the start. I remember coming back to them and saying, ‘This is what I want to do.’ And they were like, ‘We're doing it then.’ There were no qualms about it. It was very much like, ‘You want to do hairdressing, you'll do really well at it. And you've got a really amazing mentor in Hollie. What hairdressing kit do we need to buy you?’ And yeah, that was it.
Obviously, I did feel like I had let them down. I felt for a long time that I had wasted all the time and money they had put in. Mum and dad driving me to Ipswich, sitting in the car for hours, taking me to London for my auditions, and paying for costumes. The amount of money and time they invested in me from the age of 3, starting at JA Performing Arts and then furthering my education at Dance East. Not from them, they never gave me that pressure, but when you've been supported your whole life to do something, you don't want them to feel like they've wasted it.
So even though you'd chosen hairdressing, you still went back to try and teach dance alongside your apprenticeship. What was that actually about for you?
MOLLIE: I went and started doing my ISTD Licentiate in Modern Theatre because of that guilt and felt a little lost without dancing in my life. I was doing my apprenticeship during the week, paying fifty pounds every Monday to learn to teach dance, and I turned up every single week feeling sick. I wouldn't want to be there. But I just kept saying to myself, ‘You've got to show up, you've got to do it’.
And then I had a client tell me to stop doing it. And I stopped. Stopping was one of the best things I've ever done. Because I realised life is chapters, and that chapter for me was over. But at the time, I couldn't see it. I felt like I was letting everybody down.
What I understand now is that just because you don't turn something into a career doesn't mean it was wasted. Dancing shaped everything about me. My confidence, my posture, how I hold myself, and the people I met. I look back on the best memories of being in dance school, and I was just beaming. I absolutely LOVED my childhood dancing at JA Performing Arts, they were massive role models in my life. The memories made I will cherish forever, so this definitely helped with the guilt, as it never felt wasted in memories, as the people I met, danced with, and taught me I absolutely adored.
But the love was going. And I have to love what I do. If I don't love it, I'm not very good at it.
And did dancing eventually leave you alone, or did it keep trying to pull you back?
MOLLIE: It kept trying to come back, actually. Sophie, who had been doing the ISTD at the same time as me, opened Signature, which is a really successful dance school locally. And she came to me and asked if I'd come in and teach ballet. So I went in, tried to feel back into it. But the more I was in there, the more nervous and stressed I felt. It just didn't energetically align. And when something doesn't feel right, that is your sign. It just wasn't meant to be. ALWAYS trust your gut, as what’s meant for you will never pass you by.
You were earning roughly £2.50 an hour while your friends were all landing proper salaries. How did you handle that comparison?
MOLLIE: All my friends were on a salary. That's all everyone banged on about, salary. Apprentices were really looked down on. I was earning about a hundred pounds a week, still at quite an old age [18+]. A lot of my friends were earning a lot more at that time.
But I loved it. I didn't see that as a bad thing because I was just so grateful to be getting amazing mentorship. My boss, Hollie, would stand right next to me for haircuts. She'd allow me to build a relationship with every client. And I learned how to just do silly things: keep a salon clean, sweep hair, make tea. I couldn't even mop a floor before that. I was obviously very fortunate that I lived at home, so I didn't have to pay rent. And I really appreciated my tips. When I'd wash someone's hair, I'd get 50p. All of that would add up. I still thank my clients who have stayed with me, and I tell them their 50p helped buy my home! Never forget your roots or where you come from. My clients stood by me and supported me to the success I am today.
Apprenticeships are definitely the way forward. To be earning money whilst learning a job, and building a clientele. I just think they are amazing. But at the time, they were looked down upon.
I worked at a kids' play centre alongside the apprenticeship, doing parties and that sort of thing, just to get my income up. So I was grafting from every angle, really.
So how long did you stay with Hollie, and how did you know when it was time to move on?
MOLLIE: I felt it in myself. I just knew in my gut it was time to go. And I just went on Instagram, and Mia popped up, and I was like, ‘I want to work for her’. I just knew I needed to work for her. So I messaged her, and she didn't answer me for weeks and weeks. Now I know her, I know she's just terrible at replying. But at the time, I was just like, ‘Okay.’ And then she answered, ‘Come and see me on Sunday.’ So I turned up on Sunday, we sat down, had a big chat, and that was it really. We just clicked immediately. And I didn't look back for four years.
One thing people don't realise is that when you move salons, you feel a massive guilt and disloyalty. But you have to trust your intuition and move forward, be grateful for your past, but be even more excited for your future. So when I left Holly's, I just had to trust that the people who were meant to find me would. And they did.
And what did Hollie and Mia each actually give you, because it sounds like they gave you very different things?
MOLLIE: Hollie built me the true skillset. She taught me how to be a true hairdresser. I'm technically very good at cutting and colouring hair because Hollie was with me day in, day out, over my shoulder, from the age of 14 to 20. That's a long time.
