Serenya Hair Retreat

Happy 40th birthday to my beautiful friend Ruby Nielsen 🥳

You are one of the kindest, most caring people I know and it was such a treat to get to spoil you today! 💖

I hope you had the best day ever! 🤗

🎧Listen in, as ‘hairstylist to hairstylist’ we honestly and openly chat about connection and community amongst our industry - all while I get my hair cut 💇‍♀️

Reel credit 👉 Common Thread Studio & Store

‘In Good Company’, Episode One.

A new series where we sit down with the women behind local businesses, in the chair and in conversation.
First up, Natasha of Serenya Hair Retreat. A hairdresser handing her own hair to another hairdresser, a fresh start for the new season, and a conversation about why the people in your industry are better beside you than across from you.

Pour a coffee and stay a while ☕️

Thank you Tracy Sarjant Roberts for the deep conversations and the new do! 🤗

Nala is extremely good at her job as a ‘salon cat’ and takes her role VERY seriously! 😆

Takes relaxation to a whole other level when you have cat cuddles during your hair appt! 🥰

Natasha McKnight Founder / Hairstylist Serenya Hair Retreat

Just a little highlight reel from today’s ‘Discover Pure Haircare’ event, hosted by the amazing team at 🫶

Grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this event and to be able to cut and colour the stunning 💜

Such a great way to connect with industry creatives ✨

Also a big shout out to all the gorgeous models, they were absolutely 👌
As well as the fabulous team who made them look that way! 👏👏👏

Will post more on this event - including some behind the scenes of our prep day, so watch this space! 🤗
education

I opened a home salon! ✨

I walked away from the busy city salon life, working as a Redken artist, competing in & judging hair competitions, fashion shoots & fashion week - all the things I loved & dreamed of.

But I overloaded, my health suffered, my relationship suffered.

I needed to reset.

Leaving it all behind we went overseas and traveled for 5 months. Then the plan was to start a family & take care of my patiently waiting clients from a home salon instead.

So on October 10th 2016 opened my first private salon (only open to my exisiting clients) Whilst pregnant with my first baby, due to arrive in February but arrived in December instead, 9 weeks early!
On Wednesday I was unknowingly in labour, while doing my clients hair & then he arrived the next morning - I was back at work the following Monday. Dividing my time between my clients booked for their Christmas appts & my baby in the NICU. Expressing upstairs while my clients colours processed downstairs.

This was my introduction to working for myself - by myself!

Fast forward 3 years, my marriage ended & I was a single mum starting over again. This was the beginning of salon number two.
Using lessons I learnt from the first salon I made a new & improved version. Working during the day while Eli was in full time care, then late into the evenings once he was in bed - I found my new rhythm.

Then I met Chris… an unexpected surprise, followed by another unexpected surprise - baby number two!

Too big for my little house I sold up & we bought our family home. This brings us to salon number three!

This was during Covid - a very difficult & uncertain time for everyone, especially anyone in business. The experience made me grateful for my small business model & my one on one client experience.

Salon number three was yet another chance to refine & improve. I wanted to focus more on being environmentally friendly and low-tox for both myself & my clients.
I entered & won my first business award in sustainability which fuelled me to strive for more.

I decided to rebrand as Serenya Hair Retreat & now one year later, life is busy in a whole different way!

Watch this space, this is only the beginning… ✨