Published on: October 18th, 2017
We are writing to nominate our trainer, mentor and role model Natasha Bird for the HITO Trainer of the year. It has been difficult to find the right words to say about someone who means so much to us, but we believe Tash exceeds the requirements and expectations for the award. Her contagious and genuine passion for the industry and for continuous learning is just one of the many things that make her the best salon trainer that we have the privilege of working with.
It would be impossible to count all the incredible qualities that Tash holds, but we will share some of the characteristics that stand out to us, our families and our clients.
Tash devotes her time, energy and money to our training and skill development. She goes out of her way to make sure we get the best training and opportunities such as “look and learn” events, expo’s and competitions. Not only does Tash find endless opportunities, she also volunteers her own time by holding events which allow us to learn hands on with some of the best in the industry such as Cathy Davies’ Hair Up course and Shar Sutherland Todd’s Colour Club. Both of these, held in the comfort of our own salon environment, are just two of the many amazing opportunities she has provided us.
Tash’s roles such as former president of the Hawke’s Bay Hairdressing Association, current Nioxin Trainer of New Zealand, and Hawkes Bay Technician make it possible for her to always be teaching us the most up to date skills and knowledge that we would not be getting without the training that she gains through her roles. We are hugely influenced by her commitment to these roles in the industry and community.
Demonstrating qualities such as integrity, organisation, determination and enthusiasm, Tash has groomed us into ambitious learners as well as mature, confident professionals. Her style of teaching is patient yet persistent. She explains tasks and procedures clearly, and adjusts her method of teaching to meet the needs of us as individuals. During training, which takes place every Wednesday for two hours, Tash uses her time effectively and evenly between the three of us, making sure we all receive her attention as we need it. She enables us to think for ourselves and learn organically. Tash has confidence in us and pushes us to the best of our abilities. When she sits with us one on one she encourages and helps and us to set goals and plan how we will achieve them. Her high standards give us something to strive for.
We are challenged on a daily basis and each given responsibilities in the salon which develop our practical, planning/organisation, problem solving, and management skills. We are often thrown in the deep end. An example of this would be her spontaneous decisions to change a client’s colour entirely, leaving us to our own creative abilities with complete trust. We are able to achieve incredible results by applying skills we have learned from her, while learning new techniques and skill as we go.
If it hadn’t been for the incredible training that Tash provides we would not be excelling as we are with our awards and achievements. We are able take everything she teaches us and apply it to our careers and our lives.