[00:00:00] Antony W: Welcome to the Grow My Salon Business podcast, where we focus on the business side of hairdressing. I'm your host, Antony Whittaker, and I'll be talking to thought leaders in the hairdressing industry discussing insightful, provocative, and inspiring ideas of method. So get ready to learn, get ready to be challenged, get ready to be inspired, and most importantly, Get ready to grow your salon business.
[00:00:33] Hello and welcome to today's episode of the Grow My Salon Business podcast. I'm your host Antony Whitaker, and as usual, it's great to have you here with us today. A hairdressing career can take you to many places and enable you to meet many people from all walks of life. Most of us are probably drawn into this industry because of the fashion and creative aspects that a hairdressing career presents, but there are some who use this skill with scissor and [00:01:00] comb to give back to society in another way.
[00:01:03] And my guest today is one such person. Stewart Roberts is the founder of Haircuts for Homeless, a registered charity in the UK and Ireland that's grown into an army of over 600 volunteers working through 80 different outlets where to date, they've given over 50,000 haircuts to the homeless. As Stewart says, it's not a job, it's a calling.
[00:01:28] Now, during the recording of this episode, I, unfortunately, forgot to ask Stewart about being awarded an MBA from Princess Anne, which from non-Commonwealth listeners, an MBA means a member, the British Empire, which is a pretty big deal, and it was in recognition of his work with the homeless. And personally, I can't think of anyone more deserving.
[00:01:52] Now, like every guest I have on the podcast, Stewart donated his time and if you would like to find out more about what he does and how you can help support him, then [00:02:00] visit haircuts for homeless.com. And that's for as in the numeral, so haircuts for homeless.com, and I'll put those links in today's show notes. So with that said on with today's episode.
[00:02:14] So without further ado, welcome to the show, Stewart Roberts. [00:02:20] Stewart R: Thanks for having me. Antony. Pleasure to be here with you.
[00:02:23] Antony W: Stewart. It's my pleasure to have you here. I've, I've been trying to get you for a little while. As you know, you know, we, you, you've had a busy year. I've had a busy year, I suppose everyone's had a busy year and they, but it, it's good that we've finally managed to hook up because, I'm really excited about talking to you.
[00:02:39] So look, A lot of my audience will not know who you are because a lot of them are not English. so what I'd like to do is to start off with you introducing yourself. So why don't you just give us your sort of two minute backstory. Who is Stewart Roberts? Give us your sort of overview just for a couple of minutes. and then we'll sort of jump in and explore the, the back [00:03:00] catalog, so to speak.
[00:03:01] Stewart R: No problem. yeah. My name's Stewart Roberts. I've been a hairdresser for 44 years. Because I was 60 this year. I, I have been, I love hairdressing . I was just gonna say why, why I hesitated there is, I was gonna say I love hairdressing, which I do now, but I, I sort of later in my career, I'd become really punch drunk and I sort of fell outta love a bit.
 
[00:03:28] And what made me fall back in love with it was seeing a guy called Mark Bustos in America, cutting guys here on the. And it led me to do it in England. And the day I done my first homeless haircut session, I completely filled back in up with hairdressing. And that really got me, got me going, which was eight years ago yesterday.
[00:03:51] Antony W: Wow.
[00:03:52] you know, yeah. I've been doing it eight years. We've, we've, and yesterday we opened our 80th site in the UK [00:04:00] that's eight zero. So, you know, and we put 600 volunteeers. And I was saying it quite a while, but it must be up to about 50,000 free haircuts we've given out.
[00:04:09] Antony W: Wow.
[00:04:10] Stewart R: So as an overview, that's pretty much me.
[00:04:14] Antony W: That's your, that's your life. Now as, as far as hairdressing goes, it's all about haircuts for the homeless. Now you don't work in a salon doing clothes or you do not?
[00:04:22] Stewart R: No, no, [00:04:23] Antony W: No
[00:04:23] Stewart R: no, no. They're a smart business in 2018. [00:04:25] Antony W: Yeah.
[00:04:26] Stewart R: I did it for 30 years. And it is quite common there in the UK. and at that point it was just not viable anymore. So the only, and it was all hit us, it hit us really quick. So
[00:04:37] Antony W: yeah
[00:04:37] Stewart R: it was a matter of closing the doors and wrapping up the business, which is really sad.
[00:04:42] Antony W: Yeah.
[00:04:42] Stewart R: But then it's proved to be one of the, anything, it was five years of hanging on and too long really, it was already, you know, on its last legs, I think. Really. And that was the, the final now in the coffin and. I pretty, [00:05:00] I'm very nearly at a breakdown when they lost. It's a long-time little chunk of your life to lose.
[00:05:04] Antony W: Yeah.
[00:05:04] Stewart R: In such a abrupt fashion. having said that, it's opened the door for me to keep my time and so much more wrapping now than I was for many years.
[00:05:13] Antony W: Good okay. All right. So we're gonna dig into that whole haircuts for the homeless thing. It, it's funny that you just said what you said about how you lost the salon, and I was just, I'm looking for it at the moment. I, I saw a quote about an hour ago and, I sort of collect quotes and I saw this quote and it was from the Dalai Lama.
 
[00:05:34] And, and now that I'm trying to find it, I can't find it, but basically it said, it said something like, uhm Sometimes not getting what you want is a blessing in disguise. Yeah. I'm paraphrasing. It's not the exact words, but it's that thing of like, you lost your salon after all these years. Landlord doubled the rent.
[00:05:56] Your whole world collapses. But actually that was. [00:06:00] You wouldn't have it any other way. You wouldn't want the, if you could want the clock back, you wouldn't change that. It was a blessing in disguise, not just for you, but for a lot of other people as a result. But let's, before we, before we dig into the haircuts for the homeless thing, let, let's just talk a little bit about your own backstory and,I know you are quite open about talking about all that.
[00:06:22] So what, what drew you in that direction in the first place?
[00:06:28] Stewart R: Well, at this year I was 16 years sober, so I, I'm in recovery, drinking drugs. and I find that early on in recovery that part of it is to, to hang onto it. You have to help other people. it's all about, it's just, it's mainly. alcoholics and, and drug dependents we're selfish creatures. It's all about us self-centered, self absorbed. So the only way really to break away from that is to think of other people.
[00:06:52] and working with enough, you know, in, in, I, I go, I go to I I sorts of other stuff, but then people, you know, [00:07:00] it's like, you wanna help yourself, help another alcoholic, I'd already been doing that for about eight years.
[00:07:05] Stewart R: And then I saw Mark doing these wonderful street makeovers and I was already volunteering in the, salvation Army. I was, I was just going over there doing a bit of, buddying up with guys, you know, just saying about my experience and, you know, trying to help him with that drinking drug thing. And then I thought, oh, well next week I'll come in and I'll do an hour early and I'll do some haircuts.
[00:07:25] And that's, you know, [00:07:26] Antony W: yeah.
[00:07:26] Stewart R: All it was meant to be. but that was the one that really can't be. [00:07:29] Antony W: And you were already sober by that time.
[00:07:33] Stewart R: Yeah, I was about eight years sober by then. [00:07:35] Antony W: Right ok.
[00:07:35] Stewart R: I was like. 16, yeah. [00:07:37] Antony W: 16 yeah. That would do that
[00:07:39] Stewart R: about, I was about eight years sober. Yeah. and yeah. Yeah, it was, it was, I mean, that's the thing people say, you know what? What idea, it's like anything. It just evolved.
[00:07:49] Antony W: Yeah.
 
