Our Team

Meet the talented team at Woo Salon. We cannot wait to meet you and help you with your hair needs. After all, fabulous hair is what we do here at Woo!  To book an appointment please call us on 01702 337272 or book online.

Sam Bright
Hi, I'm Sam, the owner of Woo Salon.  

Your experience with me at Woo will be personalised for you, I will help you to set realistic hair goals whilst maintaining fabulous hair health, talking you through step by step guidance of products, tools and tips enabling you to recreate your salon look and condition at home.

I have been hairdressing for over 35 years. I am passionate about my work and feel extremely thankful that I have a career that I love and look forward to going to every day. My staff and I always continue to re- train and go on many courses enabling us stay up to date and focused on latest trends and fashion.

My experiences include working in top salons and traveling the world. I have also worked with some top names such as Vivenne Westwood and Matthew Williamson.

I was fortunate to work on a five star cruise line which enabled me to be able to handle many different cultures and hair types. I also worked in a salon in Israel before coming home to England enabling me to bring my huge knowledge and expertise to my guests.

Change is a very important factor in anyone’s life and we like to encourage this with our guests’s styles. I specialise in all fields of hairdressing including wedding hair up and colour techniques.

I am a strong minded business woman and have successfully built a strong business ethos and have won many acolades both local and within the hairdressing industry

I love colouring my hair and changing my look, spending time with family/friends walking my dogs Bertie and Olive, gardening, cooking, socialising.

I really look forward to welcoming you into my chair.

Sam Bright Owner
Samantha G
Say hello to Samantha Gray who is our Salon Manager & Senior Stylist at Woo Salon.  She has worked in the industry for over 25 years and has enjoyed an amazing career that has flowed around her life changes.  She says: "You’ll find me at the front of the shop knee-deep in one to one conversations or a full on-salon discussion between staff and guests."

Which hairstyles do you love creating?  ⁠I’m a long hair lover - romantic flowing styles get my creative juices flowing. But a pixie cut and a mullet bring out the more playful side of me. I’m not a colourist any more which allows me to focus on cutting and finishing and extensions work. However, a rich burnt copper is my dream colour !

What do you love about your job?  Obviously the hands on creative nature of bringing the best out in someone and making them love the hair they already have. But for me it’s the connection of people, staff and guests alike. It’s a great vibe in our salon, where it’s not intimidating but a place to come relax and feel free and comfortable and then leave looking ready to take on the world.

Who inspires you to create great hair? Our guests inspire me mainly. And their needs. But as far as stylists within my industry, we recently went to an education course at Wella and met a salon owner and stylist from a Scottish salon, Kay McIntyre. She has a great attitude and produces beautiful finishes, especially some of her extension work. Also Reema Jaber, a curl specialist and colourist, is insanely talented when it comes to her curl work.

What is your ultimate ambition? My ambition within work is to continue helping people love their hair and have it work for them with ease. As well as furthering my education with courses and experiences and to continue to mentor my team into being ambitious and doing the same with their education and careers. This is where confidence and courage in our work ultimately comes from.

How would you describe yourself... in 3 words?  To describe myself in 3 words would depend on who you talk to. But I think in my work environment I’d be compassionate, supportive and professional.

Tell us something about you that might surprise people.  Something that may surprise people is that I like to roller skate ( not that I’m the best, but I can definitely move in my leopard print skates !! )

Samantha G Manager & Senior Stylist

Kira
Say hello our Senior Stylist Kira who has been styling hair for more than 22 years, and loves being part of the Woo team.

Which hairstyles do you love creating?  I love all aspects of hairdressing, but if I had to have a favourite I’d say cutting and finding the right cut and shape for our customers. I also love a set of highlights.

What do you love about your job? Sharing stories and laughing with clients and colleagues. And not making a good hair day but a great one!

Who inspires you to create great hair? Throughout my career I’ve been fortunate to have had some great mentors who have inspired me and instilled the passion to further my education always.

What is your ultimate ambition? My ambitions at present are to remain consistent and to continue evolving to better my best work.

How would you describe yourself... in 3 words?  Kind, reliable and determined.

Tell us something about you that might surprise others. I love to ride horses in my spare time.

Kira Senior Stylist - Level 3
Cat
Meet our Senior Stylist Catherine who has been a stylist for more than 15 years. Cat recently made it to the regional finals for Bridal Hairstylist of the Year, the finals for Essex Wedding Hairstylist of the Year and she won a Distinction at the Wedding Awards 2024! It’s such an amazing achievement and she is grateful for the chance to keep creating unforgettable looks for our beautiful brides and clients every day!

Which hairstyles do you love creating?  I absolutely love creating different blondes for my guests whether that be a full head of highlights or a natural balayage. I love it, to transform someone’s look completely, I’m here for it!

What do you love about being a stylist?  For me, hairdressing is all about connection. I love meeting new people, hearing their stories, and making them feel amazing when they walk out the door. It’s true what they say, find a job you love and you’ll never work a day in your life again!  From everyday cuts and colours to specialising in bridal and event styling, I love every minute of working with incredible clients and fellow stylists at Woo!

