The Selection Process
In a world that is over saturated with haircare, how do we pick one?
When we choose a brand to bring into Elluca, it has to be about more than whether the shampoo smells good or the packaging looks nice. Of course, the products have to perform. That's a non-negotiable.
But as Elluca has grown, we've become much more intentional about who we do business with, not just what we buy from them. And my god, there are sharks out there.
We are constantly approached by brands wanting our business, but what I've learnt is that not everyone understands what makes a genuinely good business relationship. For us, it's not just about a sales rep popping in (unannounced... *insert eye roll*) when they just have something to sell.
It's about relationships, support, communication, opportunities for our team and actually understanding our business. And it’s not just me who has the final say, it’s the entire team you have to win over also. We do hair together.
ELEVEN Australia: Uncomplicated, high-performing products.
And that's a big part of why you'll see so much ELEVEN Australia on our shelves. It's not just what they sell, it's who they are at their core.
ELEVEN is an Australian-born professional haircare brand with a very Australian approach: uncomplicated, high-performing products that do what they say they're going to do. And we love that. No BS. No overcomplicating it. Just good products that work. Simples.
Their Philosophy
Their philosophy is essentially that haircare doesn't need to be complicated, it just needs to work. The products are stylist-created and salon-tested, with a huge focus on performance while still being easy for our clients to understand and actually use at home.
That simplicity really aligns with us. We aren’t trying to reinvent the wheel here. We don't want to sell you six products because we can and because our rep said so. We want to recommend the products that actually suit your hair, your lifestyle and what you're trying to achieve.
Our Elluca values have to align too. Community, consistency, communication, relationships and sustainability aren't just words we've picked because they sound good. They're values we actually use to guide how we operate as a team and who we choose to work with.
Sustainability & Ethics
Sustainability, in particular, has always been a huge part of Elluca. So when we bring a brand into our salon, we want to know what's happening behind the scenes too. What do they stand for? How are their products made? What are they doing to reduce their impact?
ELEVEN is cruelty-free and PETA approved, offers a large selection of vegan products and its bottles, tubs and cans are 100% recyclable. The company also talks openly about continually working with its suppliers to reduce its environmental footprint rather than pretending they've already got everything perfect. We respect that approach… forward thinkers!
The Importance of Relationships
But here's something people don't always think or talk about: the relationships. Business is a two-way street. I'm a representative of Elluca, and when a rep walks through our doors, they're representing their company. The relationship has to work for us, and it has to work for them too.
Because when you really think about it, as a salon we put a huge amount of trust in the brands we work with. We rely on their products every single day to earn an income, and ultimately, it's OUR name we're putting behind those products when we use them on your hair or recommend them for you to take home. That's a big deal.
A Lesson Learned
Formulations change. Products change. And when they do, I want to know about it first. I want open communication from the people we work with, because those changes can directly impact our clients.
I've personally worked with a brand, no names mentioned here in this blog, that changed the formulation of its lightening powder. We weren't informed at all, and it began severely damaging hair. Whose name was attached to that result? Ours. How can you continue to trust a brand that is happy to behave like that?
The client isn't thinking about the massive company that manufactured the product. They're sitting in an Elluca chair, trusting us with their hair. Meanwhile, the brand has already made the sale. That experience taught me A LOT. I want a straight shooter, don’t try BS me.
Choose your brands wisely. Maintain boundaries. Say no when you want to. Make sure they align with who you are and how you do business. Build relationships with your reps. Make sure you can trust them, communicate with them and know they'll have your back when it matters.
As Elluca has grown, what we needed from our brand partnerships changed. We wanted things to feel more personal. We don’t want someone who is just trying to sell us something because they have a quota to meet. We wanted to know our representatives. We wanted people we could pick up the phone and speak to.
We didn't want a big company telling us how to run our business and what ethos we should have. (Because some of them do shockingly). We wanted education and opportunities for our team. We wanted partnerships where our salon wasn't simply an account number, but where there was a genuine relationship between the people behind the brand and the people standing behind the chair.
That's become really important to me as a business owner and to show my team what is possible.
So, why ELEVEN?
- Because the products work.
- Because they smell delicious.
- Because they're easy for our clients to understand.
- Because their approach to sustainability aligns with ours.
- Because they're Australian-born.
- Because their packaging looks good on the shelves.
- Because they value the professional hairdressing industry.
- And importantly, because we've built genuine relationships with the people behind the brand.
As Elluca grows, we're becoming increasingly selective about the companies we align ourselves with. We don't just want suppliers. We want partners. And that's exactly what we're looking for when we decide what earns a place on the shelves at Elluca. It has to tick all of the boxes.
It's Not Just What's On Our Shelves
Something else worth mentioning is that we don't just stock ELEVEN's retail products. We use ELEVEN colour in the salon too.
So when we say we believe in the brand, we really mean it. We're using their colour and technical products behind the chair, and their shampoos, conditioners, treatments and styling products both in the salon and as recommendations for you at home.
For us, there's something really valuable about having that connection from the colour we create in the salon to the products you use to look after it at home. Our team has worked with the range, trialled it, tested it and educated ourselves on it. We know how it performs because we're actually using it every day.
Just know that nothing lands on our shelves by accident. Every product has been scrutinised, trialled and used by our team. We've educated ourselves on it, asked the questions, tested how it performs and made sure it's something we're genuinely happy to put the Elluca name behind.
If we're recommending it to you, it's because we believe in it too.
Jean & the Elluca Team xx
