Brains behind the brand: shaun p of tangle teezer

I started my hairdressing career working for Glemby International in my home town of Grimsby, Lincolnshire, before moving to Manchester to join Pierre Alexandre. I then headed to London and trained as a colour technician at Vidal Sassoon, which led to a globe-trotting career until I eventually ended up as senior technical director at Richard Ward. 

During my work in the salon, I frequently observed assistants struggling with tangles at the backwash with inappropriate combs and brushes. This gave clients discomfort and I knew there must be a better way to detangle wet hair - one that was quick and painless, involving a tool clients could use at home themselves.

I spent four years researching and understanding how teeth worked on conventional brushes and combs when used together - the result was the Tangle Teezer. I wanted to address the age-old problem of tangles, offering the hairdressing industry a tool that didn't rip through and damage hair. 

I was famously turned down on Dragon's Den where they called it a 'hair-brained' idea, but I'm a naturally positive person, and knew I'd invented a product that would be accepted by the hairdressing industry. When I marketed the Tangle Teezer, I discovered my faith wasn't misguided - orders started coming in straight away, and women sent me emails claiming it was a life-changing hairbrush.

Receiving fantastic feedback from people around the world has been one of the best things about launching Tangle Teezer. I get a huge sense of pride and achievement seeing my product on the shelves. To see my product in salons I admire and hear it mentioned by leading session stylists as an essential part of their kit is really flattering.

My advice for anyone wanting to launch their own product would be research, research, research. I spent many hours in the British Library reading up on plastics and manufacturing. Little did I know that Logistics and Supply Chain Management magazine would become my favourite read!