When I went to Mia, she actually taught me how to be me. She allowed me to just kind of shake up, chill out, and be a bit more relaxed and flexible. But I think I helped her be a bit more professional, too. We constantly bounced off each other like tennis. And everyone came to the salon for us as a little duo.
She wanted me to have my own brand from the start. She was very much like, ‘No, you're Mollie, you're Mollie's Hair, you're going to build this. Get your merchandise, your cups, your gowns.’ So she gave me my own little stage. And I remember being in her salon thinking, ‘I just want to be her.’ She had full capacity; she couldn't book any more clients in. I couldn't ever see that for myself at the time. I had three clients, and I was thinking, ‘That's never going to be me.’
And then COVID hit while you were at Mia's. How did you cope with that?
MOLLIE: I found COVID really hard. I love being around people. I love making people feel good. I love that vibe. And when that was taken away, I really, really struggled.
So I started posting on Instagram. Hair tutorials, videos, all of that. And it really helped me because you felt a part of something. The likes, the shares, the comments. You feel part of a community again. And I was really lucky that I had mum, dad and my sister at home through all of it too.
And then when everything opened back up, it went wild. Everyone wanted their hair done. It was only word of mouth and Instagram. And that was when I really started to see what the clientele could look like. Mia had helped me build the brand, COVID had helped me find the community, and then I just had to find the courage to put it all together.
So when did you know The Hair Hut was actually going to happen?
MOLLIE: The idea had always been in my head. And I'd always made it clear to Mia that I wouldn't be there forever. She knew it was a stepping stone, which I think shows how incredible she is. And then Luke and I bought our house, but it went through probate and took nearly two years. But that was fine, I got to spend more time at Mia's, more time at home. But when it was finally confirmed that the salon was going ahead, my parents are builders, so they built it for me in the garden, that was when I knew I had to be honest with Mia.
And that meant having a really difficult conversation with your best friend. How did you even begin it?
MOLLIE: It's really hard because when you've gained loyalty from somebody in your career, but you want to move forward, it's very hard not to burn bridges. They're going to feel like they've been stung because they've brought you up to be a certain level, and then you flee the nest and go somewhere else.
How could I go to work every day with my best friend, she really is my best friend, and not tell her?
Oh, it was awful. I felt sick. I was just mincing around, and she was like, ‘You alright?’ And we ended up sitting up on our own, both sobbing. But she was so supportive. She was just like, ‘You've got this, I'll support you.’ And she did from start to finish.
She also taught me how to be self-employed. I didn't even know how to do my tax work. She helped me with my first accountant. She really taught me to stand on my own two feet.
So what was the reality of those first months once you finally opened the Hair Hut and it was just you?
MOLLIE: At the start, I absolutely LOVED it. I loved the hustle and bustle, every Hair Hut Member, friend and family member was so supportive. The community I was starting to build of Hair Hut members felt incredible. I felt at home; my dream has come true. However, I did miss Mia massively. And I did have to let go of a lot of clients, people who energetically didn't connect with me. So I only kept the people I loved, who supported me and cared about me.
It took me a year to really get used to it. And even then, I've only really just started earning properly from it, because it takes a while. Even though my parents built the salon for me, I still paid for everything. The bricks, the mirrors, the water. So, for anyone just starting out: don't put pressure on yourself. You need to walk before you can run. My 14-year-old self would never have imagined I'd have 160 clients, fully booked five days a week, with weddings twice a month (in wedding season).
And I love investing in The Hair Hut. I launched with a professional website. Then, my sign went up last year. And recently I got myself a proper desk and a laptop. Because I think when you go into this world, into business, you need to invest in what you care about. It shows. What you put out is what you attract.
You also brought your mum in to work with you, which I think is so lovely. How has that changed things?
MOLLIE: She's amazing. She comes in once a week, does all the hair washing, the stock checks, all the salon maintenance. And she's built her own relationship with my clients. They genuinely want to see her. They'll come in and say, ‘Oh, where's your mum?’ And I just love that. Because when you work for yourself, it can be really lonely, and having her in meant I wasn't alone for the whole week. I'd actually get excited knowing she was coming in.
I want to talk about becoming a Davines stockist, because I think a lot of people don't realise how that process actually works. Can you take us through it?
MOLLIE: I have to say, I'd actually been using Davines on my own hair since COVID. I was on Roaccutane and losing a lot of my hair, and Hollie said, ‘Start on the Davines energising tonic, the shampoo.’ And it genuinely worked. I'd put it on my hair, and I'd just love it. So I only ever wanted to stock things I believe in, things I've actually used and seen make a difference.
Hollie gave me the connection. She got me in touch with their sales rep Martin. But it wasn't just a case of placing an order. He had to come and validate the salon. Davines are very specific about who they work with, and it needed to be right for them. So I had this moment of, ‘Oh God, what if they say no?’ And then he came, and he was just amazing. Luckily, they accepted me.
