A hairdresser in Swindon has become her own boss by styling clients from her home studio.
Chelsea Caulton worked in a salon as a freelance hairdresser but lost her job at the end of November.
The 26-year-old suddenly found herself without a reliable source of income while facing rising energy bills and regular mortgage payments.
The company her partner worked for went into administration that same week, so he too found himself jobless.
She said: "It was terrifying and soul-destroying, the most stressful week of our lives.
"The hairdressing industry is extremely cut-throat but this gave me the push I needed to get on with something I have always spoken about for years.
"I wanted to build my own business in the local area and was aware this would take time.
"Unfortunately, the salon felt it was a conflicting interest - which I understood, but it was never my intention to take any clients.
"Since taking the job, I had always been very honest about my business and my plans. I had even spoken on podcasts and magazines, so my passion and ambition was out there for the world to see."
Chelsea spent four days putting together her salon in her home and started building, through word of mouth, her new venture.
Four months on, the business has gone from strength to strength, so she now wants to help others find the right mindset to go their own way and succeed independently.
Chelsea added: "I felt like it was now or never, though there was a big jump from having someone pay your bills to paying for them yourself.
"I used to have low self-esteem but changed that energy from negative to positive and didn't let it get me down. It's important to have that self-belief.
"Your mind needs to become your best friend all those self-doubts of thinking you’re not good enough or your business won’t be successful needs to be gone.
"I am forever grateful for the clients that support my dream, I can't believe how well it's gone, and hope my story can inspire others.
"Life will give you many knockbacks, but it's how you deal with them that makes you who you are."
Contact Chelsea via her Instagram page @theoriginalstylist
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