There’s a difference between opening a business and building a culture.
For Ashley Gill, Fibre Salon was about planting roots in a community that values connection, consistency, and care. After more than two decades of salon ownership and education—split between California and Nevada—Ashley knew exactly what she wanted to create: a space where clients feel heard, stylists feel supported, and excellence isn’t optional.
Fibre isn’t built around trends. It’s built around standards. Around health. Around intuition. Around the belief that when people feel cared for, everything else follows.
We sat down with Ashley to talk about leadership, longevity, customer service, and why perfection and impatience are the two biggest traps new business owners fall into.
Meet the Newest Addition to the Business Community
MOTR: What motivated you to open Fibre Salon, and what value do you hope to deliver to your clients?
Ashley Gill: I have always loved the Las Vegas area, having spent much of my career going back and forth between my salons/clients in San Diego and Vegas I finally decided it was time to fully expand the Fibre brand here. My goal is and always has been to create a sanctuary for both the clients and the stylists to feel cared for, supported and safe to be themselves.
I genuinely believe as a salon owner caring for our clients as well as our stylists comes first. My goal is for every client to leave their appointment feeling cared about, that they felt heard, beautiful and received a customized experience/service from their stylist who is knowledgeable in their skills and guided into what looks best on them.
I also want our clients to feel that their stylist is supported and encouraged professionally. A happy environment creates happy people. It’s not just about doing great hair, but we definitely do that too!!
M: What about Henderson stood out to you? What is it that you enjoy about the community?
AG: From a business standpoint it was a smart location for a myriad of reasons. From a community standpoint I have always picked locations that have a strong community feel to it. I love to be active in my salon location communities so that support opportunity is extremely important when I look for a new location.
Henderson really gives that small town support vibe but with bigger city numbers to support the importance of a business minded entrepreneur, perfect for a first location here.
M: Fibre Salon has a very polished and intentional feel. How did you think about culture, standards, and client experience when building the business?
AG: I believe culture and standards start at the top. It is extremely challenging to create a culture or standard of anything if you do not live it yourself. I am very strong in my belief in a healthy lifestyle, customer service, education and skills. I am clear in what I offer and support when I am behind the chair and I train my stylists in that as well. I also firmly believe your people find you.
At Fibre we believe in our health and well being and we live that life, we support individuality and help our clients discover their beauty, then we just support them in becoming even more beautiful.
M: What does “customer service” mean to you?
AG: Everyone without exception wants to feel special and to know someone cares. To me that is the beginning of customer service. Yes people come to a hair salon to receive a cut/color/extension whatever but when the cut grows out what they remember is how they felt. I have clients that I have cared for for 25+ years, we have celebrated life together, mourned heartbreak together.
They have told me they were pregnant before they told their husbands, that they have cancer before they told their mother, the trust and connection of a hairdresser and their clients goes beyond the actual service. A client is trusting us to alter their appearance, this is a huge honor and to me “customer service” celebrates that honor.
M: What are some lessons you learned early on as a business owner that you wish more salon owners understood?
We are running a business and the numbers matter.
You are a leader not a boss.
Create a strong culture and set of standards and live them authentically yourself.
AG: If you could go back in time and give advice to your 19-year-old self, what would it be?
Consistency and prioritizing your health is the key to success and happiness. And trust your intuition, your gut has always told you what is right, trust yourself and stop listening to your own defeating voices.
M: What is your favorite part about running a business?
Without a doubt the people!!
Clients- I love seeing everyone come in. I always connect with everyone’s clients. The joke of my salons always has been Ashley is friends with literally everyone.
Stylists- Creating goals for each individual, not everyone has the same personal or professional dreams. I love helping my stylists create a roadmap to achieve all their hopes and dreams. The great thing about my industry is there are so many paths to success and I love supporting and mentoring them.
M: What do you believe are the biggest challenges most small business owners make in their first year?
AG: Perfection and impatience. So many things don’t get done or launched because they are not yet perfect. I have taught in thousands of salons some of the least picture perfect spaces or “works in progress” are some of the most successful I have seen. New business owners and new stylist as well expect the doors to open and boom we are packed and profitable or we did a couple posts open the flood gates and the reality is it takes time. Like any relationship building connections, reputation and trust takes time and needs constant work.
M: What made you decide to work with Marketer on the Run for a brand audit early on, rather than trying to figure everything out yourself?
AG: I know what I don’t know, and while I have always been very clear and strong in my professional standards, culture and brand, after 24 yrs in business marketing has changed a lot and I am expanding into a new market, I know I need help with that. I have often said a village and community will take you further and stronger than going at it by yourself. And without sharing too much, the Eastern Fibre is not all I will be doing.
M: What do you personally enjoy doing for fun when you’re not working?
AG: I am an avid gym girlie. I love weight lifting! I also love tennis, paddle boarding and I read a lot. My preferred books are historical fiction. I enjoy art quite a bit and have taken a couple art history classes for fun. One of my Fibre locations in San Diego actually doubled as an art venue where I hosted a new local artist’s installation every 6 months with an opening and gave the artist the opportunity to sell their pieces. Family is also very important to me, I have raised two boys and now assist in caring for my parents.
M: How did the initial brand and marketing audit change the way you think about visibility, consistency, and long-term growth?
AG: It definitely helped me in expanding the ways we can market my brand and broaden my visibility and reach.
M: As you began developing your PR and personal brand strategy, what felt most valuable about having outside guidance during that process?
AG: It is very easy to get lost in ideas and suggestions constantly being thrown at us via social media or media in general so having someone to reel me in is fabulous. My brain never stops so I can be easily distracted with my own ideas and referring back to my personal brand strategy is immensely helpful to stay on track.
Learn more about Fibre Salon today by visiting their website.