The Wheelbarrow Of... Juliette den Ouden

International hair and make-up artist Juliette den Ouden travels the world, has been at the top of the industry for ten years and is the founder of the JDO Group. The JDO Group consists of the JDO Academy, Salon and Management. In addition, Den Ouden has won several prestigious awards, including last year's Coiffure Award 'Hairdresser of the Year', was in the top 10 of the best make-up artists in the world and is far from over. Who was her wheelbarrow?Text: Mical Joseph
Image header presentation of Coiffure Award: Fotovrouwtje

What was your very first part-time job?

“I had a huge ambition to work in fashion later, focusing on magazines and shows. I wanted to become a make-up artist, hairstylist or fashion designer. The drive to work at a young age came from within me because I had to finance my hairdressing training myself. As a 13-year-old teenager, I therefore had a newspaper route and worked in the greenhouses around Rotterdam to pay for my education.” 

Always keep working?

“My all-round hairdressing training consisted of developing and learning, I started in a small salon in Rozenburg in South Holland, but I soon noticed that this was not my thing, I was super eager to learn and wanted more! After this period, I traveled an hour and a half to Rotterdam every day to work at my 'dream salon'. At the same time I trained as a make-up artist in Amsterdam. At the age of 17, in 2001, I assisted on my first big show for Schwarzkopf. This moment meant a lot to me, then I knew: this industry was my destiny!”

“While I was working in the salon in Rotterdam, I started investing enormously: I expanded my network, invested in photo shoots and gave my portfolio a lot of attention. This routine went well until a certain point, but in 2009 my whole body was full of injuries. Due to the constant running of both body and mind, the body needed total rest. This was very difficult for me, because I am and remain a busy person.”Juliette | Photo: Hans de Vries

And then it was 2011… What happened next?

“Yes, I was forced to stay at home for two years and left the salon. This is because I could no longer cut my body due to chronic injuries. Ultimately, this decision was a good move, because it made me decide to start my own business. It was time for a comeback.

I went to South Africa in 2012 to work on my portfolio and upon return my career took off enormously: I won award after award. This put me back on the radar in the industry, but because I won many awards in the makeup industry, had a makeup school and did many jobs as a makeup artist, people thought I was just a makeup artist. artist, while I specialize in both!

This was also one of the reasons for me to participate in the Coiffure Awards, this was the only connection I still had with the hairdressing profession. In recent years I have won many awards at the Coiffure awards and in 2020-21 I became the Hairdresser of the Year! A dream come true.”Nowadays I work internationally as a hair and make-up artist, I have the JDO Salon so 'hair' is indispensable.”

In 2013 you started a make-up school together with a partner, in 2015 this became your own academy and in 2017 you changed the name to JDO Academy (Juliette den Ouden Academy). What does the academy stand for?

“I set up the academy based on my own experience and vision as an international hair and make-up artist. I have missed a lot and had many setbacks to get where I am now and I want to prevent that for others, this has been my goal to JDO Academy to start. That is why we do things much differently than other schools. We work with very small classes for extra personal guidance. And a pleasant working atmosphere is one of the most important aspects in addition to the quality that we naturally deliver. We are also a bit of a coach on a personal level, we work with people and everyone has their own personal backpack. It is important to respond to this and know how to guide this so that a student gets more out of his education. We have also been a safety net for many good artists and have been able to give many people that extra push in the industry. So they can now fly as a hair and make-up artist themselves!”Hair & Make-up: Juliette den Ouden @ JDO Management
Photographer: Michelle van Dijk @ JDO Management
Retouch: Zilla van den Born @ JDO Management
Styling: Anat Dychtwald

You are also involved with various charities. Tell!

“I am now setting up a foundation that is committed to supporting projects for people with Albinism in Africa. In Africa there are many more people with Albinism than in the rest of the world. Due to the lack of Melanin in the skin, they have an increased risk of skin cancer. And they are not even safe in some parts because of the hunters deployed by the witch doctors, who believe that you can make medication with the blood and limbs of people with albinism. This has affected us so much that we would like to commit ourselves to this. That's why I started a fundraising campaign to... safe house in Tanzania with good nutrition for more than 100 children who are safe there. Not only from hunters, but many are rejected by their parents. I also want to raise money to support another foundation, they want to combat skin cancer by supplying sunscreen, but they receive sunscreen sponsorship but no financial support to ship the container to Africa. I would like to commit myself to this with the fundraising. My ultimate goal is the “feed yourself project” where a piece of land is purchased on which food can be grown and on which livestock can live, but where mutual collaborations with other communities can also be created so that the economy also improves. In addition, I me as ambassador for Hairdressers without BordersAnd we provide training to women in third world countries in hairdressing and make-up so that they can generate money themselves and support their families.”

Who was your wheelbarrow?

“People have promised me so many things in the past, which made me run extra hard to keep these promises, but in the end nothing ever came of it. That was the answer for me that if you want something you have to do it yourself, that's why I've never had a wheelbarrow. From the very first moment I went for it myself and I always followed my intuition.”

What is your greatest passion in your profession?

“I get up every day to create, help people and take my company to higher levels again and again. Because of my entrepreneurship, I also started to work for charities. Lately I have noticed that the latter has also become a great passion of mine.”Hair & Make-up: Juliette den Ouden @ JDO Management
Photographer: Michelle van Dijk @ JDO Management
Retouch: Zilla van den Born @ JDO Management
Styling: Anat Dychtwald

What has been the biggest learning moment in your career?

“A big turning point for me was the time I suffered injuries and was out for two years. This period has given me enormous insights and, strangely enough, opportunities that I still use every day to this day.” 

What advice would you give to your 18 year old self?

“Believe and stay true to yourself. These are one of the most important things to me. Everyone is so busy looking at what others are doing, comparing each other all the time. I actually think it is good that everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses. Try to embrace that.”

Have you been a wheelbarrow for someone?

“I am sometimes called 'The Tree' because I am very grounded and I reach out to people who need it. I enjoy helping people and this is also one of the reasons I started the JDO Academy, to be a wheelbarrow for those who need it when it comes to providing good training to the individual. The same also applies to JDO Salon and JDO Management.”