My seven secrets of survival: Jo Hansford, celebrity hair stylist

Published on Tuesday 21 July 2009 16:56

1 My motto for life is: "Live every day, because you're a long time dead." It's important for me to keep busy so I always ensure I have a project in my life, whether it's related to my business or my garden. I am also not averse to blowing my children's inheritance – as I have told them, I'm spending it now because, as far as I'm concerned, I've earned it. If, however, they want to enjoy it with me, then that's fantastic. But I'm not leaving it ALL to

2 Believing in yourself is mandatory. If you don't have self-belief then there's no point even starting a business. I knew that I would be successful because I was a colour specialist and there were very few of us around at the time we started our company. I also had the support of my husband, which was incredibly important to me and our success.

We opened in the midst of a recession with a staff of only eight, and at the beginning we were haemorrhaging money. My poor husband had to remortgage the house to allow me to set up and I had to keep begging him to give me more time because I was convinced we had a great business in the making.

Hard work, sheer determination and adrenaline helped me nurture my business into being one of the leading salons in the UK, with a staff of more than 40, despite my male peers giving me three months before I fell flat on my face.

3 Don't limit your possibilities. Joan Collins once said: "Age is just a number. It's totally irrelevant unless, of course, you happen to be a bottle of wine." I couldn't put it better.

4 We believe that we're infallible and we're going to live for ever. It's only when somebody close to us dies that we are awakened to the fragility of life – it is a hard knock to take. When my husband David was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer I knew what was coming, as I had already experienced the disease when my mother died from it at the age of 52. However, his death brought the children and me a lot closer together, as we realised how precious the moments we have with each other are. Time with my loved ones is something I will never take for granted.

5 Keep colour in your life all year round – whether it is in your garden, house, office or wardrobe. This is a passion of mine, so I try to bring it into every aspect of my life – it brightens up the day and brings a smile to those around you.

6 Trust your instincts – this has been a massive learning curve for me, especially when it comes to employing people. If your gut reaction is that something about a person or situation doesn't feel right then go with that sense, because it's usually the most reliable indicator you have at your disposal.

7 Don't rest on your laurels – to mix metaphors, the moment you sit back and smell the coffee, you realise the toast has burned! The economy is constantly shifting and demanding more, so if you don't keep alert you can be assured that your competitors will get ahead. Having a true love for your job will also make work (and life) much more enjoyable.

- Hansford's new product line, Colour Care, recently launched at Harvey Nichols, St Andrew Square, Edinburgh (0131-524 8388). www.johansford.com