Roisin Lea, 27, runs a salon alongside her sister Liv and has built a long list of dedicated clients
She’s the 27-year-old hair stylist to good at what she does that her clients refuse to tell people where they got their hair done.
Meet Roisin Lea who, along with her sister Liv, has not only achieved her goal of running her own successful business but has also mastered her craft so well that her clients practically beg to keep Liverpool’s Salon 88 their little secret.
From childhood, the siblings harboured a shared goal to be their own bosses, which they brought to life in 2019, side-by-side unveiling their very own styling haven. Roisin leapt into the hairdressing world straight from school, earning her stripes as an apprentice at another Liverpool salon before joining hairstyling heavyweights Toni and Guy.
Then she decided to chart her own course as a freelance hairstylist. Chatting with the Echo, Roisin reflected: “It was a huge risk but I just thought ‘go for it’. I told myself I’d give it three months, see how self-employed life went and if I didn’t get busier, I could always go back to working in another salon but I’ve never looked back. I was 21 years old and it was the best decision I’ve ever made.”
After building a solid base of dedicated clientele, Roisin made a daring career move by partnering with her sister, an accomplished nail and eyelash technician, to venture into the world of business together. Reflecting on their childhood aspirations, Roisin shared: “My sister and I always said growing up that we were going to have a business together – it was all we dreamed of. By the time when she was ready to get her own shop, I had only been self-employed doing mobile hairdressing for a few months, so I couldn’t commit to paying bills on a premises. I decided to just rent a station off her in the salon at first.”
Embarking on their entrepreneurial journey was a high-stakes move, yet the sisters’ gamble started to pay off as an increasing number of customers walked through their doors, propelled by glowing word-of-mouth referrals. However, just when their enterprise, Salon 88, was gaining momentum, the widespread disruption wrought by the coronavirus pandemic meant they had to temporarily shutter less than twelve months post-launch.
Commenting on the uncertainty of that period, Roisin mentioned lockdown was a “scary time” for those running their own show, and she endeavoured to keep her enterprise afloat by personally delivering DIY colour kits to her customers homes.
Roisin revealed: “I was worried people would just get used to colouring their hair at home and not come back to the salon. But after lockdown business for me bounced back bigger than ever – I couldn’t believe it.”
Roisin and Liv now co-own the business, where Roisin’s reputation as the ‘queen of colour’ has set tongues wagging across Liverpool, luring a slew of new customers eager to be transformed by the stylist. According to Roisin, glowing recommendations from clients and social media buzz, especially the sway of Instagram, have become the linchpins of her growing clientele, with many booking makeovers on the spot after scrolling through her feed.
Her Instagram profile is a gallery of her best and brightest hair colour triumphs – converting lacklustre locks into spectacular shows of balayage brilliance, audacious coppers, and knock-out blondes. Her colour wizardry is so remarkable that her customers are often approached on the street by admirers eager to learn the secret behind their stunning tresses though not all are inclined to share their colourist’s identity.
Roisin chuckled as she shared: “I love when a client messages me after their appointment to say how much they love their hair, or to say someone in a shop has just complimented them and asked where they got it done. Although I do have a couple of clients that keep me top secret because they don’t want anyone else to have there hair colours! I find this hysterical and say to the clients ‘They are new potential clients for me!’ But they just laugh and say ‘No, you’re mine – no one else is getting my colour’.”
After establishing her own business from scratch, Roisin is now so sought-after that she has a waiting list that spans weeks. Despite this, she always reserves spots for the loyal regulars who have been with her since the beginning.
She shared: “I have had a lot of my clients for many years – some still from when I first started my hairdressing career. It’s such a lovely thing to have actually made friends out of clients who have been so loyal over the years. Every time they come in it’s like catching up with a friend – I look forward to every appointment.”
The triumph of Salon 88 gave Roisin the self-assurance to take the next significant leap in her career. The 27 year old recently unveiled her own hair extension brand, Roshi Weft.
She said: “I love hairdressing and I never see my self leaving the industry, but I wanted something that meant I had a plan for the future, because it’s a demanding industry which involves being on your feet all day, never taking a lunch break and working through sickness so I never let any of my clients down. I thought to myself ‘I need a five-to-10-year plan on how to stay in the industry but not be on the shop floor’.
“I love everything about hair extensions and I love how much they can transform your hair. I love a more natural approach and would always encourage clients to have their extensions fitted to enhance their natural hair rather than anyone being able to tell they’re wearing extensions. So much hard work went in to it behind the scene, and now I’ve just brought out my own range of hair brushes and combs.”
Following ten years of dedication, long hours and unwavering commitment, the future appears to be dazzling for Roisin’s enterprise. The Anfield-based hairstylist is aiming high as she continues to make her mark on the beauty industry.