Sam Dunlop
‘I used to hate my hair with a passion – now I never want to lose it’.
With International Women’s Day on March 8th fast approaching, it’s important to recognise the contribution of women around the world who are leading the charge on a better future for all, no more so than a local woman whose personal battle started young.
Sam Dunlop was only thirteen when the discrimination and abuse began. She’d become a target for bullies at school in Hythe simply because of her red hair. For the next 3 years she was laughed at, belittled and demeaned.
Called ‘carrot top’, ‘ugly duckling’ and even ‘albino’ because of her pale skin, the already awkward teenager would hide in the toilets to get away from the bullies or take herself off to read at break-time to avoid playing with her classmates.
She hated her red hair with a passion; she hated school even more despite being a high achiever. Rather than enjoying being at the top of her class she stopped putting her hand up and working hard. As her confidence eroded and hang-ups kicked-in she simply didn’t want to be noticed.
Sam stayed on at school just long enough to take her exams at 16 abandoning the opportunity to go to university. Instead, she decided to pursue a career as a hairdresser.
Not surprising she promptly dyed her hair blonde, then brunette and even the colours of the rainbow to disguise her natural red. She explained: “People with red hair are easy targets for bullies. I experienced horrible abuse and it was hard to believe in myself.
“Name calling is not harmless banter. It strips red haired children of their positive self-identity and confidence. It can lead to truancy and tragic consequences like mental health problems, self-harming and even suicide.
“And it is worse now than when I was at school with the growth of social media. There are ghastly memes like ‘smack a ginger day,’” the 33-year-old added.
Although being bullied for being ‘a ginger’ made a dent in Sam’s confidence, she confesses that the experience was character forming and made her determined to succeed.
Whilst doing her hairdressing apprenticeship she signed up with the Open University and started working towards her AAT (accountancy) qualification, taking up positions in companies and at a hospital before setting up her own accountancy business – Prestigious Finance Services a few years ago.
Today Sam is one of the most successful award-winning accountant entrepreneurs in Kent and a woman whose most recent mission has been to successfully help sole traders and small businesses navigate the economic challenges of the pandemic.
Sam also established Mastermind Recruitment and and over the last two years has found jobs for people who were living on the breadline.
However, it wasn’t until 2021 at the age of 32 when Sam was voted KWIB – Women in Business ‘Entrepreneur of the Year, that she finally reverted to being a redhead. She said: “Success in business gave me confidence and a desire to love my hair.”
Sam’s experiences at school are far from unique which is why she fears for young women today who, largely because of social media, are much more exposed to bullying.
“It’s vital that we support young women as well as women in the workplace from bullying. Women and girl’s contribution to society is so immense that we need to enable them to feel good about themselves so that they go out and make a difference.
For this reason, Sam applauds causes like International Women’s Day which recognise and applaud women’s contribution to our future as well as Redhead Day UK – an initiative bringing red-haired people together to celebrate their locks!
And it’s not surprising that she’s chosen to proudly call herself “The Redhead Accountant.”
“I used to hate my hair with a passion – now I never want to lose it, ” she said.
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