Whether pampering long-term clients at her hair and beauty salon, donating her time to sing for clubs and the elderly, or volunteering her skills to cut hair and make food for people experiencing homelessness, Ms Stuckings does it all just to brighten someone else's day.

Born and bred in Telarah, Ms Stuckings' face will be easily recognisable to many Maitland locals.

Her salon, Inspirations Hair Design, has been a part of the city for 37 years, and currently has 11 dedicated staff.

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If they're a hairdresser from Maitland, there's a strong chance they apprenticed under Ms Stuckings.

"I've lost count of how many apprentices I've had over the years, probably about 50," she said.

Ms Stuckings said she loves to see her apprentices grow and has kept in touch with them all. One apprentice in particular is very special to her, her father, Robert.

"My dad always did hair at home but could never afford to go back to apprentice wages, he worked at the electricity council through the day and did hair of a weekend," she said.

Eventually, he studied to become a hairdresser at TAFE, and with his daughter's help finished the course with a high distinction.

"I apprenticed my dad."

Ms Stuckings has two children, Danny and Chelsea. Chelsea is now following in her mother's footsteps in the beauty industry, and Danny isn't, but according to Ms Stuckings he should have.

"Growing up Danny would always want these weird hair-dos, and I would say 'no, you're not having them Danny, that'll look stupid', so I would get home and Pop, my dad, would have already done the hair-do," Ms Stuckings said.

"Then I'd have kids coming in asking for hair like Danny's."

Ms Stuckings said Danny and his Pop certainly started some very interesting hair trends in Maitland.

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Supporting small, local businesses is important to Ms Stuckings, and she said she was very lucky to have such loyal clients during the COVID restrictions.

"We even had customers who would ring up and pay in advance for their hair to keep our small business going, which was a fantastic thing to do," she said.

"The Maitland community is very supportive, loving and want to see businesses thrive, I have a lot of ladies who come in every week."

Ms Stuckings has clients who have been with her for more than 30 years, and families where she has done grandmother's, mother's and now daughter's hair.

She wouldn't have been able to do it all though, without her husband, Chris.

"He's Mr fix-it, he's always in the background and always supportive, I'm very, very lucky," Ms Stuckings said.

"Over the years when I've had to do lots of training and competition work, and I've also travelled overseas doing hair, he's always stayed with the kids or come with me, so I'm very lucky to have a great support at home."

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