Meet Ashley McGinn | Hairstylist & Salon Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ashley McGinn and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ashley, what principle do you value most?
For many decades, hairstylists were taught that time is money. The faster you can apply color, the more people you can see in a day, which leads to more money. I was told by my educators in cosmetology school that I wouldn’t be able to make a decent living if I couldn’t complete a full foil in 2 hours. I felt like I was going to be a failure because I was so meticulous with my color applications. I would take twice the amount of time for a color appointment than what I was “supposed to.” I always valued doing quality work to make sure each guest was in love with their hair. If I rushed, I didn’t feel like I was providing that client with my best work. Trends and technology change. For many years, people wanted chunky highlights that didn’t require blending, there were no such things as toner or Olaplex, and a partial highlight was only 20 foils. In today’s world, people want modern techniques such as balayage, babylights, or root melts that require much more attention to detail when done correctly. These applications can take up to 2 hours and that doesn’t include processing time, a root smudge and toner (an additional 30-40 minutes), Olaplex no. 2 for 10 mins, cut, blowout, and style with a soft beachy wave. While techniques today are more time consuming and cost more than the typical color service in the 2000s, today’s balayage client’s won’t need a refresh for 12 weeks in comparison to the 6 week of a chunky highlight. Things aren’t what they used to be and I am following the times. People today value luxury, which is why I will always focus on quality vs quantity.

What should our readers know about your business?
Clover and Pine Hair Studio is a unique space that combines luxury with a cozy warmth. This is not your typical luxury salon that has 10+ stylists all blowdrying, talking over each other, and wearing all black. We have a smaller intimate space that allows you to hear yourself talk to your stylist and take time to relax. Your stylist is professional but can still let her own style and personality to shine through. It is a safe space to stroll in on your day off wearing sweats and a t-shirt or completely done up before your date night. The salon is surrounded with windows to let in plenty of natural light. You’ll be welcomed into a minimalist, boho chic waiting area with real plants and a tasty latte if you wish. This space combines everything that I believe to be the best parts of each salon I have experienced. I have worked in a large salon before and I’ve had the opportunity to be in a small suite as well. I have gained very close connections with my clients and they have shared with me the pieces that they love and the parts they disliked about places they’ve been to in the past. It’s pretty astonishing the amount of women that feel insecure or judged walking into a salon. Clients want to treat themselves and be in a space that is beautiful and feels high end but they also want to feel comfortable enough to be themselves. My goal was to combine each of these features into a completely unique space. I am so excited that my guest are finally getting to see my vision come true!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
First off, I love Asian food so we should definitely go get ramen and boba tea! One of my favorites in the area is Boba Cafe in Loveland. My personal favorites there are the Tonkotsu ramen with Char Sui, gyoza, and a Wintermelon Milk tea with less sugar. If you’re feeling Pho, I am a regular at Pho Lan in Loveland. The family that runs it remembers us every time we go there and always give us great service. I also love going out for breakfast, my top favorites around here are Snooze, Original Pancake House, and the Urban Egg. They all get pretty busy so it’s best if we get up early to go. Also if you want to drive a little ways, I LOVE going to the Boulder Dushanbe Tea House. The atmosphere is stunning and everything I’ve tried there has been delicious.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My husband is the number one person I would dedicate my shoutout to. He supported me financially and emotionally through the ups and downs of cosmetology school. He dealt with bad haircuts and entertained my idea of coloring his hair and beard. He was there for me when I struggled to build a clientele and continued to support us financially. He rubbed my feet and listened to me decompress from long tiring days. He was my hype man when I was being hard on myself. He made my dreams possible by helping me with all the hoops I needed to jump through to open a business. And now, he takes on so much more at home and with our toddler to allow me to focus on building the business guilt free. I’d also like to shoutout to my dad. While it hurt me that he wasn’t supportive of my dreams in the beginning, it fueled me to work harder to prove that I was on the right path. It means so much to me that we both have grown since the beginning and I gained his respect then received his support through salon ownership.

Website: www.cloverandpinehairstudio.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/ashley.m.stylist

Other: TikTok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMe7Xv2EQ (@ashley.mcginn.stylist)

Image Credits
Savannah Johnson Photography