The Master - Burnetta Haswell

Position: Salon manager
Years in the industry: 29

I grew up in Auckland and then Nelson and I’m now living in Blenheim after having 10 years in Auckland. I’ve picked a soft place to land, working with Rochelle Stevenson at Beyond the Fringe.

When not cutting hair I like to be with my husband Tony and son Bejon. I enjoy going to the beach, mountain biking, organic gardening, trying to find my chickens that are always running riot and working on our surfy brand of clothing.

I trained in Nelson, in Wakefield actually, which I loved – there were only six shops there. I then moved to Richard Adams and lovely lady Edna Mc Clean who owned Graffiti Hair before opening my own salon Cardells, which is still running successfully.

I was Samala Robinson’s first ever class for makeup training. She gave me an opportunity to work at TV3 news, and it was like doing a photo shoot every night. I started managing Servilles Mission Bay and went on to manage the flagship Servilles salon in Newmarket.

I wanted to be a hairdresser because I love fashion, colour and being creative – it’s just in my soul.

Hairdressing is my professional party. I don’t think of it as work, just as an environment that I can create my feeling and future. I get to dress up and play, plus try to make a great day for the people around me.

Hard work and drive have got me where I am now. I have always surrounded myself with the best in the business. Paul Serville has always been my everything in hairdressing – at 16 years of age we became friends through the love of photographic and a great model and he has been my mentor all my hairdressing life. I cannot speak more highly of him. Jackie Allumn, CEO of Servilles, taught me the business end. She is the other very special lady that has moulded how I am today.

Mickey Ridgway wanted to know …

What is your favourite part of hairdressing?
The people and photographic.

Where do you get your inspiration from?
Paul Serville as I have worked with him at all levels and he has made me understand how to be inspiring.

What is your greatest moment in hairdressing?
Being runner up for L’Oréal Supreme hairdresser of the year – I really wanted the camera. The following year I won L’Oréal Hairdresser of the Year.

What was the lowest point in hairdressing?
At times you can have that in any day, but I think it is how you choose to cope.

What is it like to learn that Mickey chose you as her mentor?
Really lovely. But really when I came to Beyond The Fringe Mickey was the one who impressed me. She let me work with her, she had beautiful models, drive and the eye. You can learn so much from young people, they have the edge.