[00:07:49] Stewart R: And then it was only supposed to ever be me on a Monday doing a few haircuts. It was then, you know, it was, it was a new thing in the UK. I don't think anyone was doing it [00:08:00] at the time.
[00:08:00] Antony W: Yeah,
[00:08:01] Stewart R: there were a lot of people doing it, but I don't think they really go about eight years. And it was the fact that, other people wanted to help. Cause hairdressers is very giving people.
[00:08:09] Antony W: Yeah.
[00:08:10] Stewart R: And I did the old social media bit as well, was, not everyone agrees with, but it's what's created our, our charity. It's created that sort of people wanting to get on board.
[00:08:21] Antony W: Yeah.
[00:08:21] Stewart R: You know, it's a visual thing and it's like, you know, oh, I love what you're doing. Let me, let me come help. And then other centers will starting to say, you know, can you come to us? But there's always a tipping point in life. Even like in a business, if you are setting up a business, there's that tipping point where you are push, push, push, push. And it just tips past that. And it's FLA people ask, you come, come, come, come, come. You know?
[00:08:44] Antony W: Yeah.
[00:08:44] Stewart R: And originally, I remember years contacting homeless centers. I, all right, we'll now go, you know, we've gone to chops, we've gone to South End. we're gonna go to Brighton. Cause I know there's a big problem now and its knocking on doors and saying to somebody runs [00:09:00] a homeless center. I wanna come and cut hair for your guests. And it's like, what you wanna do that for? You know, it was no one, no one was buying it.
[00:09:08] Antony W: Yeah.
[00:09:10] Stewart R: You know, it's great, you know, cuz there weren't, it hadn't been seen so much, you know, and eventually it's the Sydney point, which, and when we were on the National Lottery TV ever, so once we, we was done and it was mainstream. It was like on Saturday nights and half this inch sobery get me out of all of that stuff. We was. trying advertising and that really took it off there.
[00:09:34] Antony W: Okay. So just, just going back to, to you, I'm just curious about your personal journey, because obviously there's a strong connection between your personal journey.
[00:09:46] Stewart R: Yeah.
[00:09:47] Antony W: And these people that you helped, what was the trigger that, you've talked about tipping point a couple of times. What was the tipping point for you to go, I need to get sober here. I need to get my act together?
[00:09:57] I have lots. I kept [00:10:00] ignoring them. They Called it hitting the rock bottom,
 
didn't they?
[00:10:02] Antony W: Right. Okay.
[00:10:03] Stewart R: My, I, my, my bottom hit the rock bottom and it's just skidded along the bottom every time.
[00:10:09] Antony W: Okay.
[00:10:09] Stewart R: And you know what we do? We justify. So, you know, I had this, I'd wake up, what happens to, I don't, you know, anyone out there who, who's right when a while off will understand the waking up and the feeling of absolute sickness in the pit of your stomach. the, the disorientation of like, oh my God, what have I done. Like normally, like you're woken up and you're not, you're not at home. So all of these things, you know, and you, you get to the point where, oh, I've gotta change. I must change. But then nothing, you don't take any action.
[00:10:41] Antony W: Yeah.
[00:10:42] Stewart R: So within a couple of days it's like, oh, it wasn't that bad. It wasn't my fault. They should have done this. They should have done that. And you carry on it. That can go. Probably went on for years. I knew I had a problem way back then. And it took me 44 to hit that bottom enough times. and what it was [00:11:00] my, I won't spend too long in it, but my, my, my daughter, my family were all in musical theater.
[00:11:07] We got four kids. They was all, you know, and it was a Sunday and they gotta do this matinee of this show that they were doing. And then we got into a family dinner after. So I just wanted to get out, you know, I wasn't present. I wasn't like, you know, I didn't wanna wait for him to come out from backstage and, you know, I said, well, we'll go from, we'll, we'll meet you there. You know, so, so selfish that the kids wanna come out and see you there, you know?
[00:11:33] Antony W: Yeah, yeah.
[00:11:34] Stewart R: Horribly self. I've gone there, I've already had a few drinks by the time they're arrive.
[00:11:39] Antony W: Yeah.
[00:11:40] Stewart R: I found a bit of, bit of leftover cocaine in my pocket that I've done. Cause I there, I didn't really wanna eat. My wife's looking at me going, you're not eating. She know what's dying on.
[00:11:52] Antony W: Mm.
[00:11:53] Stewart R: I I'm just, I'm just being boorish and obnoxious. Then I want everyone to come home. They [00:12:00] will have a party in our house Sunday evening, everyone's gotta go work on Monday cause I'm an address and I've got one day off I was just worried, wanted, you know, then I'll go home, get everything ready.
[00:12:11] So she's come over the kids, no one's with her. I'm saying, where is everyone? You, you miserable so and so, you've told them not to come round. I'm gonna go. So I've,
 
