my story
SARAH LOUISE KEANe
I started in hairdressing at just 14 years old…
AND I’ve spent the last 20 years immersed in every part of this industry, not just watching it evolve, but living through its changes.
From being employed to renting a chair, from managing salons to working on high-profile shoots, there is nothing I haven’t seen from the inside.
I’ve stood behind the chair through it all; burnout, bounce backs, breakthroughs and I know exactly what it feels like to give everything to a career you love, only to still wonder whether it’s ever going to give anything back.
For seven years, I worked at Bleach London, one of the UK’s most recognised specialist bleach salons and a global colour brand that shaped the direction of hairdressing for a new generation. That experience not only cemented my technical expertise in blonding, but taught me how to build something that resonates far beyond the salon floor.
But even with all that experience behind me, I still hit a point in 2022 where everything came crashing down. A wave of cancellations left me unable to pay my bills, and the work I’d once relied on suddenly wasn’t enough.
I found myself burnt out, emotionally exhausted, and silently ashamed of how far I’d fallen behind the version of success I thought I should have achieved by then. That year became not only my reckoning but my rebirth.
Since then, I’ve rebuilt everything from the ground up, through deep personal work, strategic thinking, and the willingness to do what most people avoid: tell the truth about what isn’t working. I got sober, I stopped pretending and took full responsibility for the business, life, and future I wanted and I built it, piece by piece.
Today, I still work with clients behind the chair and run my own education. I’ve taught over 15,000 hairdressers across the world. I’ve helped stylists go from hiding online to launching sold-out courses, increasing their revenue by six figures, securing brand deals, and building businesses that finally feel like theirs.
From Burnout to Building Something Bigger
Creating Space for
Stylists to Grow
In November 2024, I co-founded Host Manchester, a space built for the future of this industry. I’ve also worked alongside some of the brands I once dreamed of being noticed by.
But more than anything, I’ve proven to myself and to thousands of others that the hairdresser you are doesn’t define the business you’re allowed to have. You can love the work and make money. You can take pride in your craft and be respected as a leader. You can choose a different path and still be taken seriously not just as a stylist, but as a business owner, educator, and expert in your field.