“The world does not need more information, we’re drowning in tutorials, reels, and quick tips. What we’re starving for is wisdom, and that only comes from experience, guidance… and feedback,” said Vivienne Mackinder, founder of Vivienne Mackinder Education.
“There is something profoundly powerful about being seen while you work. Not judged — seen. Sometimes we’re so close to our work that we can’t see the problems…where fear grips our hands, where we play it safe for so long that creativity slowly dies. It can come to a point where we simply don’t know what we’re doing wrong — until someone shows us. That is the power of mentoring.”
Vivienne believes a great mentor must have:
- Real experience
- Survived failures
- A mastery of discipline and work ethic
- Understands psychology as much as technique
- Knows when to challenge someone… and when to cherish them
- Can see what the mentee cannot see
“Track record matters…empathy matters…clarity matters. A mentor doesn’t give answers —
they help find someone’s greatness,” said Vivienne.
Mentoring can be done in person or on a screen, if the work is personal, precise, and transformational.
Live Digital:
“When I mentor and teach, I don’t just focus on learning a technique, my goal is to awaken an artist,” said Vivienne. “I observe them live online and step to refine, guide, and redirect. When a stylist re-watches their session, something extraordinary happens: They finally see themself…where their hesitation lives, how habits sabotage them, where their confidence leaks and where their genius hides.”
Live In-Person: “In-studio mentoring is a much richer experience and dives deeper. I’m able to work beside a stylist — watching, guiding, tweaking, elevating. It’s intimate, focused and allows for better refinement. It changes everything and creates a lifelong connection to that person,” added Vivienne.
Most hairdressers have never watched themselves work, heard how they speak, seen how fear shapes their decisions or how their brilliance sets them apart. A mentor can identify a stylist’s creative type instantly:
- The Technician – Brilliant but stuck in the details
- The Artist – Inspired but chaotic
- The Puppet – Talented but afraid to trust herself
- The Entertainer – Performing instead of creating
- The Pedestal – Confident… but unreachable
“When you see yourself — you finally understand why you struggle…and once you understand, you evolve,” said Vivienne, who created The Creative Archetype Quiz to help stylists identify their strengths and weaknesses.
Hairdressers are not failing because they don’t know enough. They’re stuck because most lack a mentor who will guide their growth, speak the truth about their work and refine their vision. Mentoring is not a luxury in today’s world, it’s crucial for attaining precision, brilliance and liberation in the craft of hairdressing.
Stylists interested in a creative reset can explore a one-to-one mentorship program with Vivienne here.