Giang Brooke

Growing up as a middle girl in a family of five, I was very different from my siblings...

Growing up as a middle girl in a family of five, I was very different from my siblings. I was very quiet, didn't know how to talk, had low self-esteem, and lacked confidence. I always worried about my life, feeling hopeless and unable to do anything for myself or my parents. At 16 years old, I lived at home, and it was the worst time of my life. For the first two months, I cried every day and wrote letters to my mom that I never sent. I would look at everyone else leading happy, joyful lives and think about myself. I didn't know how to talk or engage in conversations. Whenever people talked to me, I pretended to be busy reading a book and prayed that they wouldn't talk to me because I didn't know how to respond.

I started feeling a sense of desperation after those two months, and I told myself that I needed to change. I couldn't continue like this. I wondered how I could make money to help my parents, and that's when I made a decision. I began my journey of change, consistently practicing every day to improve conversations by learning new vocabulary from magazines, crafting daily sentences, and persistent practice. My life started to change. Fast forward to when I was 19 years old; I started my first hair salon. It was a success, and I was able to make some money to help my parents and achieve my dream. I decided to move my salon from a small city to a big city in Saigon in Vietnam. I participated in hair competitions and won the first prize in 2008. I had the opportunity to work with celebrities, appear on weekly TV shows, and hosted events. In 2012, I left everything behind in Vietnam and came to Australia to start my journey with my husband, Richard. Hair is my passion, and I began working in the industry. 

The first few years were challenging as I worked in three different hair salons, but I had the opportunity to develop my skills and eventually became a salon manager in the city. I learned a lot during this time. I then specialized in hair transformations, focusing on achieving blonde without brassiness, balayage, going from dark to blonde in one session, and color corrections in one session.

Despite becoming a hair transformation specialist, I struggled to attract dream clients who were willing to pay what my skills were worth. I had many clients coming in, but they didn't always value my work and often sought lower prices or discounts. This stress pushed me to look for a solution. I wanted more time with my kids and family and the flexibility to set my own hours, so I decided to invest in learning marketing. After learning marketing, I attracted better clients, but I still faced challenges. Many clients continued to undervalue my work and expected lower prices. I did my research and learned that to command higher prices, I needed to have confidence in my communication and present myself effectively online. I had to show potential clients how I could help them. It required significant investment in communication and consultation skills. Today, I'm grateful for a thriving business, working two to three days a week, earning up to $145 per hour for hair transformations, with prices ranging from $600 to over $1,000 per client.

However, I receive messages every day from clients in need of hair transformation help, but I can't assist all of them. This led me to think deeply and feel stressed. I asked myself how I could help my clients solve their hair problems because I knew how important hair can be for their self-esteem and overall confidence. I realized that by sharing my skills and techniques, I could empower hairstylists to improve their skills, help more women with their hair, boost their confidence, and love themselves more. This marked the beginning of my journey of teaching and helping others. In the past two years, I've guided dozens of salon owners and hairstylists to transform their careers, granting them the freedom to work less and spend quality time with their loved ones, all while achieving their dreams. My vision and mission are now crystal clear: I want to help a thousand salon owners and hair stylists worldwide, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to transform their lives and profoundly impact their clients' lives positively.

My message for you is this:: No matter the obstacles, determination, and a commitment to solutions can turn challenges into opportunities for personal growth and the fulfillment of your dreams. Never give up; your journey may inspire and empower others.