British-born Tracey Hughes had visions of becoming a barrister before she listened to her naturally artistic heart and found a career in hair rather than law. “The day I started styling, I knew I’d found my calling,” she shares. Her classical training began with a post-high school apprenticeship at England’s Christopher Boyton salon. At age 19, the budding pro experienced a second breakthrough when she delivered her fi rst presentation. “At that moment, I learned that I’m a naturally confi dent public speaker,” Hughes recalls. The convergence of these two realizations shaped the course of the stylist’s life. She moved to Australia and opened her fi rst salon, Mieka Hairdressing, in Melbourne in 1997, and after a stint as a Redken artistic director, Hughes assumed her role as renowned educator, now leading the educational charge for Pulp Riot. Today, the speaker travels the world to ignite creativity and help fellow salon professionals achieve success through the development of core technical and business skills. She’s stood on stages in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and the United States, headlining top beauty events and inspiring more than 500,000 stylists to date. “My presentation manner is informative, interactive and dynamic,” says Hughes. “I focus on increasing individual confi dence, and I believe my point of difference is that I genuinely strive to bring out the best in those I teach.” Though currently based in Las Vegas where her husband works as an executive chef for three resorts, the globetrotter travels nationally or internationally every week. “People would be surprised to learn that I’m also quite a private, insular person,” confi des the pro. “Onstage I have a strong presence, but the rest of my life is pretty simple.”
