Winning Our First Award 🎉🥇
We were finally there, at this glamorous and prestigious event, filled with high-glitz dresses, tuxedos and champagne bottles everywhere in sight. Looking around, The Oceanic Event’s English Hair & Beauty Awards’ hard work and dedication had clearly paid-off as everything was purely high-class. This is when my heart first started to skip a beat...we were at table number 2...out of 70 or 80-odd tables...could this be a good omen - being at the very front? Or perhaps we were at the very back and kept out of the way? Or perhaps, the positioning meant nothing at all, haha!!
We felt instantly relaxed upon finding our table, where the very lovely team from ‘Decasare’ were already sat. Met with big smiles and welcoming words, I again, had a fabulous feeling! And in the words of that lovely team ‘this is the winning table’ were spoken, I could again feel that heart-beat skipping. “Front table, positive people - I’m liking these odds” I felt myself thinking, but daren’t say for fear of ‘jinxing’ the situation!
The evening started with many award categories and lots of ecstatic winners. As I’m sure you can imagine, voices and cheers became louder as the alcohol flowed faster to the tables - it was a wonderfully happy ambience. There was a break where our beautiful dinner was served so efficiently and smoothly - shoutout to The Athena for their perfectly-timed kitchen and waiting staff 🙌 Again, more positive vibes came our way when the host was sat next to my husband to eat his delicious meal...surely this was another fabulous sign!? (Or another cruel misconception haha!).
My stomach was in knots as we waited in anticipation of our category approaching. And then it was here...part of me didn’t want to know but every other ounce of me was absolutely desperate to see inside that little gold envelope that the host was handed. The ‘highly commended’ in my category was announced...it wasn’t me - slight relief, slight panic, pure hope that my name would be called next...
...”it was. I’m sorry? It was? Did he just say KC Plaits & Beauty? Oh my gosh, I think he did - is that right? Do I need to get up? Am I going to fall flat on my face in these beautiful but rather uncomfortable heels? What do I say? I didn’t even think to prepare a speech!” All these thoughts whirled around at once, pure delight and absolute gratitude (along with fear of falling over!) had completely taken-over and all I could manage to mutter were 1-syllable words on stage. Luckily we were short for time and so before I knew it, I was ushered off of the stage and taken for my ‘winner’s picture’ where I couldn’t help but let the waterworks flow. I find it difficult now to describe the utter delight and shock and happiness and gratefulness and pure joy I felt at that very moment in time.
All of my hard work had paid off. All of those hours that I had doubted because of being away from my beautiful children, had paid-off. My wonderful clients and the fabulous judging panel for The English Hair & Beauty Awards had collectively decided that I was worthy of this amazing award. This little business that I set up less than 2 years ago had grown into a successful and now award-winning business.
After that, all I could do was stare at my beautiful glass trophy in adoration. I had actually done it! Upon return, it wasn’t long before the fabulous Decasare’s category was up...and they were right...we most certainly were the winning table as they took home the ‘Most wanted salon’ award, not only for their region but also overall. And now, I could just sit back and bask in the winner’s glory. Celebrating with every other wonderful and talented finalist and winner that sat around me.
We had all done amazingly well to have even been nominated by our fantastic clients in the first place, and I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate every single person at that awards ceremony. On that note, I received such a kind congratulations from the lovely Phillippa of 'Yaxley', a local hair salon, who also won her category - ‘Stylist of the year’. A massive well done to you, Phillippa. The best hair stylists can clearly be found in Witham 😜
Annoyingly, there are some that feel that it isn’t a job that we do within our industry, it’s just a hobby that we get paid for, but I knew that night that I was sat in the presence of hundreds of ladies and gentlemen that absolutely adore their career and physically do make the world a more beautiful place!
Here’s to making the next 2 years of business even more successful...watch this space! 🥂
