2Inspire Men's special profile Interview: Derek DeCutter Clement

Derek Decutter Clement is an experienced Hairdresser, author of ten novels and Architect of a nutritional product line. From his inception Derek has been commuted to the health of black hair and overall development of the industry,his journey began with an apprenticeship at the renowned Splinters London Mayfair and thereafter he became artistic director a testament of his dedication and expertise.

After owning a strings of salons in the UK, Decutter returned to his birthplace, Grenada, in an attempt to utilise the islands resources. While there he consulted with many of the Caribbean most reputable figures in medicine, education, law, and politics forming long lasting contact,armed with this knowledge and an organic base for his impending product line, Decutter traveled to New York where he penned ten novels. Read his inspirational profile interview below.

Please tell us what is a typical business day for you?

A typical business day at the salon..
From the moment I open the salon I go into over drive since clients are usually booked days in advance. 

I hate starting my day with no clients.
I live breathe and dream hair, that is making my clients feel the best they can be..and empowered.

What made you start the business and what steps did you take to start operating as a business?

What made me start hairdressing in the first place was quite odd. I always tell people I didn't find hairdressing it found me, life as a black boy in the 70s was daunting to say the least.

I figured since institutional racism showed it's ugly head in the school system, my youthful mind told me clearly so will it be in cooperate UK. One day while sitting at Splinters international hair  salon in Mayfair waiting  for my girlfriend, overwhelmed with the fact that it was a black business I immediately ask for a job. Needless to say the following day I started my apprenticeship.

After five years having rose to the top of my field I collaborated with two other  liked minded black friends a Banker and an Accountant we opened the upscale Derek Clement salon in maid a Vale. 

What would you say has been your greatest accomplishment in the business world to date?

My greatest accomplishment in the business to date has got to be, besides being nominated as the first top Afro hairstylist of the year in 1980s, is owning my own Product line.

What has been your biggest challenge in business so far?

My Biggest challenge happened in March 14th 2014 2am in the morning at my cousins birthday party I had a phone call to say that my salon was on fire, the next day I was homeless and jobless.

What are your future plans for the business?

Future plans will be to open a one stop shopping salon for men and women of colour. A brand with Academy salon product and restaurant under one roof.

If you had to do it all over again, what would you do differently?

If I had to do it again I would have purchased a high street property in the 1980s and not waste all that money in a house in suburbia and paying rent on the I'm high streets.

What’s the best compliment you could receive in business?

Best compliment could receive in the business is when a white women ask for her hair to be cut like her black Friend. This happened to me on New York while working on Lexxington Avenue Manhattan in the cooperate environment I did many sisters hair with amazing haircuts and their white friends would come for cuts too having seen theirs.

Why is it so important to inspire the next generation  to follow their dreams?

Somebody showed me the way therefore it is incumbent that I pass on the skill relevant to empower future black boys and girls with their woes and quandaries. 

What advice would you give to somebody who wants to start a business in your industry?
I am always giving sharing and coaching the young and my advice to the young and coming hair dresses is to start their line if products asap.

What or who inspires you in business and why?

Winston Isaacs was and still is my biggest inspiration. He was humble giving and patient, he aimed high and continued to seek knowledge above all he began what is today, the highest level of black hair we can imagine in the UK AND The cutting of Afro hair that demonstrated  balance movement and Shape.

What is your favourite inspirational quote?

Power In Your Hair Cut, Good health = Healthy Hair And HAIR GROWS AT A CELLULAR LEVEL.

Find Derek on Facebook 

2inspire Network: Men's special profile interview: Ansa Archibong CEO of Financial Intelligence

Ansa Archibong, Founder and Director of Financial Intelligence is a Chartered Certified Accountant with eleven years’ experience of working in the small and medium sized market incorporating all disciplines from systems implementation for Start-ups to audits of medium sized businesses in various industries and across different specialist areas. Ansa has built up a solid reputation for success.  With a vast network he has secured major opportunities for his business associates as well as the entrepreneurs, professionals and leaders that his business supports.  

His passion for finance alongside his philanthropic desire to share his knowledge was the inspiration behind featuring Ansa. Not only does he support entrepreneurs of small to medium-sized businesses, leaders and professionals to achieve their aspirations and bring their dreams to life, he also works with young people to raise their aspirations and to help them to explore enterprise, leadership and careers as viable and sustainable paths to secure their socio-economic futures.

1/ Please tell us what is a typical business day for you?

Day starts around 6, meditate for thirty minutes. Have breakfast, check emails and catch up on the news. Open diary and see what jobs need to be done. Plan the execution of my scheduled tasks for the day.

See what jobs are outstanding. Allocate work to various consultants I have working as part of the team. Carry out conference calls with various clients.

This is important because it keeps me in sync with any developments or issues facing our clients’ businesses and helps build a productive client/ accountant relationship.