we've got this big cabin in the bottom of go. I'm with it now where we got this cabin, I've got this party for one. So I'm having a wonderful party and it's Sunday night.
[00:12:30] Antony W: Yeah.
[00:12:31] Stewart R: You know, I know, you know, I really know how to live, you know, drinking on my own, watching rubbish and doing founding and all that stuff. And in the morning I wake up in the cabin and I think. Like, I'm in trouble. I open the windows, I see down the garden. There's, there's the kids getting ready for school. I, I walk down the garden and I'm waiting for the, you know, barard stuff.
[00:12:58] And I opened the door and they just met with [00:13:00] nothing. I grabbed them down to the point of aee, you know, it was that. And, she took the kids to school. She was not talking to me. And I went into cupboards to get a drink to light, light lie myself up. And my daughter, who was about seven, had written me a note, daddy, please don't drink anymore.
[00:13:22] Antony W: Wow.
[00:13:23] Stewart R: And that was the one that, [00:13:25] Antony W: yeah,
[00:13:26] Stewart R: we're don't know. That's the one that hit me enough. That's the one that made me look for the number. That's one that made me look, get to ring the number. Someone spoke to me, I got taken to a meeting and it went on from there. But it was continuation and, and to be honest, how we are as, as, as, as narcotics and drug dependents.
[00:13:49] If I had to taken action really quickly, very soon after I would've started to justify. And I just said, you know, yeah, I bet my wife wrote that, or, you know, [00:14:00] I dunno what the fuss is about and all that sort of thing. And they'll turn it around and wouldn't take accountability.
[00:14:05] Antony W: Yeah, that was it. That was the turning point. Okay. And so, and then that's where you started volunteering at the Salvation Army? Cause you wanted to sort of give back you,
[00:14:15] Stewart R: that was some years later, you know, cause that was at first to go through the process of getting straight, you head head's all over the place. You have to adjust, you have to change your whole life.
[00:14:24] You know, your family has to adjust round. Just there's all of that going on. And it was some years later when I really got into what I was doing and I really started to, to, to realize that, that I, I had to seriously help other people that, I, I, I talk to other guys about what, what it's like, you know?
[00:14:42] Antony W: Mm-hmm. ,
[00:14:43] Stewart R: that there's a possibility of change. [00:14:45] Antony W: Yeah.
 
[00:14:45] Stewart R: That's the thing. It's the possibility of change. Because sometimes people, if they're in it, they don't even see any possibility of that until we hear somebody who's been through it. It does help.
[00:14:56] Antony W: Yeah.
[00:14:57] Stewart R: And then that's where it been through that.
[00:14:59] Antony W: Yeah. [00:15:00] Okay. And so that, then around that point, you see Mark boot, so where did you, where did you see something? You saw something on Tele or you read something, a magazine or what?
[00:15:07] Stewart R: I. It's facebook. on Facebook, you know, and him doing these, there was outside street makeovers.
[00:15:16] Antony W: Yeah.
[00:15:16] you know, and it was fantastic what he was doing, you know? [00:15:18] Antony W: Yeah.
[00:15:19] Stewart R: I know that he's done so much more than that since. [00:15:22] Antony W: Yeah.
[00:15:22] well that's interesting because it, it's, it's, it's often that thing where as a hairdresser, if you've got something to do with your hands, There's a reason to, to be talking cuz you're doing two things at once, so to speak. You're talking and you're using your hands. I, if you go along to the Salvation Army and you're talking to someone who's homeless or whatever, someone who you know is, is obviously, you know, gone over the edge in terms of society, so to speak. They've got drink problem, drug problem, you know, social problems in whatever way.
[00:15:57] Just talking to them is one thing. [00:16:00] But I suppose what I'm trying to get to here, The whole self-esteem issue that is addressed when you've got a pair of scissors in the comb in your hand. Because these people are homeless. It's not as if they're going down the barbers once a fortnight to get their haircut and all of a sudden, and they're broke anyway.
[00:16:15] And most of them are a big percentage of them. If they walked into a barber's or a salon, they'd be told, you know, there's a door sort sort of thing. So what you are doing is you are giving these people some dignity. You're giving them their self-esteem back. And that's breaking down those barriers that enables you to talk to them and for them to open up, because that's where the magic is in a lot of ways, isn't it? Am I right or have I bit more than I can chew there?
[00:16:42] Stewart R: No, you haven't. And that's perfectly true. It's, it's the fact that I, it's it's empathy because I, that they can, they can smell someone who's authentic. Yeah. They, they, they, you know, you can't just fake this stuff. The connection you get instantly is that I know we've been [00:17:00] so, you know, I've been there myself.
[00:17:01] I had a guy last night, funny enough, and I met him and he was, he had some
 
severe, I think he had some sort of,psychopathic tendencies, you know? [00:17:11] Stewart R: Yeah. Mental health issues.
[00:17:13] Yeah. Yeah. And he, but, I started, I talked to friend after the other guy was cutting his hair, but I, I was talking to him and I sat down and it was, pretty quickly we, we established that we was both singing from the same industry.
[00:17:27] And,but at the end of it, he said, that's the longest conversation I've had in weeks. And I think there's something in there that the you, you get, they get glimpses of conversations. They don't, no one really goes deep. I've not a real conversation on that for a long time. and the other thing, base is that we actually lay hands on people.
[00:17:50] Antony W: Yeah.
[00:17:50] Stewart R: That we touch, you know, we've got one of those wonderful industries that we actually is so, it's so special Cause we, we, we touch someone.
[00:17:58] Stewart R: You know, they're very few people. There's not many people that actually do that. Cause it's all. A communication, you know, like an audio communication, verbal, I should say.
[00:18:11] Antony W: Yeah.
[00:18:11] Stewart R: So mean when, when Yeah. You know, like when you lay hands on someone, is that it breaks a certain barrier.
[00:18:17] Antony W: Yeah.
[00:18:18] you're talking to people talking about people who not being touched for weeks not being spoken to. They say they've been invisible, they say they feel unheard. and then you know what we do.
[00:18:28] Stewart R: And sometimes, They've not showered for weeks. [00:18:32] Antony W: Yeah.
[00:18:32] Stewart R: I mean, it's hard to imagine. What's really hard sometimes is that the simple thing of, the lovely thing of having a shower.
[00:18:41] Antony W: Yeah.
[00:18:41] Stewart R: What happens is you out and back and you think the next day or that evening or whenever it is, I really enjoy most of them cause I can imagine what it must be like not to have one.
[00:18:53] Antony W: Yeah. [00:18:54] Stewart R: You know?
[00:18:55] Antony W: Yeah. But, but from a hairdresser's point of view, I mean, you [00:19:00] know what you are doing. You're going into a, a, a, a hostile or whatever the, you know, place is, and you know, you're cutting hair of homeless people. you know that in a lot
 
