Entrepreneurship
Gef’s 30 Under 30 2024 Winners: Q&A with Caitlin Trenholme
Ten categories. Thirty young visionaries making their mark on the Isle of Man. Introducing the 2024 #Gef30Under30 winners: the next generation of our island’s leaders.
The Startup Grind Entrepreneurship Category Winners knocked our judges’ socks off, proving that living on a small island is no excuse for small thinking.
What is your name and age?
Caitlin Trenholme, age 24.
Job title or role in the community?
Ladies Hairdresser and Owner of Blend.
How did you start your career or role in the community?
I started my first Saturday job at Euphoria with Wendy Campbell, then when I was 15 years old, I became a Saturday girl at Salon 3, helping clean, running the coffees and washing client’s hair. Once I finished school, I started my apprenticeship whilst training at the College. This was where I qualified as a hairdressing stylist and built my client base, developing my skills and passion for hairdressing. I could not be more grateful to Yvonne and Janet, who own Salon 3, for the opportunity and support they gave over the years.
In one sentence, summarise your journey so far as a young and successful person under 30.
It’s been a rollercoaster of so many highs, but also plenty of learning and character building experiences, which has definitely helped get me to where I am today.
Tell us about your business/industry, is there something interesting about it that most people wouldn’t expect?
The ladies hairdressing industry in the Isle of Man seems to be thriving at the minute, whether it be for trips away or regular appointments to ensure my client’s hair is always looking great. There really does seem to be a big demand for this at the minute.
What people may not realise is if you put yourself out there you can get exposure to hairdressing industry leaders. In the past couple of years I’ve done hair at London Fashion Week Shows many times, and have been mentored by industry leaders at Schwarzkopf, one of the leading hair brands in the world. This has also really helped ensure I have been able to supply the very high quality of service to my lovely clients.
Have you experienced any hurdles in your career or community efforts and if so, how did you overcome them?
One would be the challenges that I had to overcome in opening my own hair studio, Blend, which opened in February of this year on Prospect Hill in Douglas. I overcame various obstacles in the refurbishment of the space, fitting the space out to ensure it is as perfect as it is today. There were so many things that you never would have thought you would have to worry about that cropped up.
Tell us about why you think you won in the Entrepreneurship category?
I guess I may have won the Entrepreneurship category because I took the leap of faith to open my own space to do amazing hair for my clients. In doing this I have created somewhere where my clients can relax, recharge, be present and take time to feel the best version of themselves, in a calm, clean, and aesthetically pleasing environment.
Who are your role models, either on-island or off, in your sector or outside of it?
I have a few role models in the industry, who I always keep a close eye on. One of my main role models is a lady called Emily Mander, who also has recently opened her own hair space in Bath called Orla, which I recently completed a course on earlier this year.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
Always be you, do what you enjoy doing and sometimes don’t be afraid to go with your gut.
What are your plans for the future?
Since I was a young girl I have always wanted to own my own Hair Studio, as my gran used to have her own Hair Salon on Bray Hill. Not once did I expect to have done this by now, so to be honest it’s been a crazy year and I haven’t had much time to look past this. But what I do know is Blend is a brand that I want to continue to build and grow organically, as and when the time is right. It’s also been amazing having Laura Mealin, owner of SugarCoat, join me in my space since June of this year.
What changes do you hope to see in your sector or community in the coming years?
I would love to see the continued growth of young hairdressers coming through on the Isle of Man, so that our industry can go from strength to strength in the years to come.
I really hope that what I am doing with Blend inspires other young hairdressers to develop the same passion as I do, and even have their own hairdressing businesses in the future.
What, for you, are the benefits of staying on or moving back to the island for young people under 30?
I’m an island girl. I love the outdoors and staying fit, and there aren’t many other places like the Isle of Man to go for walks, runs, sea dips and beach-side saunas. It really does make me grateful for the Island and what it has to offer.
Business-wise, I have found the community is extremely supportive, I’ve had so many kind messages and help over the past year. It has made starting Blend far easier than it would have been if I had done so in a large city in the UK for example.
There also seems to be lots of young people opening new businesses and doing cool things at the minute, which is amazing for the Island and what it needs to ensure more young people stay.
What does being a Gef’s 30 Under 30 winner mean to you?
It was a really nice surprise to be a winner this year, and it has been so much fun getting involved with Gef over the past few months.
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