I’m dedicated to giving my best with every client, working to the highest standards to make sure each experience at Woo is exceptional. From the moment you step through our doors, my goal is for you to feel welcomed, valued, and thrilled with your look!

Useful links:  www.catherinebullenhair.co.uk and instagram/catherinebullenhair

Cat Senior Stylist - Level 3
Sarah
Say howdy to our Senior Stylist Sarah who has been in the hairdressing industry for 25 years.

Which hairstyles do you love creating?  I love my job and restyles and graduated bobs are my all time fav.

What do you love about being a stylist?  I love my job as a hairdresser. I love the chat, social side, meeting, new people and making them feel amazing. I would say it's the most satisfying job ever.

Who or what inspires you to create fabulous hair?  My job inspires me to do amazing hair and I'm lucky enough to be able to do something I love so much - and it works around the children.

How would you describe yourself... in 3 word?  Trying so sum myself up in 3 words has been very hard. As I feel I have a mixture of personalities - funny, good sense of humour, therapist.

Tell us something about you that might surprise others.  There is nothing that would surprise you about me.. What you see is what you get!

Sarah Senior Stylist - Level 3
Anna
Meet our Level 2 Stylist Anna who qualified in 2022 and has been working at Woo for five years.  She began as an apprentice at 18, watching and learning from other stylists.

Which hairstyles or colour do you love to create? I love to do creative placements using colour and blonding services. I find that using colour, you can match an individual’s personality with their hair. Making them feel more true to themselves.

What do you love about being a hairdresser?  This is what I love about being a hairstylist. I am able to give people more confidence than what they sat in the chair with. And seeing how much happier they become after their hair cut and/or colour is the best part of my day.

Who inspires you to create great hair? The people around me are who inspire me. Seeing all their creations and ideas spur me on to create my own, and continue to learn more about the craft!

What is your ultimate ambition?  My ultimate ambition is to be a creative colour specialist.

How would you describe yourself ... in 3 words? Three words that I would use to describe myself would be: imaginative, funky and hardworking.

Tell us something about you that might surprise others.  Something about me that may surprise others is my love for nature, even rain!

Anna Stylist - Level 2
Maddie
Meet our stylist Maddie Emmons who has been a qualified hairdresser for five years.  Here she answers a few questions so you can get to know her better.

Which hairstyle or colours do you love creating?  Highlighting and balayage are my favourite things to do because they allow for so much creativity and personalisation! I love how highlights can add brightness and depth to a client’s hair, enhancing their natural beauty. Balayage, on the other hand, gives a more natural, sun-kissed look that can be really stunning.

What do you love about being a hairdresser?  Being a hairdresser is such a creative and fulfilling job! You get to make people feel beautiful and confident every day. Plus, it’s awesome to see the transformation in your clients.

Who or what inspires you to create beautiful hair?  It inspires me to be a hairdresser because I get to make a real difference in people's day. Seeing how a new hairstyle can boost someone's confidence and mood is such a powerful feeling. I love the creativity involved in the job. Plus connecting with clients and being a part of their transformation journey keeps me motivated and passionate about what I do!

What is your ultimate ambition?  My ultimate ambition as a hairdresser is to become a master at colour because I want to perfect the techniques that enhance their beauty and bring out the best in my clients. I’m excited about the creativity involved in mixing shades and creating unique looks that brighten up their style. Being a master colourist would allow me to provide an even more rewarding experience for my clients, ensuring they leave feeling confident and beautiful!

How would you describe yourself... in three words?  Three words I would use to describe myself are artistic, passionate and dedicated.

Tell us something about you that might surprise others.  Something about me that would surprise others is that I am a massive foodie and I love cooking! I love coming up with new yummy dinner ideas which is another way I like being creative.

Maddie Stylist - Level 2
Frankie
Meet Frankie who is a graduate, working her way towards becoming a stylist at Woo Salon in Southend-on-Sea.

Which service do you love doing?  My favourite thing to do is a bouncy blowdry because I enjoy the feeling people get when they leave with luscious voluminous hair.

What do you love about your job?  I love being a hairdresser because I find that I am able to be creative in all kinds of work as well as seeing people’s faces after their service continues to push me in all aspects of my work.

Who inspires you to create great hair?  My inspiration in hair dressing is Raphael Perrier not only do I find his work admirable but also his drive and determination to get himself to where he wanted to be, not to mention he is a world champion hairdresser 4 times!

What is your ultimate ambition?  My ultimate ambition as I grow and find myself is to travel the world continuing to do what I love.

How would you describe yourself... in 3 words?  I would describe myself as determined, spirited and motivated.

Tell us something about you that might surprise others.  One thing that would surprise you all about me is that I really enjoying swimming and used to compete, which is where my determination comes from as I strive to be the best in everything I do.

Frankie Level 1 - Graduate