We recently attended this year's Australian Hairdressing Industry Awards (basically the Oscars for the Australian hair industry) and as always we were excited to see if we were lucky enough to walk away with an award again this year.
We've won quite a few of these coveted awards before including winning Queensland Salon of the Year TWICE (pinch us because even writing this still just the most amazing buzz)... but this year we had no idea what was about to happen.
In the middle of the awards the amazing Queen organiser Linda, takes to the stage to announce one of the biggest awards for the night - the AHIA 2023 Vidal Sassoon Humanitarian Award... the room goes quiet and suddenly THERE'S A VIDEO OF HELEN PLAYING ON THE SCREEN.
This video...
When I tell you there wasn't a dry eye in the house, and especially at the Tigerlamb table, it's 10000% spot on.
Let me tell you a little bit about our amazing founder and owner, Helen Owens. Helen is one of the most down to earth yet feircley cool, humble yet powerful, laid but but super smart, humans on the planet.
She started Tigerlamb all those moons ago, from a small little salon in Teneriffe and now has four of the most epically beautiful award winning salons across Brisbane. She's got that effortless glam thing down pat and is just NICE. One of those people you meet and just instantly like... but there's a whole other side that she honestly keeps so incredibly quiet.
The giving Helen. The generous Helen. She's the one who kicks off her studded heels and dons gumboots to be a part of the mud army when Brissie gets flooded, she leaves her bed behind and sleeps under a bridge with a bunch of other CEO's to raise money for the homeless, she does blanket drives for those in need, she and her team join in on 24 hour haircutting marathons to raise funds for charities, she quietly donates to more events and local schools/movements/community groups that you can imagine plus sponsors incredible balls and gala events for the likes of RizeUp Australia and more AND... she even has created her own movement, the Phoenix Project where she invites people to contact us via our website and nominate someone they know going through a hard time, who needs a cheer up and a little 'me time' at one of our beautiful salons. She funds it all... and she never talks about it. As her marketing person (hi I'm Flick), I try to get her to but that's not what she does this all for. It's because she truly just wants to help people and make their lives better.
So to see her this year, recognised at the Australian Hair Industry Awards for all that she does is just the most beautiful moment to be a part of.
...and we haven't event gotten to the best bit.
Are you ready?
As part of this, Linda and the amazing team have donated $10,000 to one of Helen's charities that she works alongside of - RizeUp Australia!!!! RizeUp provide life-changing practical support for families affected by domestic and family violence so are just such worthy recipients of this cash injection and we're thrilled to be a part of it.
So to our gorgeous Helen. We are so proud to work with you, for you and along side of you. We're grateful for all that you do, for us, for our clients and for the community. You are an amazing human and leader and so incredibly deserving of this award.
We love you.