Award winner: margo mcmenemy robertson

SIMPLY THE BEST Margo McMenemy Robertson, owner of Beauty Network in Hamilton, Scotland, is the 2007 British Beauty Therapist of the Year. Annette Hanford discovers what makes a winner From a very early age Margo knew exactly what she wanted to do in life. After leaving school she enrolled at Scotland’s Coatbridge College, Coatbridge, to study a City & Guilds in beauty therapy and electrical epilation. From there she gained a position as a beauty therapist in a large salon approximately 25 miles from her home – the commute involved two trains and two buses. However, the lengthy journey and long hours didn’t deter Margo, and her dedication brought her promotion to senior therapist within six months of starting. “I never thought of the commute and the long hours as a sacrifice,” she says. “To me it was an opportunity to learn my trade and advance my skills. I was willing to go the distance to achieve it.” PRESENTER BEN SHEPHARD WITH MARGO It is this winning attitude in all areas of beauty that has driven Margo throughout her career. Now with two salons of her own, she pursues education and training to the highest levels. Never satisfied with the status quo, Margo has always sought to improve her skills and know-ledge, and never more so than when the HND qualification was introduced in beauty therapy. Aware that the HND syllabus included additional therapies omitted from the City & Guild qualification, Margo characteristically committed herself to achieving the new qualification, studying at the Central College of Commerce, while at the same time managing her own salon and family life. JUGGLING ACT “I remember how difficult it was juggling my family, clients and running my own business at that time,” she says. “Adding study on top was like adding flame-throwing to walking a tightrope, but for me quitting was never an option. I’m a dedicated therapist and I couldn’t reconcile myself with providing my clients with anything less than the most advanced therapies available. “As far as I’m concerned it would be like a doctor administering treatment or medication based on knowledge learned years previously without any consideration or knowledge of new advancements. No-one would find that acceptable in medicine, so why should people settle for any less in their beauty therapy? Beauty has grown so much over the years with new advancements all the time. It’s my duty and my passion to be at the cutting edge of it.” DELICATE BALANCE For Margo the client is everything. “While practising my therapies, I do not see a treatment or condition in front of me. I see a person – a delicate balance of body, mind and soul. I use every life experience and learning I have in the delivery of my therapies, making them specific for the individual.” TEAM WORK True to form, her CV boasts a multitude of beauty qualifications and she includes a vast array of therapies among her treatments, from basic maintenance treatments to more advanced therapies including red vein, wart and skin tag removal, as well as the advanced semi-permanent make-up, also known as micro-pigmentation. Margo studied the subject in 2005, receiving her diploma the same year. Having a flare for this highly specialised treatment, she decided to enhance her skills even further with advanced training in Harley Street, London, and achieved a diploma of excellence. “Over the past 20 years I have passionately pursued my career in beauty therapy,” she says. “Being an award-winning therapist doesn’t occur overnight, and neither should it. For me, the essence of being a beauty therapist is being a specialist in all areas of beauty. I love nothing more than finding new treatments and mastering new therapies that have a positive impact on my clients.” FULL-LENGTH AND FABULOUS AT THE AWARDS Margo was described by the judges at the British Beauty & Spa Awards as “a very caring and intelligent therapist”. They added that her dedication and commitment to her clients was evident in the loyalty they showed to her and the salon. It was also said that she ensures her clients are at the heart of the salon and every decision is made with the client’s best interests at heart. OVER THE MOON Her clients, says Margo, are “simply over the moon” at her award win. “My clients mean the world to me. I really look forward to my time at the salon and seeing all my clients. I treat every client as an individual and prescribe thorough homecare plans specific to their beauty needs.” Still delighting in her win, Margo says that being named Beauty Therapist of the Year is wonderful. “After bringing home our first ‘beauty Oscar’ for Salon of the Year for North West of England and Scotland the year before, it was hard to imagine that feeling could be topped. To be so blessed as to bring another home was like a dream come true.” MARGO: STILL DELIGHTING Becoming British Beauty Therapist of the Year was a personal achievement she had only dreamt about in the past. Being recognised among your peers is extremely gratifying, says Margo, but adds that the award means so much more than that. AMAZING NIGHT “Over the years I have put my all into beauty and its therapies, so to be able to take my  ‘Oscar’ home to my wonderful family made it somehow all worthwhile. The award ceremony was an amazing night and having my family and all of my team there supporting me was the icing on the cake, summing up our team-spirit and camaraderie. “My passion for beauty comes from within and my success is built on the fact that even as a salon owner I have never made beauty about money. It means so much more than that to me. It’s in my blood. It is part of what defines me.”