Person in business: Craig Elliott

This week we talk to Craig Elliott of Rotorua's House of Elliott, who successfully combines a hairdressing business with a BMX-mad family.

Briefly outline your current position/s and career to date.

I am one of the directors of House of Elliott, our family business. I started here straight from school and have been here ever since.

What was your first job and what did you learn from it?

The only other job I have ever had was pruning trees at Pukehina. I learnt the key to consistency which is delivering the same quality of work from start to finish.

What do you see as the greatest opportunity and greatest challenge in your sector in the year ahead?

The biggest opportunity is for us to grow our skills to make our clients' haircuts look good and their colours work. The challenge is to continue to add value to services and maintain consistency and keep each other inspired to be the best that we can be.

What three skills or qualities are essential in your role?

Communication, accountability and pride.

How do you maintain a healthy work/life balance?

Spending time with my wife Leeanne and three kids who are into BMX. Our lifestyle involves a lot of travelling out of town and internationally for them to compete. I also love to watch the All Blacks and travel to see them play three or four times a year.

If you could do any other job for a day, what would it be and why?

I'd like to be a policeman. I have a real respect for the day to day issues they are subjected to and I love the strategy of policing.

What is one thing most people don't know about you?

I was born with displaced hips and spent the first two years of my life in a steel frame.

What achievement to date are you most proud of and why?

Taking my wife and children back to England, where my family is from, and watching the kids represent New Zealand at the BMX world championships there. And taking them to Disneyland on the same trip.

What one piece of advice do you wish somebody had given you when you were starting out?

That you're only as good as your last haircut and that people have to wear our mistakes.

If you could choose anybody to be your business mentor, who would it be and why?

Rob and Linley Parry from McDonald's. I admire their ability to go through change, implement new systems and for what they give back to the community - such as the Ronald McDonald Retreat and sponsorship of local sport.