Hairdressers are probably one of the busiest businesses in the final days in the lead up to Christmas.
This week I found myself in Frankie’s Hair Salon in Mountmellick to talk to the comical Frankie Horan – and not to mention LaoisToday’s top snapchatter of 2017.
What’s your typical routine in the lead up to Christmas?
We come in, we cut hair, and we go home again! This will be our 2nd Christmas in this premises, it’s always hectic in the lead up to Christmas.
We will be open from 7am on Christmas Eve until 12:30pm. It’s important that the girls working here get home on Christmas Eve at a decent hour. And we will re-open on the 27th.
What is in greatest demand in your business this Christmas?
This year we launched our Chatome brushes, they are definitely in biggest demand. We are stocking them in 70 shops around Ireland from Donegal to Tralee and all in between.
I have just finished going around to all the shops now, so it has been crazy driving around and seeing all the places that are stocking them .
How did you become a hairdresser?
It was actually by complete fluke how I became a hairdresser. An aunt of mine turned to me when I was 17 and said “Frankie you would make a good hairdresser” I don’t know why she thought that, maybe because I had the ability to talk plenty of sh*#e.
But it planted a seed in my head from there, and I went to train at David Martins in Dublin, and then when I was 19 I started up my own Salon over my brother’s pub here in Mountmellick with four staff.
And it has grown ever since, I bought the premises we’re in now and now I employ 12 staff.
How have things changed in your business over the years?
We have a big shop online where we distribute our products, The Chatome brushes have definitely made things busier. They are the biggest product we have.
What is the funniest thing that has ever happened?
I remember, and it wasn’t too long ago, a customer went to the bathroom, and she got locked in. She was beginning to panic, so I told her to throw the key out the window and I will try open the door from my side.
But of course didn’t the key break when I was trying to open the door. So I told her to stand back, while I tried to knock the door open. Of course she didn’t stand back and I bust the door open and hit her right on the head! Luckily she was grand but I gave her a 10% discount for the inconvenience!!
What plans have you in the new year?
I’m going over to China to see where our Chatome products are manufactured. I’m 10 years married next week so I decided to bring my wife to bring her to a big dirty factory in Guandong, It will be interesting to see how that goes down!
Roses or Celebrations?
Neither, I have joined slimming world, they’re forbidden!
SEE ALSO – Christmas is Coming: Meet the man behind Sheeran’s pub in Coolrain
