After presenting a live styling demonstration and a glammed-up line-up of risque models, hairdresser of 20 years Adrian Barclay told the New Zealand Hairdressing and Beauty Therapy Educators Conference his mission in life was to achieve international success from Invercargill.
"I remember being laughed at early in my career," he said of building his business in Invercargill.
His Invercargill salon, Venom, was an Australasian salon design of the year finalist in 2011 and he shared to the room of educators what he believed to be important in a successful business.
"Having the right people is most important and you have to have the courage to get rid of the wrong ones."
Mr Barclay is fresh from filming a step-by-step hairdressing series, which he hopes will be picked up by educational institutes.
"I give everything away. We are already on to the next thing ... You can't hold on to it."
Despite being involved in New York Fashion Week last year, being named 2009 New Zealand Hairdresser of the Year and receiving various other accolades, Mr Barclay claimed he is not gifted.
Rather, he works "really hard at it".
"I always had that attitude of 'just do it'."
