Suzie – Salon Owner
At 16 I told my parents I wanted to leave school to do hairdressing. I was quite academic and my parents were not happy with me leaving school and so encouraged me to continue with my studies and go to university. I did a business studies degree, tried various office jobs (which I hated!), and was even a wedding planner for a while but I never stopped wanting to work in the hair industry. After the birth of my two children, I took the leap to train and have never looked back! The business studies didn’t do any harm either as 15 years ago I was able to fulfill my dream of having my own salon and The Players Lounge was born. I love working as part of a team, looking out for each other and watching the team blossom and grow. At the end of 2021, I took the decision to no longer be on the salon floor cutting hair to spend more time on my product business @mooandyoo but I am still very involved in the salon, training and helping the team reach their best potential.
Carla – Salon Manager
From the age of 15 I always loved experimenting with my hair, trying different colours, styles and even the odd perm! I was obsessed with the TV show The Salon, it looked exciting and fun with every day different and I knew that was the industry I wanted to be in. I did try a day job at the airport but I knew quickly that it wasn’t for me and so my career in hairdressing began. I was lucky to land a job with a top Edinburgh hair salon before moving five years ago to the Players Lounge where I quickly fell in love with being part of a lovely and creative team. It’s fun chatting to people and learning new things about them and no day is ever the same. I love connecting with clients and making them look and feel their best. It is a really special feeling to give someone the gift of self-confidence and see them feel good about themselves.
Carla works Wed-Saturday each week.
Jen – Artistic Director
I always wanted to be a hairdresser, even as a little girl. I grew up in Italy in a family who were all very involved in hospitality, they assumed that my love of hair was just a phase and enrolled me in catering school! I hated every minute of it and after a year of skipping classes and complaining about catering, they realised that my hair passion was here to stay. After four years of working and studying to learn my craft, I moved to London to start my dream job with Toni and Guy. Hairdressing has taken me around the world and allowed me to meet some amazing people. I love the art of cutting hair and as a super creative person I love how much freedom it gives me to express this side of me.
Jen works Tuesdays, Friday and Saturdays.
Lindsay – Senior Stylist
I was always creative and knew even at school that I wanted a career where I could use these skills. In fourth year at school I did a weeks work experience at Cheynes in Edinburgh, loved it immediately and was hooked! When they offered me a job as a trainee I leapt at the chance and that was the beginning of my hairdressing journey. I love everything about the job and no two days are ever the same. After working in Edinburgh for a few years I moved to a top salon in Manchester and that is when I found my passion for mens hair. Being a hairdresser is so much more than cutting hair. It’s about making sure your clients enjoy the experience and leave the salon happy and feeling good about themselves. I feel so lucky that after 24 years in the industry and 8 years with the players lounge, that I still have the passion and enthusiasm that I had on that first day.
Lindsay works Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
Lynn – Senior Stylist
At 15 I started a Saturday job in a local salon, never in a month of Sundays thinking I actually wanted to be a hairdresser…..how wrong I was! I immediately fell in love with the buzz of the salon, meeting all the different clients, working so closely with a team and 36 years later I feel truly blessed to be working in a job I adore and that I still have such a passion for. I have been with the Players Lounge for 8 years and am so lucky that work never feels like a job! I love speaking to and hearing peoples stories, and meeting so many people whose paths I would never usually cross. It is an honour to sometimes take the role of counsellor, confidant and friend and even if I can help one person look and feel good about themselves, I feel fulfilled.
Lynn works Wednesday and Saturdays
Graeme – Stylist
I’ve always been creative in some form, whether music, art or dancing. My hair cutting journey started when I was 19. Playing in a punk rock band, cutting and dying my friends hair – what a mess I must’ve made! Fast forward a few years, I actually went to a barber for the first time when I was 30. I loved watching the methods used to create the cuts so effortlessly. After the birth of my daughter and a big nudge from my girlfriend, I took the plunge and enrolled at the Sid Sottung Academy and then began my journey with the Players Lounge where I have been ever since. I love chatting with people when they’re in the chair. You never know what you might have in common until you spend a bit of time one to one with someone. By the end of the appointment, I like to think that as well as having a great haircut, they have had an enjoyable experience and can walk out looking and feeling good.
Graeme works Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and alternate Fridays
Briana – Salon Receptionist
From an early age I had always been drawn to the glamour of the beauty industry, especially makeup and hair, which inspired me to train as an esthetician in Canada – where I grew up. I’ve been playing with makeup since I was a kid and my mom would take me to her hair appointments. I started my professional development in 2014 after graduating from Gates College and then developed a close professional relationship with my then hairdresser who would eventually become my boss. She gave me the opportunity to work at her salon in many capacities, including as an esthetician, a receptionist, and as a personal assistant. I love the opportunities that reception work has provided me – meeting people, helping clients, creating relationships, and understanding the needs of the clientele and the trends of the day. It is very fulfilling work for me. I love the salon atmosphere and the industry generally – how creative and inspiring and innovative it is. It allows me to be true to myself and it is a place where I can express who I am.
Moving to Scotland was a long-time dream of mine after my first visit in 2011. I have dreamed of creating a life here for myself – a challenge that I wholeheartedly embraced. Finding a new job in a new city is never easy. Finding a new job in a new country is an entirely different challenge. When I first found the Player’s Lounge I knew it was a workplace that would be a great fit for me – from its aesthetic to its eco-ambitions. Meeting the team really sealed the deal and I can’t imagine working anywhere else. It’s really helped to ground me in this great country and to help make my dream into the most wonderful reality.
Stevie – Stylist
I started my barbering career a little later in life, having been involved in other creative fields like the music industry and time as a chef. During lockdown, I suddenly had the time to re-evaluate my life and work out what inspired me and what I wanted to do. My partner is a hair stylist and encouraged me to try hairdressing and barbering. I absolutely loved it and as soon as I was able to, I booked on to a training course in Glasgow. I then advanced my skills at the Sid Sottung Academy in Edinburgh and also worked alongside my partner, improving my techniques and gaining confidence before joining the team at the Players Lounge last year. I love so much about this career, but mostly I love meeting new people and I get so much satisfaction from making my clients look and feel the best version of themselves.
Stevie works Tuesday-Saturdays