In Australia, a hair salon is spearheading a “Give Back Movement” where clients can nominate their friends and family members for surprise hair makeovers. Melissa Proietti, a Brisbane-based hairdresser who runs her hair salon, Jayne & Co., as well as her hair extension company, Baciami Hair Extension, is leading this initiative with a team of eight employees.
The movement aims to align the salon’s vision of being known for spreading love and kindness while breaking the narrative in the industry. Ms. Proietti realized that she enjoyed helping people without worrying about competition and wanted to give back to those who could not afford such luxuries. As a result, she started the “Give Back Movement” two months ago, which encourages nominations for surprise makeovers within the community.
The first recipient of this program was Vicki, nominated by her son Andrew, a former schoolmate of Ms. Proietti. Vicki had recently gone through a tough relationship breakdown and put everyone else’s needs before her own. When she arrived at the salon for her surprise makeover, Ms. Proietti read a heartfelt letter from Andrew, which brought tears to her eyes.
Over the next four hours, Vicki received a base color, highlights, a beautiful haircut, and treatment. The team also provided her with lunch, a treat, and some hair care products to take home. When Vicki finally saw herself in the mirror, she was overwhelmed with emotion as she had never been able to afford such indulgences for herself before.
Andrew shared that his mother spent the entire afternoon “glowing” and couldn’t wipe the smile off her face after the makeover. One comment that especially touched Vicki was: “You’re doing God’s work.
Since starting this movement, Ms. Proietti has experienced a significant change in her life. She said, “I’m doing it for them, but I think part of me is doing it to bring some love back into my life as well because I think social media has really brought me down over the years.” By giving back to others, she has found new meaning and joy in her work.
As more clients are benefiting from this initiative, Ms. Proietti encourages others in the industry to follow suit and bring love and kindness back into their lives by helping those in need.