As soon as you sign up with them, they get you straight on courses, up to London to meet other Davines salons. There's a real community there, other hairdressers all supporting one another. Martin pops in regularly to keep me on track. When you go out on your own, you do feel lonely, but Davines never made me feel like that.
And through one of those courses, I met India, who works at The Station in Manningtree, which is an amazing salon run by a husband and wife who literally converted an old station into a salon. India has just done her advanced Davines colourist qualification, and now we're proper friends. She comes to The Hair Hut, and we cut each other's hair. When I have a question, I message her. She teaches me tips and tricks, and it helps her build her confidence for training because she's going down the educator route.
When I first opened, I just did colour, no retail at all. I'd start one product at a time. If a client said, ‘Oh, I like the smell of that,’ I'd order one in. I went from one hairspray to two, then three, then four. For me, that's a massive milestone. And honestly? I love it. I like playing shop. I find it really fun. People think you should call it passive income and take it very seriously, but I just love seeing someone walk away with something that's going to genuinely make their hair look better. That's it for me.
And the Hair Hut isn't just hair products either, you also stock crystals, which I think says everything about what kind of space you've built there, so tell me how that came about?
MOLLIE: So I have to give full credit to Amy, one of my clients. She owns We Are Magnetic Wellness, which is all about crystals, manifestation, that whole world. And she got me into all of it. Manifestation, being a super attractor, trusting the universe. She completely opened my mind to it.
And I just love everything she stands for. So it felt completely natural to have her business in The Hair Hut with me. Because when I see someone walk away with a crystal, that gives them more happiness as well. It's fun. I love supporting small businesses. You've got to start somewhere.
Something I know many self-employed women find really hard is putting their prices up. Is that something you struggle with?
MOLLIE: It makes me feel embarrassed and stressed. I just don't like it. And then I had a client, a man, he'd brought his little boy in, I'd done his wife's hair for about nine or ten years, and he just stood there and said to me, ‘Know your worth.’
He said, ‘When you look at those big business owners, Philip Kingsley, all of those big salons, they were a small fish once, now they're a big fish. They never started off as a big fish.’ And I needed to hear that.
If you're someone who struggles with this, Denise Duffield-Thomas is amazing. She's a money mindset coach. She helps entrepreneurs and business owners because it's very lonely and daunting, and people always make out as if you're trying to be greedy. Denise makes it normal. She makes you feel confident in yourself and in your money.
It’s taken me 16 years to build my career to where I’m at now. I’m still constantly growing and learning. But you need to look at your skill set, knowledge, products and environment you have built. Know your worth.
And then there was the Vegas opportunity. A hairstyling job at an events showcase out there, pulled two weeks before you were due to fly. You'd told everyone, blocked the diary. What happened?
MOLLIE: I found out, and I was devastated. I was upset, I was embarrassed. I thought, I've told all my clients, I've told everybody, and now I've got to tell everybody I'm not going to Vegas.
And I even said to you, look, I don't think I'm worthy to have this interview anymore. Because I'm not going to Vegas. What am I meant to talk about? I'm embarrassed.
But I took your advice. I still took the week off. I went for wholesome walks. I met up with friends. I just sat in what was meant to be. And I was not meant to be in Vegas. It just wasn't meant to be.
And then I realised what I have already got is insane. I've got clients that support me, love me, respect me. I work from my doorstep. I earn really well. And I deserve to earn well because I've worked extremely hard to get where I am. And I have no stress. Maybe going to Vegas might've knocked my confidence. The people I was going to meet there might not have been meant to be my people. Everything happens for a reason. I believe the universe is always protecting us, so what’s meant for us won’t pass us by. I also know now that something even better is on the horizon. Like it is for everyone.
I gave The Hair Hut a new lease of life. And my weddings went wild again.
We started this morning with you thinking you had nothing to say. How do you feel sitting here now?
MOLLIE: No one's ever asked me for my story before today. I never sit here and think about it on my own. When I first sat down, I just thought, I didn't go to Vegas, I didn't do what I was meant to do. I thought that was going to be the big thing of the interview.
But actually, to anyone reading this: it's not about what it sounds like. It's about what it feels like. Okay, it looks good, and you sound like you are doing amazing when you say you're going to Vegas. But in reality, I'm winning already. I've got what I've built right here, and it feels energetically so right. My friends, family and Hair Hut community are simply the best. I wouldn’t be here without you all, so thank you.
My dream came true, working from home in my beautiful Hair Hut, fully booked day in, day out with my amazing Hair Hut members, being a part of my bride’s special day, incredible opportunities always arising and being my own boss. My rules, my life. Your rules, your life.
Keep going, keep pushing, you’ve got this!
Don't do things that sound good. Just do things that make you feel good.
The Hair Hut is based in Essex. You can find Mollie at @molliebarnard_ on Instagram.