A HAIR salon in a Tendring village is celebrating a milestone anniversary having defied countless challenges along the way.
Clair Jackson is marking the 10th anniversary of her salon, Clair Jackson Hair, in Thorpe-le-Soken’s High Street.
She moved to the area after having worked in Edinburgh for 13 years in her own, very successful salon to be closer to her family.
Working three jobs in order to be able to keep the salon afloat, she was able to turn the former estate agency into a hairdressers in only two weeks.
“The three jobs kept it going for the first year, but I was going to sell the shop and then relocate, but I decided to stay here at that time," she said.
“This smaller village gave me a much better work-life balance than trying to take on a shop in Colchester as well and trying to run everything.
“I was very ambitious at that time, and I ended up selling the other shop in Colchester and stayed with this one.
“When I look back, I just think ‘Oh gosh, that was incredible’, how I managed to really turn it around.”
Mrs Jackson believes her success stems from her late diagnosis of ADHD, which she said made her “hyper-focused”, as well as having a routine and structure to keep her going.
She added: “I think the salon gives me a purpose and it gives me hope. Hairdressing is like a passion for me, I love it and I don’t ever feel like I come to work.”
Thinking ahead, Mrs Jackson is feeling optimistic into the future.
“I love the village, people are great, and it’s been my salvation, because at that time I just needed to get another shot," she said.
"I just needed to keep going, to get up, to come to work, to have the interaction.
“I have no plans of going anywhere.”
One of Clair's long-term clients, Emma Howell, said; "I moved to Essex from Dubai and wanted a salon close to where I live that offered a high level of quality and service.
“I discovered Clair's salon and been a regular since. Her standards match any international hairdressers that I have used in the past and are competitively priced."
The salon is now looking forward to the Thorpe Festival Night, where the salon will celebrate its success with residents on December 1.
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