Lloyd Griffiths, a legend in the world of hairdressing, has recently been inducted into the prestigious Paris Hall of Fame after nearly six decades of dedication to hairdressing.
As the owner of Just Lloyd and a veteran competitor, Lloyd shares insights into his career, emphasising the importance of competition, staff retention, and fostering a sense of equality within the salon.
Despite the dwindling number of competitions, Lloyd advocates for their revival, evident in his efforts to form the new Team GB Hair Squad.
Competition breeds success
“Participating in competitions has been a huge part of my career. Not just for my own personal growth but also for the benefit of my staff and the people I’ve worked with. Competitions have brought an incredible amount of publicity to the business over the years. It’s something a lot of salons overlook due to the costs involved.
Competitions provide a platform for showcasing talent but also serve as an invaluable experience for aspiring hairdressers. I have taken my staff to various international competitions because it’s an opportunity for them to develop their skills and network with other salons.”
Working with ISA Training
“ISA Training were a different company back then. They used to hire my salon for training sessions for their apprentices. I used to deliver the training in Abercynon and someone else would deliver the training in Tonyrefail.
Eventually they conducted their training in house however we still stayed in touch. That’s when they asked me to organise their first competition – Salon Cymru – because they knew I was the man for the job.”
Exploring the world through hairdressing
“It was slightly different back then as there was a lot more competitions going on. I’ve been to Poland, Paris, Helsinki, Las Vegas, Washington, Chicago, Moscow, Germany and Milan. Which has all come from me competing and then going onto judging.
Putting on these events you would expect to lose money but the publicity you get from it is tremendous. It’s a long-term investment. You see a lot less competitions these days. They need to bring them back because it’s not just the publicity, it’s the opportunities, progression, skill development, networking and creativity that comes with it.”
Keys to keeping your staff happy
“Salon owners and managers should position themselves as equal to their staff. Yes, be the boss but step away from the hierarchy. You’ve got to have respect for each other. As the boss you might make the final decision however, it’s important to listen to your team. You learn a lot from them.
Involve them in the decision-making process and acknowledge their contributions. Some salons can be quite serious in their approach but here we like to have fun. I believe in everyone being equal and that is how I’ve managed to keep my staff – Jack for example has been with us 22 years and Tracey, 35 years.”
Inducted into the Paris Hall of Fame
“I was in Milan last April and the president of the OMC said to me, ‘Make sure you are in Paris, I’ve got something for you’. I thought it was nothing at first but a month later, they asked for an official photograph of me. I said, ‘What on earth do you want a photograph for, and he said, ‘It’s for when you go up on stage’. So, I knew I had something coming up, but they didn’t say it was the Paris Hall of Fame.
I’ve been doing hairdressing coming up 60 years, this year. I did 55 years in Tonyrefail, and five years with the Constantino’s as an apprentice and in those days, you had to pay to do an apprenticeship. Being inducted into the Paris Hall of Fame is one of my highest achievements yet and probably one of the biggest highlights of my career.”
We’d like to say a huge congratulations to Lloyd on his achievement and for his outstanding contribution to hairdressing.
If you’ve been inspired by Lloyd and are a hairdresser interested in getting back on the stage, contact Lloyd Griffiths today and you could become a member of the Team GB Hair Squad, email: lloydgriffhair@gmail.com