Have lunch for approximately 15-20 minutes. Review twitter interaction as well as schedule tweets. Usually between 2 & 4pm have meetings with other stake holders.

From then until about 5pm complete various assignments. Review emails and consult team re targets set for the day. The Team Work flow plan is reviewed and edited accordingly.

6-9pm is spent on reading Accounting journals etc. to develop understanding and to keep abreast of recent developments in the industry. 

2/ What made you start the business and what steps did you take to start operating as a business?
The urge to deliver an exceptional service and to have a positive impact on the businesses of my clients. I love to see when my work has made a difference and the impression my work has, this motivates me to certainly do a better job.


3/ What would you say has been your greatest accomplishment in the business world to date?

My greatest accomplishment to date is yet to come. At present I am grateful to the universe for having the opportunity and will power to set up and run an accountancy firm in the city. Right now I want to serve clients, am sure any sense of great accomplishment will come in the foreseeable future.

4/ What has been your biggest challenge in business so far?
My biggest challenge is being able to find a work and social life balance. It is easier said than done but the truth of the matter is that it takes so much energy especially now that I have to work ten times harder than when I was working for someone else.

During the start-up phase of any business, there is a high demand of your intellectual ability but want gives me the strength is the vision and the belief that the impossible is nothing.

Building a business is very demanding but what I believe is that it is a process and path I have chosen to follow and that if I commit myself to the process wholeheartedly, the process will certainly reward me for my endless and selfless service.

5/What are your future plans for the business?

My future plan of the business is to become an international brand but at the same time get more involved in a lot of social projects that will give someone else the hope and reality to accomplish their dreams. In life you can be so gifted and talented but you still need someone to open that door for you, grant you a platform to showcase your greatness to the universe.

Success comes through being in the midst of the right people. Which makes sense when you hear people say your network is your net worth. It is the people around you that can make or break you. Who you associate yourself with today will certainly have either a positive or negative impact on your future.

6/If you had to do it all over again, what would you do differently?

If I had to do It all over again, I would still do it the same way. I had always wanted this.

The key is not the sense of achievement or accomplishment when it arrives on your path but the process and experience you go through to achieve that goal.

Whether it is a good or bad experience there is always a lesson to be learnt. What better teacher is out there than the lessons laid out before you in the process of life itself.


7/ What’s the best compliment you could receive in business?

The words “Thank You” and knowing that the client means it means a lot to me.


8) Why is it so important to inspire the next generation to follow their dreams?

It is quite simple. It is very important to inspire the next generation to follow their dreams because someone once inspired me to follow my dreams.

In life what is very rewarding is not how much wealth or knowledge you have acquired but the positive impact it has had on the lives of those around you.

We all are born with nothing and we leave the Universe with nothing. Therefore we should strive to leave a legacy that will make the next person accomplish their chosen dream and bring it to reality. I am particularly passionate about helping those from disadvantaged groups such as the unemployed and ex-offenders. To help them achieve the very best of their abilities. He wants to see everyone in contact with him achieve all they are capable of achieving irrespective of background, race or location.

I met Mr Theo Paphitis at an evening standard event and before I met him I researched his background I was moved by his journey from being a poor immigrant from Cyprus because of his setbacks at school due to his dyslexia. 

People mocked him but he is now extremely successful. I have had my fair share of such negative experiences but the key is not to dwell on such nonsense and move on. Life is too short to waste any energy on anything that is not adding value to your life.

I always channel my energy into something that is of beneficial to the process of life itself. I do know that the sweetest revenge in life is success.

9/ What advice would you give to somebody who wants to start a business in your industry?

PPR: passion, process reward. Find something your passionate about, commit yourself totally to the process and in the end the process will surely reward you as a result of your commitment.


10/ What or who inspires you in business and why?
Steve Jobs because of his ability to find perfection in simplicity. Most people think that in order for something to be great it has to be complicated and that one should never challenge the status quo.


11/What is your favourite inspirational quote?

I often write quotes to motivate myself and my team and one of my favourites is: when you look in the mirror the person you see is the architect of your own destiny. 

You can be anything or get what you want. All you have to do is demand it from yourself and the rest follows. What the mind conceives, the mind can achieve.

Ansa is offering a special 10% reduction on fees for *Start Companies that sign up with Financial Intelligence before January 2016.

* Been in business for 6 months or less

For more information:

Financial Intelligence Limited

A: 107 Cheapside, London. EC2V 6DN

T:  0203 053 8652

M: 07440 653 573

W: www.financial-intelligence.co.uk

Ansa will be one of the professionals running a business clinic at the 2inspire Network Christmas Fayre on Saturday 7^th November 2015, for more information and to book in some time to see him. Click on:https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/2inspire-network-free-winter-fayre-tickets-18916464655

The 2Inspire Network Winter Fayre 2015

Visit 2inspire Network Winter Fayre to reserve your free ticket