of cases. I haven't had a shower for weeks. I suppose I'm getting to the hygiene issue of it. How do you, how do you see through that? How do you see past that? How do you just get on.
[00:19:20] Stewart R: It, it's not anything. People need to be prepared for it. [00:19:23] Antony W: Yeah.
[00:19:24] Stewart R: So a new time volunteer, we have to really go through and establish, you know, that if they ask the right questions, you know, they say, oh, if they, how, how do we wash their hair? And sometimes they take the back and we say, well, we can't, you know, if it's a resident, some people in resident accommodation and they can shower.
[00:19:42] Antony W: Yeah.
[00:19:42] Stewart R: But if it's, if it's a drop in center from with street homeless people, They very rarely have watched it here, or, and there's times when it's literally you cannot do what we like to do as a great haircut.
[00:19:55] Antony W: Yeah.
[00:19:56] Stewart R: You're doing, you're just doing your best. [00:19:58] Antony W: Yeah.
[00:19:58] Stewart R: So, you know, if you've got [00:20:00] someone who's hair some matted and tangled that I'm almost top, you know, like I'm just getting a big combs with some clippers and almost like you do your, your hedge, you know, because I'm trying to. But even there, you, you can still make that right. You can still make them not feel bad about it.
[00:20:18] Antony W: Yeah.
[00:20:18] Stewart R: You can still treat them with respect and show 'em a bit of love and it comes through.
[00:20:23] Stewart R: and, and not every time, you know, sometimes people are in such a bad place that day that it, it. They're not, they're not gonna be happy anyway, you know, I'll give you an instant.
[00:20:35] There was a, there was a guy who was, I'm only human, so people get on my nerves, you know, and obviously I was in a place and, the guy, this guy was kicking off and he was really, and I was, I got the album and I was thinking like, someone get rid of this, this guy, you know? Oh, so I'm gonna have to do it.
[00:20:51] And then eventually someone from the center got rid of him and I thought, thank God he is gone. And as we was coming out, he was [00:21:00] still outside chatting to someone. And then what he said was, and I can I swear on this?
[00:21:06] Antony W: Yeah, yeah. If you swear, you swear.
[00:21:07] Stewart R: Right, right. I've got, cause he, what? He said, all I want is a dry pair of fucking shoes.
 
[00:21:16] Stewart R: Right. And I looked, and I didn't realize when he was in there, the guys, it's, he was pit in the rain. He's got an old tracksuit on, he's got no shoes and socks. Yeah. So somehow he's lost his shoes.
[00:21:29] Antony W: Yeah.
[00:21:30] Stewart R: Right. And he was just pleading with them, I just want a pair of dry shoes, you know? And you think, ah, I get you.
[00:21:40] Yeah. He's had problems. I can't, I can't find me comb, I'm in a bad boot. You know what I mean? Yeah,
[00:21:50] yeah, yeah. And
[00:21:51] it's, it's sad when you think, oh, right, I get it. He's having a bad day.
[00:21:56] Antony W: Have you, I mean, I'm sure you do have, so I'm [00:22:00] asking you to sort of rifle through the memory banks here and tell us the opposite. Tell us about an instant a story, a person who, who you've given them a haircut and it's just changed them. It's changed their world. It's, it's turned them around. Is there, is there anyone that comes to mind..
[00:22:21] Stewart R: Yeah, there's lots. There's lots. I mean, there's, there was a woman, I did the woman's hair and funny, I feel, I know you're gonna talk about the book later. It just, just before we'd done our final edits for that and, and she says something to me cuz we've got, we've got quotes in the book and, and we do want lots of writing. We wanted just these little powerful statements.
[00:22:42] Stewart R: And she said to me, I'm only here, you know, because my husband gambled her house away.
[00:22:48] And it so profound that this woman is, is, you know, she was, she was defending herself because I wasn't judging, but she was just saying, look, this isn't my fault. Yeah, [00:23:00] yeah. This is out hand, you know, and she would then the position, she was in letters to go off the wrap, which she'd done and she was just getting herself back and she said, I can't believe you're coming to that.
[00:23:11] I didn't know you was coming. I've got a job in with you tomorrow. You know, just by, and she managed to wash her hair, so, you know, can't blow dry. She, like, you could see a lift, there was a lifting, the shoulders were found and they gradually lifted up and the confidence came out and she was intelligent woman, you know, and that was, that was, it really struck me the right place, right time.
[00:23:43] Antony W: Yeah.
[00:23:43] Stewart R: Like, You know, we really helped that one, whether I, I didn't find out, you know, if she got the job.
[00:23:50] Antony W: Yeah, yeah.
[00:23:51] Stewart R: But, you know, you know, I've met, I've done guys and they've, they've, when I've managed to get in touch with the center or when I've gone back, oh, you
 
know, [00:24:00] yeah. He, he got that job. He'd done his hair for, he got the job. [00:24:03] Antony W: Fantastic.
[00:24:04] Stewart R: One guy, Jack was talking, so he was seeing his kids for the first time. You not being able to his kid for two or four years. And so he was, he said, I feel so much better now. I've had an haircut. When I go and see him, they're look smart.
[00:24:16] Stewart R: You know, there's all things, there's, there's there, there was a woman when her guy, this guy, this lovely chat, had been, you know, she was to convict him to domestic violence and he was in this center and she just got there from another city.
[00:24:32] She escaped her life. Was this guy for, the final thing for her was he covered her in petrol. So he covered in petrol and he was just sitting in a chair with a lighter and he just kept lighting this lighter.
[00:24:46] Stewart R: She's standing, standing in front of him, covered petrol and he wouldn't let a down in shower. And he was just, he just, and in end he drunk himself to a stupid, fell asleep. She got what money she could and she got out. Cause you knew this was the last chance before he killed [00:25:00] her.
[00:25:00] Stewart R: You know, and, and. She was sort of, my sister was there and she was edging towards her sister and she got closer and close and it for all session before she said, oh, can I get my haircut? Was this guy let her, haircut for seven years?
[00:25:12] Cause he totally, financially dominated her as well. So she wasn't allowed to go and get, you know, none of these things. And she had sort of long straight hair and I was just done a lovely little bob, pure and simple, but I can't, I can't put into words the effect. That little touchy kindness helped that woman, you know, I felt it.
[00:25:35] I, I felt it coming up. I felt that a man, particularly a man as well, has shown us some kindness and softness and gentleness, and it was aliens what she'd been used to. So, yeah, that's, they're, they're the ones that, you know, you've really, really done something for someone.
[00:25:51] Antony W: Yeah. I, I, I'm surprised you talked about a couple of women there. I had this preconceived idea that the majority of them would be men. So there's [00:26:00] quite a few women in this situation same situation. Yeah.
[00:26:03] Stewart R: Well, well the thing is, the women in the invisible homeless, cause a lot of the women are, you know, is safe for them to not be in, in the public. majority, majority of homeless centers is man.
[00:26:18] Stewart R: But we, a lot of what we do at haircuts, fundless, we, we, we initially was all about that, but we've, we've expanded over years or we've, you know, diversified to the point where we go to quite a lot of women's refuges
[00:26:31] Antony W: Right.
[00:26:31] Stewart R: And safe houses. And that which you don't see Cause we have to keep that private.
 
