Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Gill.
Ashley, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I didn’t know I wanted to do hair or that I would love doing it. My mother’s dear friend and my very first mentor (I’m fortunate to have had many) felt it would be something I would be good at and enjoy. I began my apprenticeship with her 20 years ago at 19. She owned an amazing salon in Little Italy and she was a cutting educator. I learned so many lessons from her on how to run a salon, value clients, and make education a priority. These traits she said will set you apart from all the other talented artists behind the chair. What we do is so much more than just “doing hair.”
Shortly after my apprenticeship I decided to rent a small studio with another hairstylist and thus began the first adventure in business adventure, I was 22. Three years later, I was ready to grow and expand, so I went on my own to build a five-chair salon in Coronado where I lived with my nine-month-old son, so was born Salon de Ville! As its success grew so did our square footage… in 2012, we added 1000 square feet… five more chairs, nails, and skincare. In this journey of building and growing, I continued to focus on education more and more. I joined the technical (color) team for Tigi a well-known hair care line and education powerhouse. Teaching colour classes weekly at times multiple times a week takes me all over the country and Canada, including assisting and teaching at Tigi’s advanced academy in Manhattan almost every other month. This past November, I expanded Salon de Ville again adding a second location in the wonderful neighborhood of University Heights. Fibre by Salon de Ville is a boutique size salon with six chairs. I am so thankful and grateful for all the cheerleaders and mentors I’ve had and continue to have that push me to grow both creatively and in business.
Has it been a smooth road?
I don’t think being in business for 14 years could possibly be smooth the entire time. I started out as a young single mom taking a risk. In this journey, I’ve gotten married, had a second baby, got divorced, lost half my staff in the same months as the divorce in this time I lost everything financially and then when I wanted to give up call it a day something inside me said: No try again and better, so I built it all back up and then some. My best advice is: do not give up, do what you have to to make it work, I sold my jewelry, shoes, purses whatever it took to keep it together. Hard work is always rewarded it takes time and it’s not for the weak, but it does happen. There is no perfect path in business.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into Salon de Ville & Fibre by Salon de Ville story. Tell us more about the business.
Besides owning salons, I specialize in hair colour both teaching and doing behind the chair. I love everything about haircolour both the chemistry and the art of it as well as how it makes people look and feel. I specialize in creating custom color looks for my clients, everyone has a different personal look from their skin to hair type to style and their hair color should be personalized as well. Taking a non-mechanical, personalized approach to hair color with both my clients and the classes I teach is definitely what sets my work apart. Owning my salons and mentoring stylists is very much the same, not everyone in this industry has the same goals, I love to help stylists realize what exactly their dreams and goals are and help to push them towards that. I would say as a total brand (behind the chair/education/salons), it’s all about the personal approach.
Do you have any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general? What has worked well for you?
When looking for a mentor, first, you have to respect them, their work and style. You want to find someone that has created for themselves what you dream of as well, have ideals and goals in common. Networking has always been a challenge for me as I am actually very shy. My advice is don’t be shy… put yourself out there, tell people about your work and your talents. Finding a humble way to sell yourself is crucial.
Pricing:
- Booth Rentals Available 240-295 per week depending on which salon location
- Custom Color Experience 90-250 depending on hair goals and needs
- Styling & Cut pricing and appointments available with other stylists
Contact Info:
- Address: Coronado- 1134 First St Coronado, CA 92118
UniversityHeights- 4521 Park Blvd San Diego, CA 92116 - Website: www.salondeville.com & www.fibrebysdv.com
- Phone: 6192477086
- Email: info@salondeville.com
- Instagram: @ashleygill @salondeville @fibrebysdv
Image Credit:
Kristin Vincent, Renee Valerie, myself
Getting in touch: SDVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
