How To Cut It in the Hairdressing Industry

EP370: Ashleigh Hodges – Women In Business (Takeover #1)

How To Cut It in the Hairdressing Industry

Show Notes

Welcome to the first special episode of our August Takeover, "Women in Business." Hosted by Samantha Cusick, owner of both Samantha Cusick salon in Notting Hill and Sta Studios.

This series shines a spotlight on the trailblazing women redefining what it means to lead in our hair industry. Kicking things off features a compelling conversation between Samantha and her special guest Ashleigh Hodges, the youngest female president of the Fellowship for British Hairdressing and founder of MASH Studios London, a creative space for freelancers.

In this insightful episode, Ashleigh shares her journey from working in her mother's salon to becoming a leader in a male-dominated industry. Explore the challenges women face, including self-doubt and microaggressions, and discover how mentorship and community support can make a difference.

Gain valuable leadership insights as Ashleigh emphasises the importance of authenticity, creativity, and passion. This episode is a must-listen for aspiring female leaders and hairdressers!

Join Samantha again next week for more inspiring conversations celebrating women in business, with Jordanna Cobella.

Chapters

3:15: Spotlight on Ashleigh Hodges

7:19: Journey to Leadership

10:06: Creating Safe Spaces

14:00: Building a Community

16:25: Embracing Change

21:43: The Role of Women

25:38: Micro-aggressions in Business

27:37: Channeling Experiences

28:28: The Importance of Collaboration

33:56: Celebrating Women in Business

37:09: Navigating Awards and Recognition

Links to todays episode

Samantha Cusick salon website click HERE

Sta Studios visit sta-studios.com

Silly Little Girls Club podcast on Spotify click HERE

Samantha Cusick on Instagram @smantha.cusick

Sta Studios on Instagram @sta__studios

Fellowship for British Hairdressing visit HERE

Ashleigh Hodges on Instagram @ashleigh_hodges_hair

Ashleigh Hodges website visit HERE

Mash Creative visit mash-creative.co.uk

More from How To Cut It in the Hairdressing Industry

Oct 19, 2026

In this episode, brought to you in partnership with Wella Professionals UKI, we are joined by Sarah Yorke—an industry professional turned tech founder. From her early beginnings working behind the salon chair to launching the Stylebook Directory and Stylebook Education, Sarah shares how her passion for the industry has evolved into two platforms: one that helps hair and beauty professionals grow their businesses, and another that provides social media and digital online safety training to next-generation hairdressers.

Oct 8, 2026

In this final episode of the Residency takeover with Nancy Stripe, Nancy is joined by Adina Pignatare, an acclaimed American based hair educator, salon owner, viral content creator, and modern mother navigating the hair industry. Adina shares her unique journey and provides actionable advice on how to balance life as a working parent while building a brand that resonates with both your clients and your digital audience.

Sep 28, 2026

We are thrilled to bring you part three of our Residency Takeover with our guest host, the award-winning colourist and educator, Nancy Stripe. In this episode, Nancy sits down with Nardia Young, a prominent British hair colour specialist and global educator based in Birmingham with over 28 years of experience. As a world-renowned Grey Blending Expert, Nardia has spent her career transforming high-maintenance tint cycles into seamless, natural silver hair.

Sep 21, 2026

For today’s takeover episode, our month-long residency guest host Nancy Stripe sits down with the visionary Catherine Handcock OBE, a pioneering British publisher and leading advocate for the UK hair and beauty sector. As the founder of Creative HEAD and a director of the British Beauty Council, Catherine has spent decades championing professional excellence, building prestigious awards platforms, and lobbying for vital industry recognition.

Sep 14, 2026

We are thrilled to welcome the award-winning colourist and educator Nancy Stripe back again, but this time as our guest host for the How To Cut It podcast! As the owner of Stripe Colour Studio, Nancy is taking the helm for an exciting September residency, where she will be sitting down with a stellar lineup of industry experts. She kicks off her series with an absolute legend: Jack Howard.

See all episodes →