In this episode of CABELO – The Root of It All, Rob Wood sits down with Victoria Lynch, founder of Remi Cachet, to talk about her journey from starting out in hair to building an international hair extension brand.

Victoria takes us back to the beginning, from working two jobs and spotting an opportunity in the emerging hair extension industry to launching her business from a spare bedroom. She shares what it was like building a brand before social media, including handwriting salon addresses from the Yellow Pages and making just £15 in her first week of business.

Rob and Victoria also talk about the realities of entrepreneurship, self-belief, taking risks, knowing when to pivot and the sacrifices that come with growing a business.

They also explore how Victoria's relationship with hair extensions has changed over the years, the connection between hair and confidence, and why her own experiences have given her a new perspective on the people her products help.

From a £15 first week to building Remi Cachet into an international brand, this is a conversation about self-belief, resilience, business and never standing still.

Welcome to The Root of It All.

In Episode 5 of CABELO – The Root of It All, I sit down with Brazilian hairdresser, blonde specialist and content creator Lucas for an honest, hilarious and at times surprisingly personal conversation about hair, social media, neurodiversity and finding your voice.

Lucas takes me back to where his career began in Brazil, growing up around the hair industry before starting his own journey as a hairdresser 19 years ago. Ironically, blond hair was once the thing he was most afraid of working with today, it's become his speciality.

We talk about Lucas moving to the UK eight years ago and essentially having to start again. Despite having already built a name for himself in Brazil, he arrived in the UK without a clientele, initially working mobile while navigating a new culture, different ways of working and, occasionally, some hilarious language barriers.

Lucas also shares how his brutally honest social media content began. Frustrated by the way hairdressers and barbers can sometimes be treated, he started talking openly and very humorously about the things stylists experience behind the chair but don't always feel able to say. The response was huge, with other professionals recognising themselves in what he was saying.

But behind the humour, there's another side to Lucas.

We talk about being diagnosed with ADHD and being on the autistic spectrum, how sensory overload can affect him in a busy salon and the importance of recognising when he needs to step away and reset. Lucas also opens up about his mental health, the pressure of constantly being "on" for clients and learning to respect himself when he's having a difficult day.

Looking to the future, Lucas wants to continue growing his platform not simply to be known as "the funny guy", but to give a voice to people in the industry who need to hear that it's okay to set boundaries, stand up for yourself and be treated with respect.

In this episode:

• Lucas's journey into hairdressing in Brazil
• Moving to the UK and starting again
• Building a clientele from scratch
• Going from being afraid of blond hair to becoming a blond specialist
• The reality of life behind the chair
• How Lucas's brutally honest content went viral
• Finding humour in the frustrations of the hair industry
• Being diagnosed with ADHD and autism
• Sensory overload and working in a busy salon
• Mental health and the pressure to always be "on"
• Setting boundaries with clients
• Finding your voice on social media
• Lucas's ambitions for the future

This is a conversation about being yourself, finding your voice and having the confidence to say the things other people might be thinking with plenty of laughs along the way.

Welcome to The Root of It All.

In this episode of CABELO – The Root of It All, I sit down with barber, hair replacement specialist and business owner Lesley Reay for an honest conversation about changing careers, taking risks and finding the courage to go all in.

Lesley takes me back to a moment that completely changed the direction of her life. After being sacked from her job in retail and then finding out she was pregnant just two weeks later, a series of unexpected events eventually led her to retrain as a barber at the age of 29.

We talk about starting again, becoming a single parent, being told she was too old for an apprenticeship and entering a traditionally male-dominated industry where not everyone believed she would succeed. Rather than letting those experiences stop her, Lesley used them as motivation to prove what she was capable of.

After building a successful career and becoming fully booked as a barber, Lesley found herself looking for her next challenge. That's when she discovered hair systems.

What initially began as something she planned to offer alongside barbering quickly grew into a completely new direction for her career. Eventually, Lesley reached a point where she knew she had to take the leap, leave traditional barbering behind and build something of her own.

We talk about creating a private space where clients experiencing hair loss feel comfortable, the deeper relationships that come with working in hair replacement and how the move has changed Lesley's life both professionally and personally.

Lesley also opens up about the financial impact of moving into hair systems, working smarter rather than simply working more, overcoming burnout and gaining something incredibly important to her — more freedom and more time with her son.

In this episode:

• Getting sacked and unexpectedly starting again

• Becoming a mum and retraining at 29

• Breaking into the barbering industry

• Proving people wrong in a male-dominated profession

• Going from fully booked barber to hair replacement specialist

• Discovering the opportunity in hair systems

• Finding the courage to go all in

• Starting her own business

• Building deeper relationships with hair loss clients

• Working smarter and overcoming burnout

• Creating more freedom and time with family

• Saying yes to new opportunities and what's next

This is a conversation about starting again, backing yourself and having the courage to take an opportunity when you know it's time for something more.

Welcome to The Root of It