On the crest of a weave

After a challenging few years, Camlough’s Donna McNeill is now reaping
the benefits of her ever-growing business Archie Lloyd Hair Extensions, which
supplies a wide range of products and training courses in-person and online.

As someone who struggled with a lack of confidence and imposter syndrome in the past, Donna
McNeill is now on a mission to empower, educate and help boost the self-esteem of other women.

The Camlough mum-of-two is the owner of Archie Lloyd Hair Extensions, offering worldwide delivery of the highest quality hair extensions and a range of hair extension courses at its Newry-based academy and online. The courses are aimed at women starting out on their journey as hair extensionists or for those who wish to upgrade their skills.

Donna doesn’t come from a hairdressing background, nor did she hold any long-time ambitions to run her own business. For four years she worked in the hair extension industry, running an office for another business in the hair industry. But when the Covid pandemic hit, and lockdown brought with it a myriad of financial anxieties and concerns about the future, Donna, a single mum, was faced with difficult choices resulting in her taking the plunge and starting her own business. She explains: “I thought ‘what have I got to lose? I need to try something’. It was a steep learning curve and there were a few turbulent years at the start, but then things really
started to take off.

“Thankfully, I had amazing support from my mum and dad, who helped me with my children and also financially. I couldn’t have done it without them. “I am also lucky enough to have an amazing circle of friends who help relieve the numerous emotional breakdowns and panic
attacks, as well as help me celebrate my small wins and supply the wine when dealing with failures and uncertainty.”

Donna feels very lucky to have her team in Newry who are helping grow the brand, which consists of head of marketing Aimee Morgan, customer service manager Andrina O’Hare, and Denise Kelly, head hair extensionist educator, who are now focused on building up the wholesale and retail side of the business, providing handpicked, signature hair extensions in over 45 shades.

The extensions are high quality Superior or Luxury hair in i-tips, u-tips, wefts, nanos, tape hair and micro loops. All extensions are 100% human hair, double drawn and cuticle correct, and weight and length measurements are approximate.

Archie Lloyd Hair Extensions also offers a range of accessories and is hoping to expand this range with new genius weft and tape extensions.

After launching the business at what turned out to be a rather precarious time, Donna decided it would be a good idea to diversify and introduce another strand to Archie Lloyd Hair. Not only did this have the potential to supplement sales of extensions, but Donna felt it would help her business stand out from its competitors.

As well as the shop, she now provides hair extension courses in the UK and Ireland, online, in Newry and at various venues across the country. These courses, taken by a specialised hair extension educator, have proved to be hugely successful, and Archie Lloyd is now synonymous with first class training in hair extensions.

From the initial course, the training side of the business has grown exponentially with courses in 12 methods of application now available. These include the highly sought after mesh integration, an ideal solution for those experiencing hair loss or thinning, specialised training for men’s toupees and for those looking to maximise their learning in a short time, there is also a comprehensive four-in-one course which covers tape, weft, nanos and u-tips, all in just
one day.

The training programmes are insurance-approved and designed to provide an in-depth learning experience. Each participant receives a complete training kit, lifetime support and a certificate upon completion. Donna likes to maintain a personalised learning environment, so limits the
courses to groups of six to eight participants, which ensures each trainee receives individual, one-on-one learning in a relaxed environment.

The courses are designed to give participants a comprehensive understanding of each method and all the skills needed to become a successful hair extensionist. Donna says the training is ideal for those who are already skilled hairdressers or those starting out on a new journey and
wanting to try something new. “Our main goal is to empower women to be confident and independent,” she says.

“You might be a young girl not sure of where you want to go in life or a mum who hasn’t worked in a while and fancies a new direction. “We’re here to show that you can make a career out of hair extensions or if you’re already doing it, then you can upgrade your skills.

“For myself, personally I always suffered greatly from low confidence and feeling I was stuck after having two young children and a failed marriage, I was simply surviving and didn’t have options to start something that could massively help financially and that I could work around family life.”

Donna says that having always worked in an office, she had relied heavily on her mum to look after the children to enable her to work. When she came to starting her own business, she admits she did panic and suffered from “serious imposter syndrome”.

“Never did I think I could be my own boss, have more options and be able to give my children a better quality of life,” she says. “I just feel very strongly that life doesn’t have to stop for women when you become a mum.

“We can have it all and be happy. It’s tough but I keep telling myself it will be worth it. I’m proof you can start again and build up a good business for yourself and I want to inspire other women to do the same.”

Following lockdown, Donna noticed an upturn in the numbers of women reaching out to her who were losing hair due to stress and were unable to wear extensions. As a result, she launched a new brand of toppers and hair pieces for women – and men – struggling with hair loss and called it the Healing Hair Company.

She plans to grow both the training side of the business and the retail side too and hopes her aftercare range and Healing Hair products will soon be stocked in salons across the UK, Ireland and Europe.

To date, 2024 has been an extremely busy year for the now award-winning Archie Lloyds. It is even more poignant given they were nominated for the award by a customer, who wrote: “The staff always go above and beyond to help, creating a welcoming and supportive environment.

“Their commitment to customer care is evident in every interaction, making every visit a positive experience.” She went on to say the training school “exceeded all my expectations” and described it as “an ideal place to learn and grow”. The most recent accolade comes as Archie Lloyd is a finalist in seven different award categories including Best Educator/Training Provider of the Year, and Supplier of the Year.

Despite all this, Donna says her children remain her priority and when she isn’t working, she likes to spend time with 18-year-old Caitlin and 14-year-old Oisin. “There were times when I really worried about the future, but the business has given me peace of mind and empowered me,” she says. “Everything I’ve done has been for my children and I’m delighted all the hard work is paying off.”