As an 18-year-old, fresh out of high school, he had his sights set on attending the police academy.
However, the desire for a new car set him on a different path.
“I happened to be there and I wanted to buy this Holden Torana, so I said I want to work,” he said.
That work started across the road from his parents’ business, at a local salon called Snip.
Fast-forward to 2026 and Craig’s Creations has been a staple of Allan St in Kyabram for about 20 years.
What began as a way to fund a new set of wheels by sweeping floors turned into a hairdressing apprenticeship and eventually a 42-year career, which has seen every hair trend from perming to chemical straightening.
Despite the evolving trends over the years, one aspect of the job stands out.
“You need the cut to go with the colour. To me, it’s all in the cut,” he said.
But his journey hasn’t been without its challenges — being a male hairdresser during the 1980s, Mr Ferguson faced a lot of social stigma.
Further down the track, he discovered that running a business also came with its challenges.
His greatest hurdle wasn’t behind the chair but behind the desk, as he mastered the business side of salon ownership without any formal business education.
“So that’s the thing, you can be a good hairdresser, but you’ve also got to be a good businessman,” he said.
Mr Ferguson learned with trial and error that you’ve got to take risks.
As he reflected on the challenges of owning a salon for nearly four decades, the motto that guided Mr Ferguson through business is “you’ve got to spend money to make money”.
Beyond cutting hair and running a business, Mr Ferguson taught at TAFE and ran a two-day workshop about communication in the workplace, where he taught young apprentices how to communicate with clients.
“Communications is everything,” he said, recalling one of his favourite stories about two girls he had in his classroom for six weeks that didn’t know they were next-door neighbours.
“Oh, I’ve got a book of stories. One day, I’m going to write a book,” he said.
Last year, Mr Ferguson decided it was time to pass on the keys to his salon.
He sold his business to Madi Zammit, who’s been part of it all for the past five years, originally starting out as a school-based apprentice at Craig’s Creations.
“Madi came to me and she said one day I want to buy my own salon and I said, well, I’m pretty interested in selling the salon,” Mr Ferguson said.
The salon has since been rebranded as Bloomz, and while the sign has changed, familiar faces remain behind the chairs.
After 38 years serving the region, Mr Ferguson wasn’t ready to walk away from his clients.
“I’ve got very special, loyal clients, so that’s why I want to stay on as long as I can to help them out,” he said.
As he steps back from the pressures of ownership, Mr Ferguson enjoys working two days a week, getting back to his love of hairdressing and mentoring Madi through business ownership.
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