Simply magical: Amy Young

2024 Hay Business Excellence Awards Apprentice of the Year

By Kimberly Grabham

“When a client comes for their appointment, I want them to relax, and feel good, that’s what people remember after the treatment is over, the experience. “

I want to make sure that people feel good, as I really care about how people feel.”

Amy Young

Image: The Riverine Grazier / Kimberly Grabham

Amy Young is a bit of a mystery. Happy, smiling, and unflappably cheerful, one would wonder if she ever gets mad?

I think the true, honest answer to that is no.

Everyone who comes across Amy would be struck by that sincere nature. I’ve been in her beauty room before, and the feeling you have during the process, and after, is one of being in safe hands, and being in the hands of someone who cares and enjoys her work. Not to mention complete relaxation.

Amy recently, and deservedly won the Apprentice/Trainee of the Year at the 2024 Hay Business Excellence Awards.

She was born in Hay in the Maternity Unit at the Hay Hospital, to parents Jim and Sue Ovens. When Amy was two years old, the little family moved to Shepparton. Jim had various roles; postie, carpet layer, amongst others. Sue was a homemaker, and devoted mother to Amy and her younger sister, Sophie. The little family owned and ran a general store in the Shepparton area.

Returning to Hay when she was in Year 8, she finished her secondary schooling in Hay.

“I knew and was friends with some girls here already, Mardi Lucas, and Brooke and Courtney McManus, and that made things a lot easier,” Amy recalled.

Hay is where her grandparents on both her mother and father’s sides had always been; Pat and Wayne Mitchell, on father Jim’s side, and Joe and Roz Zambon on mother Sue’s side.

Amy met her future husband, Frank ‘Frog’ Young, when she was 15. Once they got together, they were never apart, and have now been married for 15 years this year. They have two wonderful children together, Liam and Hannah.

Amy has always been a worker, working for her parents when they bought Hill’s Corner Store in Hay, before venturing into the childcare industry.

At the same time as working these two jobs, Amy spent time working at IGA, and both the Crown and South Hay Pubs.

After a time, Jim and Sue made the decision to sell Hill’s, and Amy spent the next 12 months without work.

During this time, she hit the books, and completed two TAFE courses. The first was to attain childcare qualifications, and the second was in business.

Amy won Student of the Year upon completion of these two courses. A short time after, a few jobs were advertised for the Hay Shire Council.

“I applied for all of those, and I ended up getting the library one, and I was very pleased,” Amy recalled.

She worked at the Hay Library for 15 years. Anyone who walked over that threshold would know how good Amy was at her job; friendly, helpful, and professional.

After her 15 years at the library, Amy was offered a traineeship at Tantrum Hair and Beauty, in the beauty area.

“I was really excited at the prospect of doing what I do, and working with all the lovely people there, but I did have to think about taking the position for a while,” Amy said.

“ I was quite comfortable at the library, and had great coworkers there too. But at the end of the day, I thought why not, you never know where things will take you, and it’s good to try something new.”

Thus, Amy joined the Tantrum team, and began studying her Certificate 4 in Beauty.

“I have been in customer service all my life,” Amy said.

“From the time that I was little, my parents owned general stores, the one in Shepparton and Hill’s in Hay.

“It comes naturally to me, it’s easy to talk to anyone and get along with people.”

Amy treasures family bonds dearly.

“My kids are really important to me,” she said.

“I like to be involved in their lives, and be there for events that are important for them.

“If Liam is playing footy somewhere, I want to be there.

“If Hannah is involved in something, I want to be there. I hate missing things.”

When asked, Amy says she is more like her dad, Jim; chilled out, happy, nothing worries them.

It’s clear that Amy puts a lot of thought into her work, and it is heartening to see the importance she places in customer comfort.

“I believe there is similarity in what I do at Tantrum and what I do at the library,” Amy said.

“I enjoy creating calm, relaxing environments, and one on one attention to clients.

“When a client comes for their appointment, I want them to relax, and feel good, that’s what people remember after the treatment is over, the experience.

“I want to make sure that people feel good, as I really care about how people feel.”

When Amy finds the time for herself, she loves going for walks, going to the gym, gardening, cooking, and binge-watching television shows.

“One of my favourite things is to go to the movies,” Amy said.

“I love the whole experience and atmosphere; the seats, popcorn, Maltesers, and the movie.

“I also love good food, and going to a nice restaurant, enjoying the great food on offer. Going to the theatre, to a good game of footy at the MCG, I really love going to Melbourne.”

Amy also loves going to concerts, having been to Luke Combs, the Dixie Chicks, Pink, Hilltop Hoods.

“Next time Eminem comes to Australia, I would love to see him,” she said.

While Amy is not a partier or a drinker, she enjoys going out with friends and having fun. She hates camping, however, and is scared of birds.

When Amy was little, she wanted to be an air hostess. She knew when the family moved to Hay that she would most likely not fulfill that wish.

She enjoyed childcare immensely, but the sheer amount of paperwork put her off the industry.

“I really enjoy the beauty industry, it is something you can do forever,” she said.

“My ultimate goal, somewhere in the future would be to work for myself.

“My parents always worked for themselves, it just feels like both are a natural progression and something that I would like to do.”

Amy’s top beauty tips are:

• To always wear sunscreen.

• Find a good cleanser.

• Use a good exfoliant.

• Always moisturise.

“These four things are essential, they are the most important parts of a beauty routine,” she said.

“You can always add things later, such as eye creams and serums.

“But sunscreen, cleanser, exfoliant and moisturiser are the essential bare minimums we need to be doing for our skin.”

Amy doesn’t like lateness, and people who promise to do something and do not follow through; she finds it a letdown.

She cannot deal with are negative people, noting that their vibe will bring her down.

Some people genuinely have an aptitude for customer service, but Amy is far beyond that. What you see is what you get, and what I can see is someone that is genuine as the day is long.

Someone who truly cares about people, someone who is empathetic.

To see her and see the good, the earnestness in her, is inspiring.

Not only does she make everyone around her feel good just by being around her, but she just has that special something that despite all the words I throw at it, I just cannot seem to adequately describe.

Congratulations, Amy.