[00:26:36] Antony W: Yeah.
[00:26:36] Stewart R: So, It's probably on our socials you won't see as many, but Sure. Those ones are not, you know, we don't obviously photograph them there.
[00:26:46] but there's a lot of 'em out there, you know?
[00:26:48] Antony W: Yeah. Okay. So it, it's incredible how it started with you just doing that, thinking you'd just do this occasionally, pop down there with your scissors and, and, and you said before that there's. [00:27:00] What, what did you say? You've got 65 different projects all around the country.
[00:27:04] Stewart R: No, it's not. It was number 80.
[00:27:06] Antony W: 80. You got 80, so 80 different places where haircuts for the homeless. Your charity is manned by volunteer hairdressers on a regular basis.
[00:27:17] Stewart R: Yeah.
[00:27:17] Antony W: Yeah. That's incredible. [00:27:19] Stewart R: 600 Volunteers.
[00:27:20] Antony W: 600 volunteers. Yeah. And, and you, you mentioned something before. I mean, bearing in mind we've got an international audience, they won't all know what it is that you mean. And you dropped in the word something like national lottery. you said something about the national lottery and that was a turning point. What, what, what did you mean by that? What, what happened?
[00:27:40] Yeah, sorry. For, for anyone else, it's the, the,
[00:27:42] Stewart R: I think a lot of countries' got a lottery, you know, or a lot, or a, you know, we, we, we've got the national lottery run by Camelot. I don't, they still run it now.
[00:27:53] Antony W: Yeah.
[00:27:53] Stewart R: But they, they, they, I did a talk for their executives, and then they changed, what you call it, PR [00:28:00] agents or something.
[00:28:01] And it was the, the guys who done it, John Lewis said that stuff. Yeah. And they said, you need to stop focusing on the big prizes and start folks that they, they do, they do donate 30 million pound a week to good causes.
[00:28:13] Antony W: Okay. Yeah.
[00:28:14] Stewart R: So, You need to share about that more. You know, and we was the example of one of this, one of the people that, that benefit from some of the funding, from film, never seen anything like it.
[00:28:26] It was a 62nd advertise and it took two days to film over two different, locations that we work at.
[00:28:33] Antony W: Yeah.
 
[00:28:33] Stewart R: And, you know, massive film crews and all that. This little 60 seconds, thing
[00:28:38] Antony W: commercial. Commercial. [00:28:40] Stewart R: Commercial. Yeah,
[00:28:41] Antony W: yeah. But how did that impact on haircuts for the homeless? What, what did, what was the benefit of that? Was it just creating awareness?
[00:28:49] Stewart R: Yeah. Yeah. Well, no, you know, that point we was, we were sort of localized, even though it was all over UK.
[00:28:54] Antony W: Yeah.
[00:28:54] Stewart R: It was only sort of social media spread, but this to Paris TVs [00:29:00] incredible. So overnight we sort of, at that point, wherever it was, we very quickly doubled the amount of volunteers that came on.
[00:29:09] You know, we doubled the amount of venues that we opened in the following year.
[00:29:13] Antony W: Yeah.
[00:29:14] it, yeah, it just, it it really does hit you. Yeah. [00:29:17] Antony W: Yeah.
[00:29:17] Stewart R: Funny enough was the, the, the night that I had to close my Salon was the same night, and I was, I, I just done this video thing where I poignantly turned the lights off and, For last. I stuck it on Facebook and it, there again it was, I dunno what I was even thinking doing that. But what it did do, it helps a lot of people. Cause a lot of people messaged me after, and said, we are struggling and like Saturday night yours, we was perceivably a very successful one. And, if you'll, if you've gone under it makes us realize.
[00:29:54] You know, we are not far away ourselves and you know, it inspires us [00:30:00] to do better or, you know, that stuff.
[00:30:01] Antony W: Yeah. Yeah.
[00:30:02] Stewart R: But the same night that they aired the TV commercial, so my, my world fell apart and then my, a few hours later we was on primetime TV in the evening.
[00:30:13] Antony W: Yeah.
[00:30:14] and fun went else. I sat turning off cause I couldn't mentally process it all. [00:30:20] Antony W: Yeah,
[00:30:22] I didn't realize that. So you had the salon going at the same time you were leading this double life, you had the salon going and you were doing haircuts for the homeless and then the salon closed cuz the rent got doubled.
 
