How did I get to where I am today?

I always get a lot of questions about how I got to where I am today in my career so I’ve decided that I will stop avoiding the about me questions and tell you all a little more about myself.

 

I’m Maxi Dottori , I’m 23 years old born November 16 , 1994 🤘🏼

I’m a Scorpio which means I’m focused, ambitious, rare & intuitive (I’m such a huge believer in star signs)

I am creative director of my salon Capelli é Bellezza along with my Mum Michelle and sister Tayla.

Pretty much the dream team 🙌🏻

 

I always knew I wanted to be a hairdresser, my favourite thing in the world was going to get my hair done or sitting with mum while she got her hair done as a young kid. I always remember looking up to my hairdresser and thinking they were the coolest people ever, I always wanted their hair their fashion I seriously looked up to them. I went to the same hair dresser for a long time, later my mum ended up getting me a job at Hairmasters I started when I was 14 and a half I was a very troubled teen. I wasn’t very smart or good at school I hated attending and the teachers weren’t that nice to me, I’m not going to lie my boss was a little worried about putting me on so young and he knew that I was a rebellious one.

But that didn’t stop me, I took my job very seriously even though I only worked after school hours Thursday Friday and some Saturdays I was serious about my job, at the time I had actually got a second job working in another hair salon because HM  didn’t need me every Saturday and mum wanted me to work to keep out of trouble and to be honest I just loved the salon environment . 

 I worked most Saturdays at another salon in beach street, later they offered me an apprenticeship which I kindly declined as I had my absolute heart set on getting an apprenticeship with HM.

 

After Peter saw my work ethic, how committed I was to my job and that this career pathway was the one for me,

he agreed to sign me up as an apprentice (best day of my life) now I would be absolutely lying if I said it was easy.

When I started my first year of my apprenticeship,  it consisted of 38+ hourly weeks, unpaid overtime & mostly no breaks.

I was the only apprentice for 12 other stylists in a very very huge and busy salon.

I was absolutely devoted to anything they wanted even if it meant me starving to death or forgetting to go to the bathroom.

But god I loved it.

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I was ‘fast tracked’ by my manager  who in every spare minute I begged to train me and educate me as much as possible.

 I was so hungry to be the best and learn as much from her as possible.

I was constantly watching and being inspired by the people I worked with who were all so amazing at their craft, I can honestly say I was taught from the very best around at the time, it was definitely the salon to go to!

 I completed my trade schooling in 1.5 years absolutely smashing through my assignments so I could be in the salon one more extra day.

A apprenticeship is 3 years and I was signed of at 2.5 years as I was absolutely confident in every area of hair dressing.

I had my own clientele thanks to my Instagram account and was making my targets with absolutely no dramas.

 

After qualifying my manager ended up resigning along with a few other major influences on my career (Joanne) which saddened me and changed my work environment massively, I felt like I was no longer growing so I decided to make the move to expand my knowledge.. This was the hardest thing in my life to resign from a place I pretty much grew up in, they were like my family Peter was like my second dad and I’m forever grateful that he ever gave me a chance.

however —

I put my resumé into 16 hair dressers and heard back from no one.

Not a single one.

I didn’t know enough to just open my own shop even though god I wanted to, I still had to grow, mature and learn a lot more!

 

I had always admired CC (colour collections) and was turned down many times, however after persisting and constantly annoying the owner with my presence he agreed to hire me.

(I cannot say how important it is to follow up with owners because now being one I understand how easily you can be forgotten)

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I worked a few days at his barber shop & a few days at his salon, I then got so busy I dropped barbering and was working full time as a colourist again due to popular demand. Later I was then offered “rent a chair” from this experience I really grew as a hairdresser. Wayne made me grow and also helped me manage clients by having opportunities of having my own business within his salon.

With that knowledge and clientele it made me even more excited and more passionate about one day having your own salon.

My clientele was through the roof and I couldn’t keep up with the demand, not enough chairs or help for me to be able to do what I wanted to do or work the way I wanted to work.

From there I knew it was time.

I had always said I will never work for someone my entire life,

 I come from a family of business owners and from a young age I always knew I’d have one.

I always had “too many” good ideas which were always turned down, I was sick of hearing no, so it was time to give myself the YES I’ve been waiting for.

For about 2 years I had spoken about not enjoying where I was for several reasons,

 However I knew I had to save more as I had just bought a house.

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Creating Capelli é Bellezza was planned for about 1 year before it actually happened, slowly gathering bits and pieces together (my garage was full of furniture)  I have always been obsessed with YouTubing other hair dressers around the world and learning their techniques because going to courses wasn’t the luxury I was given in my jobs, so in every spare minute I had I was online or getting my time up by getting models in salon when I wasn’t working 😅 so pretty much I lived and breathed every single aspect of hairdressing. I strongly think that this career is one that you have to absolutely be passionate about.

How I got to where I am today plain and simple is hard work, a great family who never let me just quit when times got tough and serious passion.

If you want to truly succeed you will. If you really want something you can get it.

Ive proved a lot of people wrong in my life, All my teachers thought I’d be a drop kick with no job, all my friends thought I was a high school drop out. And now to a few people who said my business would fail within a year.

 Capelli é Bellezza started off with 9 chairs, 12 months later grew to 13 chairs.

We will be reaching our 3 year anniversary in January 2020, and we're continuing to grow.

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