Marrickville Sundays: Yue and Flexi Hair

Seriously cool to have a hairdresser at market! Was it difficult when you first started out or did you already have a fairly well established client base from your mobile hair business for everyone to find you

It was difficult to start with. I'm quite shy, so it took a lot of guts and I didn't know if it would work. I was working at a salon at the time and still not totally confident about standing on my own. But I had to move on to something where I felt I had more control in my life.

At first I had no clients whatsoever! The very first day at market, I only 3 clients. But the market was pretty small back then.

How long have you been in the hairdressing industry and has being at market helped grow your business with repeat customers

I have been a hairdresser for 10 years. The market has definitely helped me to grow my business. Being at market every Sunday is my place to be in the public eye. This consistency has helped me build my reputation as a reliable and familiar face. People know me as "the lady who does haircuts at market".

I have met a lot of people here; it's a great community.

What has been one of the more unusual requests you have had at market for a hairstyle and is there anything you won't do, or are you more of a "anything's possible" type of gal

Often bald guys will ask for a colour treatment, long hair or hair regrowth, and I'll suggest a perm! Just for a bit of fun.

It's not a salon and I don't have a basin or hairdryer. Sometimes people come with a picture from a magazine of perfectly styled blow-dried hair and ask for that.

But I do my best without these luxuries. Most people seem happy just getting their haircut at a market...it's a novelty.

we couldn't not put this in really!

How did you first discover Marrickville Markets: were you a customer first and then a stallie or stallie and then naturally a customer

I saw an ad for the markets 2 weeks before they opened. I went down to see it on that weekend and there was no one there! I misread the ad!!!

The markets started a week after that. So I went down on that first day of trading. I had moved to Shepherd Street (one block away) soon after that.

I used to hang out at the chai tent as a customer before becoming a stallie.

And yes now I'm stallie and a customer!

I buy all my veggies at market and love the vegan cakes, coconut butter (it's the best!) and all the great variety. I hardly need to go to the supermarket, it's great!