[00:30:32] Stewart R: Yeah.
[00:30:33] Antony W: And you got this big promotional ad on prime TV for haircuts for the homeless.
[00:30:37] And then on the back end to that. You were flooded with all these inquiries and massive support from different avenues. So is this, is haircuts sort of homeless, like a
full-time job for you now?
[00:30:49] Stewart R: Yeah, it's, well it's a registered charity now.
[00:30:51] Antony W: Yeah. So do you, do you, do you do all the coordinating when you talk about 600 volunteers and, and 80 venues or whatever it was to you, [00:31:00] do you coordinate all that or is someone else doing that?
[00:31:03] Stewart R: Well, it was Mary's sister. We've done too good a job. So everyone thinks, well, it's massive. People find out, they think, well, it's massive charity. Like why? Something like that.
[00:31:12] Antony W: Yeah.
[00:31:13] Stewart R: They go, can we speak to a marketing department? I go, yeah, you are. You admin department, ask sister. And you know, and that's where sometimes we, we get a hard time occasionally, like, well, well, I emailed you three weeks ago and I had a.
[00:31:28] We're doing our best, but we're a tight ill charity. You know what was nice when we we'd be carry, a fully registered charity was that we have to, my sister keeps a account of the books and, but then we got trustees and it meant that we, I, we then didn't have to really worry about the money and all that stuff.
[00:31:48] So that's overlooked by trustees. It's, you know, everything's triple checked. and we can just concentrate on doing the work.
[00:31:56] Antony W: Yeah.
[00:31:56] which is, is really what I wanna do. I didn't want, I [00:32:00] didn't wanna get another business. I didn't wanna be, I wanna be out there all the while I can be out there doing the work.
[00:32:04] Stewart R: I'm okay. [00:32:05] Antony W: Yeah.
[00:32:06] Stewart R: You find up being out the desk unless I'm, you know, even older and I can't physically do it,
[00:32:11] Antony W: but, but you have to. You personally and your sister obviously have to make a living. So is there, are there sponsors behind it that enable you to
[00:32:20] Stewart R: Yes.
[00:32:20] Antony W: Run this charity? Because when you can't
 
[00:32:22] Stewart R: Yeah. [00:32:23] Antony W: Yeah. Okay.
[00:32:24] Stewart R: I get, I get, I, I'm very open about it all and you have to be, you know, speak Crystal so clear. And I get he to do four days a week,which then I, which I do. A couple of days, Friday, Saturday, I'll do some products and left over for my business.
[00:32:40] Antony W: Yeah. Yeah.
[00:32:40] Stewart R: And, that, that's one is a, you know, private mobile hairdresser type business.
[00:32:46] Antony W: Yeah. Okay.
[00:32:47] Stewart R: It's a top out my wage, but it's not, you know, for our agreement. [00:32:51] Antony W: Yeah, no, I'm sure not. So
[00:32:54] Stewart R: it does three days. So [00:32:55] Antony W: yeah,
[00:32:56] Stewart R: it, remember we. We could give those [00:33:00] full days. We, we do some, we do, we do a lot more than we're often at night on a Monday. And every,
[00:33:05] Antony W: I'm, I'm sure it's the later of it,
[00:33:08] Stewart R: it just meant you, you could, you could, you could say doing it, you know? and that's why we are very, very cheap charity, you know, like, we run across outta UK and Ireland and, it's relatively a small amount, but we've got two fantastic sponsors, L'Oréal. And, Zenoti who account for 50% of about, what we need for the year.
[00:33:29] Antony W: Yeah.
[00:33:29] Stewart R: And we've just got a business plan together now where we're sending out, sponsors. So, We've got different levels. So gold, silver, you know, even that and a small thing of just having your name on our website. And the more you can help us, the more you put out, put your amongst it, everything.
[00:33:48] Antony W: Sure.
[00:33:49] Stewart R: So something that now,
[00:33:51] Antony W: so tell us about the book. you mentioned the book a minute ago. [00:33:55] Stewart R: Yeah.
[00:33:55] Antony W: And, I've got, I've got a copy of it here. It's a fantastic, well just, you [00:34:00] tell us the story about how this book came about. It's a beautiful coffee table book of homeless people that you have worked with and a great photographer and everything. So give us a, give us a backstory on that.
 
[00:34:12] Stewart R: Well, I, I had a session stylist for me called League Feeds.
[00:34:16] he's, he's a fantastic session stylist. He does a lot of stars and all that. he come and volunteered. Lovely guy. He then introduced, he was friends with a guy called Jack came as a photographer. He came along this well, a brand about that same time. Can't remember his first, but he, he, Jack came for the first session and he fitted in so well.
[00:34:35] Stewart R: Cause I've had some, we've had some photographers and a little bit of filming in my TV and BBC and that sort of come to us, but he did. Some of them have not got the right attitudes. Sometimes they're very invasive, you know. He's sensitive, you know, like they're done with cameras pushed in their face. And the Jack Soccer Gentle Giant is about six [00:35:00] six.
[00:35:00] He's, such a lovely, well spoken. He reminds me of,Dylan off the magic roundabout. That's probably that really easy, you know? I said, yeah, okay, bro. You know, okay. He is right. Lovely. He's a lovely gentleman. And the first session he just sat and. And he didn't take any photographs. He just absorbed.
[00:35:19] and that's why you need someone like Jack who's gonna not be in your face, and he just takes things from the file and he's developed it. Where now even sometimes for the book, you'll see, he sets up a little backdrop and does prop and some of the I speak where they love it. They love to be seen. Some are very private.
[00:35:37] Antony W: Yeah, of course
[00:35:38] Stewart R: some are like, you know, and I said, what is it cool to take a photograph for you? No mate, you can't send no photos of me. I'm one all over the place. You know, I got people after me, you know, go up it but some love it, you know? Then they love it and they gave front of the camera and he, he lights.
[00:35:57] you know, and that's what the book was called. I've, [00:36:00] the podcast is called Hear Me, see Me. Cause that's what I felt about people needed.
[00:36:05] Antony W: Yeah.
[00:36:05] Stewart R: And then someone said, you should call the book now.
[00:36:08] Antony W: Yeah. Well, no one that, that's, you've, you've, you've just preempted what I was about to say, in that you have a podcast, as well.
[00:36:15] So, and the podcast is called Hear Me, see Me, and I, I was just gonna start talking about it because. You have an incredible podcast. and for all the people that are listening to this, when you've listened to mine and make sure you're gonna check his app, because this podcast, hear Me, see Me, it'll make you laugh and it will make you cry.
[00:36:34] You'll see the best and the worst of humanity. or un or yeah, you'll be exposed to the very best and the very worst of, of, of life. But I tell you what it is the most, you know, it will not leave you feeling bored by any stretch of the imagination. So tell me about the podcast. How did the podcast come about?
[00:36:54] Because it's not, it's not a podcast just about homeless people. It's, it's, it's a
 
