Who We Are

The Feel Good Project (FGP) is Australia’s first not-for-profit social enterprise dedicated to providing free, high quality professional hair and beauty services to people experiencing hardship out of a mobile trailer.

From women in crisis shelters, to people recovering from addiction, to refugees and those facing homelessness, we believe everyone deserves the dignity and confidence that comes from feeling good.

Our Mission

To restore dignity, confidence, and connection by delivering high-quality hair and beauty services to people doing it tough. We do that while creating a sustainable, pay-it-forward model that invites the whole community to get involved.

Our Story

The Feel Good Project began with a simple belief: everyone deserves to feel good.

Our founders Aleks and Jax leaders from one of Sydney’s top salons Esstudio Galleria saw firsthand how a haircut or beauty treatment can transform more than appearance. It can restore dignity, rebuild confidence, and spark human connection.

So in 2022, we began testing a new idea: a mobile salon that could meet people where they are. Not in a high street salon, but in shelters, community centres, and local hubs. By mid-2023, our first trailer was launched in Sydney, offering both:

Free services for people doing it tough.
Paid services for the public, with every dollar helping fund the next free service.

Since then, we’ve partnered with incredible community organisations, built a crew of stylists and volunteers, and delivered hundreds of services that do far more than change a look; they change a day, a moment, and sometimes, a life.

And this is just the beginning!.

Our Vision

A future where no one is excluded from self-care.
We see a network of mobile salons reaching every corner of Australia. From inner-city hubs to remote towns, offering not just haircuts, but moments of care, hope, and meaningful human connection.

Our vision also extends to training the next generation of hair and beauty professionals through creativity, compassion, and innovation. We’re developing a new model of learning that blends hands-on experience, digital interactivity, and real-world community connection — empowering people with both the technical skills and emotional intelligence to make others feel good, inside and out..

Our Crew

At the heart of the Feel Good Project are two co-founders, salon owners, and community changemakers Aleks Abadia and Jacqui Arnold. Together they share a belief that everyone deserves to feel good, and they’ve built a project that transforms that belief into tangible impact.

Founder
Aleks Abadia is the creative visionary behind the Feel Good Project. With a career spanning both the screen industry and the salon floor, Aleks has mastered the art of transformation whether it’s crafting character looks for film and television or creating trend setting colour work at his Chippendale salon, Esstudio Galleria.
In 2011, Aleks co-founded Esstudio and quickly established it as a destination for innovation and bold expression. His sharp eye for detail, technical mastery, and fearless creativity have made him a trusted leader both behind the chair and behind the scenes.
Aleks’ true gift, however, is in seeing the bigger picture. The Feel Good Project was born from his vision to take high-end hair and beauty beyond the salon walls and into communities where confidence and dignity are most needed. As the driving force behind the initiative, Aleks leads with a commitment to connection, compassion, and the transformative power of feeling good

Director and Secretary
Jax is the steady heartbeat of the Feel Good Project. A skin therapist and makeup expert, she co-founded Esstudio Galleria and has been there for every milestone helping to shape both the salon and the Feel Good Project into what they are today.
Jax ensures that the foundation is strong, the community is nurtured, and every detail is cared for. With a background spanning business, creative services, and not-for-profit leadership, Jax bridges the worlds of structure and creativity.
Her belief in the importance of dignity and connection shines through in every activation—reminding the team, volunteers, and community members that the Feel Good Project is about more than beauty. It’s about belonging

Our Salon

Before the Feel Good Project, there was Esstudio Galleria the salon Aleks and Jax opened in 2011. Hidden in the creative backstreets of Chippendale, Esstudio has become well known for its edgy, trend-setting colour, bold transformations, and signature creative flair.

Esstudio is not just a salon—it’s a community hub and the birthplace of the Feel Good Project. The same passion for excellence and confidence-building that drives Esstudio now fuels every community activation delivered through the project.

Meet the Team