Cos Sakkas on Staying Positive and Creative

Whether you’re an apprentice at the start of your career, a senior stylist looking for that next move or a salon owner bursting with ideas, there’s never been a better time than now to set your goals for the year ahead. 

With a reopening date now in the diary, it’s a great time to put pen to paper and plan for the rest of your year – and beyond!

TONI&GUY international artistic director and head of education, Cos Sakkas, says setting goals is important for your mental and emotional health. “We all need something to strive towards – whether it is a date for reopening, a promotion in the salon or the start of a new project. “2021 may not have started in the way we wanted, but now we can start to see a light at the end of the tunnel, it’s the perfect opportunity to sit and really plan what you want to do with your time. Don’t put your goals or ambitions on hold, but do everything you can to make them possible.”

Four goals Cos thinks every hairdresser should set themselves: 

1 Always look at the positive. We’re living in a world where anything and everything is changing. The news and social media is full of negativity and panic – but from a negative there is always a positive. When our Academy was forced to close, it was a shock, but we looked at the positives and it kickstarted our digital learning which we had already been planning. While others were lamenting not being able to educate, we rolled out sessions and workshops to our TONI&GUY family around the world. And actually felt more connected than ever. So never accept the situation, always look at what is possible.   

2 Look after your mental health. 2020 really taught us how important our mental health is. While many were stuck inside by themselves away from family or friends, it’s essential we put our mental health on a par with our physical health. Make sure you go for your daily walk, take time away from screens and pick up the phone to talk to friends you’ve not spoken to for a while. Talking about anything but the current situation will really lift your mood. Continue looking after your mental health even when you return to the salon. 

3 Get off social media. It’s easy to fall down the black hole and spend hours scrolling through social media. So use your time wisely. Follow ten new people every week that will stretch your imagination and inspire you – from authors to designers, artists to models and musicians. Look outside of hairdressing for new ideas and inspiration.

4 Keep up to date with trends. When clients come back to the salon many are going to want a brand-new look. So, make sure you can offer them something bespoke, something modern and something that makes them look and feel fantastic. Check out our new CONNECTED collection on social media, look at London Fashion Week, models and campaigns to see the shapes, textures and colours that are on trend.