podcast. [00:37:00] It's a podcast about all sorts of people, but it's, it's just full of real life and, and just, yeah, amazing characters. I mean, Listening to one today, I think it's the, the latest episode out, which is with a, you know, a Hollywood actress.
[00:37:15] But then there's also, you know, there's heroin addicts that you've had on there. And, and I know the lady you just alluded to who was a domestic abuse survivor, and now she's gone and started up her own. am I right in saying that she started up her own charity or her own refuge for homeless women? I think I'm right in saying, and
[00:37:36] Stewart R: there was two. Yeah. There. Cause there was Dawn and Danielle and one is hoping that I a holiday camp. Not holiday camp. A camp where people all go in the summer.
[00:37:46] Antony W: Yeah.
[00:37:46] Stewart R: And they're all, they're all in the same position. So they all relate to each other. They dunno each other. They all get to know each other. And it's for the women and the children.
[00:37:55] Antony W: Yeah.
[00:37:57] Stewart R: Danielle. So the, I think was [00:38:00] Denise. [00:38:00] Antony W: Yeah.
[00:38:00] Stewart R: Who, she's, yeah, she's set up a lot of stuff. [00:38:05] Antony W: Yeah. Well,
[00:38:05] Stewart R: just a girl. Yeah, just a girl there.
[00:38:08] Antony W: Yeah. If you listen, if you listen to that and it doesn't bring you to the sobbing mess, there's something wrong with you. Do you know? Like it, it's incredible.
[00:38:18] It's incredible listening to the lines of these people, so, I encourage everybody. I mean, I, I mean, it's hard to pick a favorite. I, we were talking before we started recording, and I loved the one where you were talking to the, the Scottish heroin addict and how he turned his life around was just so inspiring.
[00:38:38] And, and, the one with the Thai, prison nightmare, where I think it was a guy called Steven Callie. You know, it was busted for doing drugs and Englishmen busted for doing drugs in Thailand. Locked up in Thailand. I mean, what a story that was. I mean, just so many. Stories.
[00:38:55] Stewart R: Yeah.
[00:38:55] Antony W: That are just incredible to listen to. So, so, so how did that all [00:39:00] come about? I mean, I know obviously there's, at the beginning you, you, you do talk to different people, you know, who are in the, the homeless, charity side of things, but it's peppered with all these other situations as well. So, let me not put words into your mouth. Just tell us the, the story behind how the podcast came about.
 
[00:39:17] Stewart R: Purely because I was doing lots of this stuff. So I, I was, I was a guest on quite a, Podcasts, probably after the TV advert when we got that quite a lot. and then, you know, I was guessed a lot and I just thought at some point, I'll make so many incredible people that I should, I should do my own There's a lot of people, they're one of a few as a guest and they think they should do their own.
[00:39:40] And originally my train , my, my first idea was to do it with my guests. So, and I did try it a few times. It was so chaotic and, you know, you, you couldn't really, and I was really conscious of it not being, exploitative.
[00:39:59] Stewart R: I didn't, [00:40:00] I didn't wanna have the homeless people entertainment, you know, and it was, I was finding it hard not to be, yeah.
[00:40:06] Not to, not to use it in that way. So I went straight away to then doing the people who work in homeless. Because they've all got stories. So the first one was Sonya who works at the White Chapel Mission. And you know, then Brother Kevin has inspired me so much for his work with the homeless in Dublin.
[00:40:26] And then there was some of the team leaders that worked with me and then there was people I knew some our ambassador, who was he? Lena Headey from Game of Thrones. And you know, and then it's just led to other things and people knew people introduce me or I'm always in the. So Wendy one. I see that's, you know, I get locked back a lot.
[00:40:48] Even then we've got our, our, ambassador Lena Headey, I slipped in their dms cause you know why not said, would you be our ambassador? And said she, she came on, she's been [00:41:00] on it three times. and then it is just, it's just coming across people. And you know, even like this one I've got, I've got Terry weight coming on.
[00:41:08] I can't wait and, you know, it's purely because one of our team leaders was Hamer sent up, he's the patron of the charity. She cut his hair and I quickly said to her, get his number.
[00:41:20] Antony W: And, and, and so for our listeners who don't know who Terry Wade is, he was held hostage by who? Who was he was in, he was in captivity for a couple years, wasn't they?
[00:41:30] Stewart R: Yeah, a good couple years. I think it was Iran, wasn't it? I've I Better hour before.
[00:41:36] Antony W: Yeah. Yeah. You wanted. Yeah,
[00:41:38] Stewart R: I'm not very good at doing that normally, but, I'm definitely gonna do this one. I would've done mentioned the wrong country.
[00:41:43] Antony W: Yeah, exactly.
[00:41:45] Stewart R: He was changed to Radiate and he was, he was, he was an boy from, he was, he was, a religious man, you know, so he was a religious in peace boy and they captured him and didn't, wouldn't let him go, you know, so it is a, the world [00:42:00] at the time.
 
[00:42:00] It just, it was such a big story and. Yeah, I'm so looking forward to that, you know? [00:42:07] Antony W: Yeah.
[00:42:08] Stewart R: There was one, sorry, just quickly, there was one, I was so purely I saw on, on the podcast in America, and I managed to get through to her and she agreed and she's, and, she was,a lady from the Philippines. A really well educated business woman. And then the economy got really down. So she just said she was gonna go off to America, to, and what she thought was a business trip and she got, taken in as, a sex trade, sex trafficking and, and literally was not one of these nine people she really thought she was going to work in. In hotels.
[00:42:51] Antony W: Yeah.
[00:42:52] Stewart R: And it, you know, and her story, and she ended up being sex trafficked. And in the, when she finally escaped, she ended up working [00:43:00] as an envoy on sex trafficking, with, with the, the White House, you know, and its, but that, what that was, was I, it was Instagram. I just went, look, I love your story. Will you come on?
[00:43:14] Stewart R: so who can do it? You. You know, every, every nine that say, no one might say yes.
[00:43:20] Antony W: Yeah, exactly. Well, you know, you, you mentioned that you don't wanna be invasive. I'm always, you know, some of the ones I mentioned before, like Paul Boge and, and, and Steven Callie, it was like you hardly got a word in edgeways. They were really happy to tell their story and all its graphic detail and,
[00:43:38] Stewart R: yeah.
[00:43:38] Antony W: And that's what sort of made it good. Was that you did. Just sit back and literally push the button and, and, you know, steer them in the right direction. Because they were, they were phenomenal. They were absolutely phenomenal. I was, I was just thinking that especially, well, well, both of them, you can make a movie out of either of them, you know, their, their life.
[00:43:58] It's like you listen to that and you go, [00:44:00] oh my God, this is, this is, this would be the best movie going, you know,
[00:44:03] Stewart R: armed Stephens made into a film. I think Stephen. He, he need, yeah. It needs to be a film.
[00:44:10] Yeah. Yeah.
[00:44:11] Antony W: Do do you have a favorite? I mean, I know you've just celebrated your 100th, podcast episode, so congratulations on that. Out out of a hundred, is there, is there one that has stood out to you as being that as my absolute favorite?
[00:44:24] Stewart R: Brother Kevin, Brother Kevin, [00:44:25] Antony W: Brother Kevin, Brother [00:44:27] Stewart R: Kevin. All day long.
 
