Our Journey

Over 26 years ago, Broni began her hairdressing apprenticeship on the Gold Coast at just 16 years old, training under a European hairdresser who judged the International Hairdressing World Championships.

After completing her four-year apprenticeship, life presented an opportunity that would shape the rest of her journey. Her late Scottish grandmother — someone Broni deeply resonated with and even resembled — had always believed she would one day own her own salon, leaving her $8,000 to help make that dream a reality.

With that money, Broni secured a small empty shop in Florida Gardens, Broadbeach Waters, and opened her very first four-chair salon within just two weeks.

For the next 12 years, Broni built a deeply community-minded salon. She trained apprentices, employed local staff, cared for elderly members of the area, and became involved in neighbourhood watch. During this time she also became pregnant with her son Gene, continuing to work throughout her pregnancy and motherhood with the support of her loyal community.

As salt lamps and crystals began growing in popularity, Broni independently organised her first wholesale shipment — a full tonne of salt lamps. She drove to the Brisbane port herself, packed and unpacked the shipment alone, returned the ute, and still made it home in time to care for her baby son. That experience became a defining moment, proving to her that she was capable of building something far bigger than she had imagined. The shipment sold out within a month, and importing and wholesale remain an important part of Chameleon to this day.

As the business continued to grow, Broni outgrew the Florida Gardens salon and relocated to a small upstairs space in Centre Arcade, also known as Asia Alley, in Surfers Paradise. Alongside hairdressing, she continued building community through Miami Marketta and the Surfers Paradise beachfront markets.

Broni then travelled to India — a trip that would become the true catalyst for Chameleon as it exists today. During the spiritually significant celebration of Ganesha Chaturthi in Bangalore, Broni immersed herself in rituals, temples, and the culture surrounding her. The experience deeply impacted her, particularly her time in Hampi, where she envisioned creating something much bigger than a traditional salon: a space that combined hairdressing, spirituality, healing, creativity, crystals, and community.

When she returned home, opportunities began flowing rapidly, but her existing space was no longer suitable. She started searching for a larger premises and eventually found the large Surfers Paradise Boulevard location that would become Chameleon New Age Salon. The premises was larger than anything Broni had operated before and financially intimidating. Many would have walked away. Instead, she trusted her vision and committed to creating something that didn’t yet exist on the Gold Coast. Around this same time, her father became critically ill.

Broni viewed the premises, submitted an offer below asking price, and tragically lost her father only hours before the offer was accepted. She strongly believes his guidance and protection from spirit helped pave the way for everything that followed.

With Broni’s vision, the empty space slowly transformed into something entirely unique — beginning with a small downstairs salon before expanding upstairs into healing rooms, massage spaces, workshops, yoga, retail, and community events.

Over the years, the business constantly evolved, adapting to what the community needed most. They introduced new offerings including a café, piercing studio, workshops, spiritual events, and large-scale imports from India.

Despite the challenges of COVID, Chameleon continued to thrive as a safe, uplifting community space. The salon became known for its positivity and refusal to feed into fear during an otherwise difficult time for many people. As demand grew, Chameleon expanded again in 2021, knocking through into the neighbouring tenancy and growing from five salon chairs to twelve almost overnight.

Over the following years, Chameleon continued building its reputation as both a creative salon and spiritual wellness hub. The team hosted Spirit Fest events, community Cut-A-Thons providing free haircuts, and workshops designed to bring people together. They became known for inclusivity, creating welcoming spaces for neurodivergent clients, sensory-sensitive appointments, and hijab-friendly salon experiences.

As awareness around sensory needs and accessibility grew, Chameleon launched The Studio — a private, low-stimulation salon space designed for neurodivergent clients, those with sensory sensitivities, and women seeking privacy for cultural or religious reasons. The Studio further reinforced Chameleon’s commitment to making everyone feel welcome.

As clients from all walks of life began finding Chameleon, Broni noticed a growing need for spaces where people felt genuinely safe, accepted, and understood. The salon evolved beyond hairdressing, becoming a refuge for neurodivergent individuals, LGBTQIA+ clients, people experiencing life challenges, and those seeking connection. This philosophy would eventually become one of the defining pillars of Chameleon’s identity.

Throughout her career, Broni developed a passion for mentoring emerging hairdressers. Over the decades, she has trained countless apprentices, many of whom have gone on to build successful careers of their own. Education remains at the heart of Chameleon, with a strong focus on nurturing talent, confidence, and individuality.

This commitment to training and leadership has seen both Chameleon and its apprentices recognised at a government level through the Queensland Training Awards, receiving finalist placements in categories including Small Employer of the Year, Apprentice of the Year, and Equity Apprentice of the Year. These achievements reflect the salon’s dedication to creating meaningful career pathways and fostering the next generation of industry professionals.

The salon’s achievements continued to grow nationally and internationally. Chameleon attended Hair Festival Sydney alongside Danger Jones, showcased stylists on national stages, sponsored international stylists, and became finalists in multiple Queensland Training Awards categories. In 2023, Chameleon was recognised internationally by Fresha, receiving the Best in Class award from a network of more than 110,000 salons worldwide. The award recognised exceptional client retention, service quality, reviews, and business performance. Chameleon would go on to receive the honour for three consecutive years.

Today, Chameleon continues to expand its team, train apprentices, host workshops and community events, and create a space unlike anything else on the Gold Coast — one built on creativity, resilience, spirituality, inclusivity, and genuine connection. What began as a four-chair salon has grown into a multidisciplinary team of stylists, apprentices, healers, readers, massage therapists, educators, and creatives who continue to bring Broni’s vision to life every day.