Zoe Cook at her home salon in St Andrew’s. (Picture by Peter Frankland, 0831175)

LOSING her job in finance gave Zoe Cook the motivation she needed to start her own business.

It also saw her change career and return to the world of day-in, day-out beauty therapy.

Mrs Cook admits that losing her job back in May was a shocking experience.

‘It’s the most horrible thing you could ever imagine happening – I felt so dejected. You don’t know how you are going to pay the bills and with children it’s especially worrying, but with the help of the bank and my husband, Danny, it’s all turned out fine.’

Retreat, which is run from her home in St Andrew’s, was opened just a month after her redundancy and things are slowly beginning to pick up, according to Mrs Cook, who although born in Bolton grew up in Guernsey and went to school in the island.

She left Guernsey at the age of 21 and went to Harlow College in Essex to take a beauty course before working in a beauty salon in the East End of London’s Roman Road.

On her return to Guernsey, she entered the finance industry. She stayed in the sector for the next seven years, but during that period also did some tutor work in beauty at the College of Further Education.

Mrs Cook said her redundancy was simply another chapter in her life.