[00:44:28] Antony W: Yeah, [00:44:29] Stewart R: all day long. [00:44:30] Antony W: Okay.
[00:44:30] Stewart R: That man has taught me so much. You know about humility. As I said, we spoke before about him and you know, he, he, he's the personification of humility and generousness.
[00:44:47] Antony W: Mm.
[00:44:48] Stewart R: And, and even, you know, like the times I've spoken to him, there was a twice, the biggest think lesson he ever gave me was, it's hard not to judge. I think it's a right as a human kind. [00:45:00] We tend to be, we've developed this sort of judgmental.
[00:45:03] Side of us that we, you know, we all put people boxes and we, we judge people and and I'll get out all the time. Yeah, but what if they're fing it? What if they just want a free air card, whatever. And I spoke to him about that and he said one time they was giving our food. They, they approves everyone looking up.
[00:45:24] Feed between six and 800 people a die in Dublin. They have sessions where they give out naps and things to young mums and all, all this stuff. And a woman pulled up in a car and she came across the road and she come, got some food and she was just leaving.
Brother Kevin said to her, look, can I just ask if you've got a car, why do you need to come in and get food from us?
[00:45:49] And she said, I'm so sorry brother Kevin. My last time my husband beat me. He beat me so bad. I thought he was gonna kill me. So I got the kids, got in the car and left. So [00:46:00] what we've got with us is what we've got in the car, and we are living in the car in the moment.
[00:46:05] Stewart R: He said, get the kids, bring 'em inside. He said he got 'em, clothes, shoes, you know, and they left with everything they needed. And he said, I've never asked anyone again. He said, if they're hungry, I will feed them. And I talk, so I said the hairs on me. And that's, every time I say that, it gets me. Cause there's something about the, the, the pure generosity of giving and, and, and not judging. And of course there'd be people who take advantage, but you don't do it for the 20% that take advantage. You do it for the 80% that really need it.
[00:46:39] Antony W: Yeah.
[00:46:40] yeah. That's, that's why he is favorite.
[00:46:42] Antony W: Yeah. Okay. Alright. Well I, I'll, I'll put the links to the podcast, et cetera. In my show notes,
[00:46:49] And I will make sure that I listen to the one with brother Kevin tomorrow while I'm walking the dock.
[00:46:54] so yeah, that, that'll be exciting. what we, we are gonna have to start sort of wrapping up shortly, but I just wanted to ask you a [00:47:00] couple of, you know, short,
 
sharp questions here. what would you say was your biggest strength? [00:47:12] Stewart R: I do get up again.
[00:47:15] Antony W: You do get up again? Mm, [00:47:17] Stewart R: do again.
[00:47:18] Antony W: Okay, good. So you get knocked down, but you get back up again. Yeah. That's good. I like that. Okay. what drives you? Why do you do this?
[00:47:28] Stewart R: Oh, why? To do anything. I think I'm a, I think I'm trying to make good done a lot. I've done a lot of bad stuff. And what drives me is, is, is to to address the balance and to inspire my children and my grandchildren, you know? And so far it's working
[00:47:54] Antony W: good. Well, yeah, you are doing a lot of good without a shadow of a doubt. last thing I wanted to ask you about was [00:48:00] what, what is the biggest lesson? You've learned in life can be about hairdressing or can be nothing to do with hairdressing.
[00:48:07] And I, I doubt that it will have anything to do with hairdressing, but you've met some really interesting people. You've been, you've been exposed to a lot. so what would be one bit of wisdom that you'd like to pass on to people?
[00:48:21] Stewart R: My favorite one is, you can look back in the past but don't stare., because you can't change that. You can change moving forward. And it does, it does well to look, look backwards sometimes to, to see how far you've come.
[00:48:35] Antony W: Mm-hmm.
[00:48:35] Stewart R: not to take yourself back and punish yourself. So it's all about learning from your past and then educating yourself to move forward.
[00:48:46] Antony W: Yeah. Okay. That's good. All. Okay, so listen, we do need to wind up now. Whereabouts can people connect with you on Instagram or other social media channels?
[00:48:56] Instagram. We haircuts for homeless [00:49:00] UK I think [00:49:02] Antony W: Yeah it is
[00:49:03] Stewart R: the number four. The day it's the number four
[00:49:08] Antony W: haircuts number four, homeless UK. Got it. Okay. That's on, that's on Instagram and, and your. Website,
[00:49:18] Stewart R: it's haircuts4homeless.com.
[00:49:20] Antony W: Right. Okay. So those two things. Those two things. Yeah, that's right. Yeah.
[00:49:26] Stewart R: If you go on haircuts.com, it's the, where you can email us and you know, all of that stuff. The email is info haircuts.com. So if you wanna email us, but yeah, yeah, check us out, see what we're up. So
 
[00:49:40] Antony W: good.
[00:49:41] Stewart R: And you know, join us. [00:49:43] Antony W: Great. Join us. Good. Good.
[00:49:47] All right. Well, look, I'll put those links, on our website in the show notes for today's podcast. can I ask you, if you're listening to this podcast with Stewart Roberts and have enjoyed it, then do me a favor, take a screenshot on your phone, share it to Instagram [00:50:00] Stories, and don't forget to subscribe and leave us a rating and review on the Apple Podcast.
[00:50:06] So to wrap up, Stewart, thank you ever so much for giving up your time today to be on the Grow My Salon Business podcast.
[00:50:12] Stewart R: My my, my pleasure. My absolute pleasure. [00:50:15] Antony W: Great. Thanks, man.
[00:50:20] Thank you for listening to today's podcast. If you'd like to connect with us, you'll find us at Grow My Salon Business Dot. Or on Facebook and Instagram at Grow My Salon Business. And if you enjoyed tuning into our podcast, make sure that you subscribe, like, and share it with your friends. Until next time, this is Antony Whitaker wishing you continued success.