Ask Hair Studio—Lisa Eccleshall, Owner
Lisa Eccleshall
Celebrating 18 years in business, owner of Ask Hair Studio reflects on the meaningful relationships built through running her salon, the impact of social media, and changing culture around beauty in her industry.
My name is Lisa Eccleshall and I am the owner of Ask Hair Studio. I was born and raised in Richmond, and my family moved to Ladner when I was 12. While traveling in Australia at 23, I met my husband and moved to the UK for 2 years working as a stylist in London.
Clive immigrated to Canada in 2004, and we decided to settle in Richmond. While looking around Steveston for a studio to work in, we discovered that there was a need for a higher end salon in the area. So we took the plunge and opened Ask Hair Studio in 2006!
This year, Ask Hair Studio celebrated its 18th year in business! And there’s a lot to be thankful for. In this blog, I’d like to tell you about one of greatest gifts that running the salon has given me—the meaningful relationships. Also, a lot has changed in the past two decades with the rise of social media and shifting perspectives around body image. So I’ll share about my observations of how the beauty industry has evolved since the early days of my career.
A place that builds meaningful relationships
Lisa and her team celebrate the 18th anniversary of Ask Hair Studio
I believe that our clients and staff deserve a place to come to where they feel comfortable and at ease. That’s why over these 18 years in business we have created Ask Hair Studio to be an inclusive safe space that is warm and welcoming.
I have developed so many amazing relationships in our studio, and feel privileged to work alongside such talented stylists—learning and growing with them everyday. Our team has formed very strong bonds together and I couldn’t be more proud of this crew! With 11 stylists ranging in age from 20 years to 50 plus, there’s a stylist here to suit any need! And as a diverse team, we have a unique advantage to foster new talent and learn new trends.
Many great friendships with other local business owners have formed over the years too! Steveston is such a unique place, boasting a large variety of small businesses and a community that supports their locals as much as possible. Some of my closest friends I’ve met through this space!
The impact of social media on my industry
Social media has played a huge part in growing our business over the years and has been a helpful tool to connect with our clients, showcase our work and communicate our values. Customers can look at our social and see what attracts them and who is creating the looks and styles they are after. Each of our stylists has a unique point of view and skill sets—so with social media, you can get a good feel for what they excel at.
We have a lot of fun creating content and giving people a peek at some of the fun that happens behind the scenes—from Redken Fusion in Toronto, to Vancouver Fashion Week, New York Tearsheets training and so on. We love to travel and learn together.
Of course with social media, there are negative aspects as well. Sometimes people can find images online that are unrealistic or generated by AI or different filters and lighting. So as professionals, it is our job to make sure our guests understand what is achievable for them.
The changing culture around body image
The beauty culture has changed in many ways over the past two decades. Wow! How am I old enough to have a business for two decades? There is so much more body positivity being showcased now—celebrating all shapes and sizes, being inclusive no matter how you identify, and embracing your unique beauty and showing up how you feel as your true self. In the past I would notice young people feeling uncomfortable sitting in front of the mirror, adjusting their clothing, etc. Now I see a lot more confidence and ownership of individual style!
Looking forward to many more years of serving the great people of Steveston!
For close to two decades I have had the pleasure of showing up for this community and it gives me great joy to know that I’ve made a mark in our amazing town.
I do my best every day to try to make our space feel supportive for my staff, comfortable for our clients—all while maintaining the highest in standards for our trade in education and skill.
We love helping our clients achieve the looks they want to make them feel their best!