Successful salon is a family affair
THE mother and daughter team who run a salon have shared their wisdom on its quick rise to success in Derbyshire.
Tracey Ann Smith, 51, and her daughter Poppy Goodwin, 29, have been running French and Ivi, in Belper, for the past two years and have built a happy home for their salon in the picturesque town.
Tracey, who is originally from Scotland, started in the industry in 1985 and has seen fashion trends come and go.
But she firmly believes that keeping fresh up to date with what clients want is the key to remaining successful, and is one of the reasons she loves the job so much.
Tracey said: “In the 80s it was all flat tops and perms, that’s all I did all day. But you have to continually retrain yourself year by year.
“There’s not a year you’re not learning. It changes massively.
“Obviously at the moment, there’s lots of balayage and texture work.
You have to keep your finger on the pulse or you’ll probably get lost.”
Tracey currently works alongside her daughter, Poppy, at their Chapel Street salon, where the pair work together styling hair for clients across the town and the wider community.
French and Ivi was founded two years ago, just before the pandemic started, and the duo were forced to wait until Covid regulations allowed them to open their doors.
“I knew that once the business opened, that my daughter’s really talented and I’m confident at what I do,” Tracey added. “I think as long as you’re consistent and you’re good with clients you can build a business quite well on that basis.
“Belper’s a really lovely, friendly town and we’ve really been welcomed into the community. I’m really lucky that I have Poppy by my side too.”
Yet, the 29-year-old’s entry into the industry was not as instant as her mother’s.
Poppy had originally been to university and trained as a lawyer.
Six months into her career, Poppy decided to trade law for beauty, and Tracey sent her to train in London.
She added: “I sent her to one of my friend’s salons in London, called Zoology.
“I thought it would be a good way to fast-track her, and I thought it best for Poppy to get a grounding in hair from someone other than me.”
This isn’t Tracey’s first salon venture. In fact, the 51-year-old had previously owned three, before moving abroad to Europe for six years.
Now her current venture has been nominated for a national award.
Speaking on the nomination, she added: “It was amazing because the Births Hairdressing Awards are the pinnacle of hair awards in the UK.
“To represent Belper having been so welcome here is great. It’s an honour to be able to put it on the map.”