I first met and fell in love with Lisa over Instagram; having followed a mutual artist that we both love Angus Martin and seen photographs of his work in her salon. Whilst I was based in Sydney, and Lisa in Adelaide, I've come to know her not only as my hairdresser (away from home) and friend, but also as family. The care and consideration she has always taken with my hair, and her clients' is above and beyond. Her salon is a beautiful sanctuary; an inspirational, calm space full of considered objects, artisan crafted furniture and meditative art.
1 | Name, age and where you call home?
Lisa Nguyen, 36, Adelaide.
2 | What is your job, side hustle and/ or creative pursuit?
Hairdresser, founder of Adelaide’s first eco-holistic hair + health hub – Enough Studio.
3 | You’ve just reached your 4th Birthday for Enough Studio! Congratulations! What are two of your career highlights from the last four years?
Many thanks, Lauren!
I am so grateful to have survived and thrived through the pandemic - it has been hard to watch the struggle unfold for other businesses. I feel thankful to be a part of an industry that has been able to connect and provide self-care to our community at a time we needed it the most.
Of everything I have created at Enough, I am most proud of the amazing women I have brought together to form our team. They are kind and generous, warm and welcoming, loyal and honest. These incredibly talented ladies inspire me every day, and I’d like to celebrate every one of them.
4 | In the four years that I’ve known you, you’ve always had an incredibly considered taste in interiors and design — and that has become a signature part of the brand language of Enough Studio. What influences your design aesthetic?
I was first aware that I was drawn to minimalist interiors when travelling. I was always looking for beautiful yoga spaces to practice in. During these travels, I found myself practising in some of the most calming interiors I’d seen, and they all had one thing in common – simplicity and the way they used design to elevate the way you feel.
As humans, we connect emotionally with storytelling, and I believe great design begins with a story and exploring it creatively. Great design also explores creative concepts for interior touch points, and these are recognised as special moments within the experience and stay with you long after the passing of the moment.
5 | As a business owner, has your business education come from the day-to-day running of the salon, did you have a mentor, or have you always been business-minded even when working within other salons? What helped you make the leap from employee to business owner?
I didn't want to start another salon in Adelaide – I wanted to create a space that I wanted to work in, a space for our clients to enjoy coming back often and invest time in their well-being or any reason to celebrate life; I did just that.
I was not business-minded before starting Enough. However, I knew I had a vision that I was very passionate about, and I was willing to risk it all because it felt so clear and important. I was fortunate to have met my husband when I was about to take the plunge into my own business. Hien runs a very successful e-commerce business and has been my mentor and biggest supporter since the beginning. He believes in me and pushes me forward when I start to second-guess myself. He inspires me and helps me reach some of those goals that I dream of, and I just have to be willing to accept the challenges he pushes me toward because he knows I’m ready!
6 | Do you have any advice from your own experience to creatives thinking of launching their own business?
Starting a business requires you to be physically and mentally strong. So plan carefully; you can never do too much preparing and research. Also, make sure you have enough savings to cope with the worst-case scenarios such as late payments, cancellations, and no clients walking through the doors.
Make sure YOU are ready to run a business and have the confidence and self-belief to push it on. And that you take care of yourself and don’t burn out with over-work. You are the heart, soul and engine of your business. Having your own business requires determination to ride through the dark days (and possibly weeks) where you work day and night for seemingly nothing.
7 | Where do you turn to for inspiration to fuel your ideation and creativity?
My husband Hien inspires me. He is one of the most creative and dynamic humans I know. He is always moving outside his comfort zone and going after a new best performance through his business or life! He pushes me, again and again, to be better than I were before and helps me attempt the things I have always wanted, but this also means facing new challenges I have not met yet. So for me, being challenged and going out of my way to push to the next level is inspiring. Challenges break that mould, and the ideas and excitement that come with them create inspiration.
8 | I believe the home and creative studio play a huge part of giving us the space to ideate and create. What is your philosophy / aesthetic around your studio styling?
I believe enriching your space has the power to enrich your life.
Whenever I’m styling a space, I think about how I want that space to make me feel and 15 times out of 10, I want to feel relaxed and at peace.
I view the studio as a relaxing sanctuary, so I’ve gravitated towards neutrals: whites, creams and grey tones that are complemented by soft and earth hued colours through sculptures and art on the walls.
Mindful interiors identify with my memories of places we’ve travelled to and loved ones we’ve shared memories with. I approach design this way because it brings peace and tranquillity inside our studio, sheltered from what is a busy, overflowing and sometimes chaotic life outside.
9 | You & your husband Hien both sit at the helm of incredibly successful brands; and running businesses can be all-consuming. Do you have rituals or practices in place to make sure that you have quality time together? If so, what are your rituals and practices that carve out time for your relationship?Starting up and running a successful business puts immense strain on personal lives and relationships, and there is often no work-life balance. It’s the hardest thing I’ve tried to balance. Ensuring we make quality time together is something that we are working on constantly, mainly because we both love what we do, so it’s easy to direct all our attention to our work.
Every Friday night, we have date night. Sometimes it looks like cooking together our favourite meal and sharing some wine or trying out a new hobby together. We reconnect and unplug from our devices for the night and try not to talk about work.
10 | What advice would you give to brides in the lead up to their wedding day when it comes to hair maintenance, colour, and care?
We work with our brides to create their dream wedding hair eight months out from their wedding. Implement a colouring schedule with your hairdresser to achieve your dream wedding day colour whilst maintaining the integrity of your hair.
At three months out, start on weekly deep conditioning treatments and hair supplements for shiny locks on your wedding day. Experiment with hairstyles on your hair trial two months out, giving plenty of time for changes. Delay dying your hair to a week before her big day to avoid regrowth and trim your ends.
11 | I’m a keen advocate for beauty at all prices; do you have any tips for brides who might need to care for their skin and hair without being able to invest in regular salon visits?
The key to healthy hair care is multifold: a nutrient-rich diet, helpful herbs and supplements, supportive lifestyle practices and stress control, and natural treatments are the best places to begin.
12 | Having organised and planned your own wedding, are there any tips you would give or anything that you would recommend to our brides currently planning their big day?
If you feel a bit overwhelmed, shift your thinking and learn how to focus on the process as a journey to be experienced fully rather than a means to an end.
13 | Between the many facets of your work, do you pursue or engage in anything creatively for yourself? What practices or processes do you indulge in that feed your soul, and are just for you?
To be honest, i don't get a lot of time to myself - this is something that I am working on! I am lucky that I have built a business that allows me to keep chasing my passion and increases my happiness.
I think happiness lies in the simplicity and finding joy in the simple pleasure that life offers. When I have down time, the first thing I love to do is book myself in for a massage. In a business that takes care of people, I need to take care of myself too!
14 | What are you working on now and what can we expect to see from you in the future?
I am currently working towards the launch of a natural haircare range. It's very exciting and something that I have been developing for almost a year now.. You can expect very fun, easy to use, thoughtful products for your hair!
Where can you find Lisa?
Website | weareenough.com.au
Instagram | @enoughstudio
All images are courtesy of EVKA Photography @evka.photography
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