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Leeanne Kerr – A little girl’s dream come true

The dream that came true

Since she was a wee girl, she dreamt of running her own salon; and that dream came true when she opened Leeanne Kerr Hairdressing in 2017, situated in the heart of Bridge of Allan.

Leeanne was always passionate about becoming the best hairdresser. After leaving school she phoned the prestigious Charlie Miller salon and got the job at their training school in Edinburgh at the age of 16.

She says she was blessed to work in such a renowned salon and wouldn’t have been able to attend if it weren’t for her dad paying for her train fare from Bridge of Allan to Edinburgh every day.

Leeanne is so thankful to have such a supportive father in her life and she wouldn’t be able to do it without him. She lost her mum at a young age and she says this heartache has made her fight to become a good hairdresser. Her mum was ambitious, passionate and loved her job and Leeanne has inherited these traits.

Leeanne says that the passion and work ethic she has gained from both her parents
is what contributes her own success in business.

The Experience

During her 13 years at Charlie Miller, Leeanne was part of their Artistic Team and specialised in weddings. She enjoyed travelling all over Scotland for wedding and editorial work. The highlight of her career was working at the MTV awards when they came to Scotland.

Although she thoroughly enjoyed working with Charlie Miller, Leeanne is a Bridge of Allan girl at heart and wanted to bring her talents closer to home. She knew she would need to build a clientele, so she worked locally for ten years before taking the leap and fulfilling her childhood goal of owning her own salon. Leeanne always wanted to have a hair salon on the Bridge of Allan high street and says, “If you’re going to do something, do it right!”

It took months of planning and hard work but Leeanne had a vision for her salon and knew exactly what she wanted. “Classy but approachable” was the motto that she stuck to, designing the salon around what she knew her clients would like. Leeanne is an excellent listener and over the years has absorbed information from her clientele on the various things they like from a salon.

The Journey

Leeanne designed the place to be homely, friendly and a place where people enjoyed and love to come. She didn’t want it to be too trendy but wanted it to be different: “it’s not just about hair,” she says, “it’s about creating a comfortable setting for every client.”

“It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life,” says Leeanne. “A lot of heartache has really pushed me, as life isn’t easy; but every single day I help someone else by being honest about my own experiences.” Leeanne explains that in the past, the more people doubted her, the more it drove her towards success, pushing her to work harder and harder. “It takes a lot of sacrifice to build the dream,” says Leeanne.

Leeanne is very much a family-oriented person, and adores her two daughters Sophie (18) and Summer (13), as well as her wider circle of family and friends.

When it came to building her team at the salon, there was no question to who they would be. “Working with my best friends is the best thing ever”, says Leeanne, who runs a team of eight staff, including her oldest daughter Sophie. “We all get along so well, and love each other like a family.”

The Leeanne Kerr Hairdressing team is not only passionate about hairdressing, they are committed to delivering the highest standard of customer experience, and offer many additional services including bridal and occasion hair.

“Whether it’s highlights or a hair-up we ensure that every client who walks through the door is made to feel special, understood and totally cared for,” says Leeanne.

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Stacey Leigh Spalding – Professional Makeup Artist

Combination of being an artist/designer with a passion for beauty

We sat down with local, professional makeup artist and PMU specialist Stacey Leigh Spalding to find out how to achieve the perfect bridal makeup look.

Stacey has created looks for fashion shoots and has been an associate artist to BBC Scotland on Mrs Brown’s BoysBBC3 BadultsThe Review Show and Children in Need.

She says, “Simply put – getting the right look is one of the best ways to unleash a person’s self belief and beauty. And the only way to do that is by working in partnership with a client. I spend time getting to know the people I work with. I find out what they want and why they want it. From there inspiration comes and the desired look is achieved.”

Fellow industry professionals describe the signature style as “instantly recognisable”
For her Brides, on their special day making them look and – more importantly – feel beautiful.
The SLS Signature style

Flawless Skin, Feline , defined eyes, Bespoke Hairstroke brows

Key tips

Avoid going for a look you’ve never worn before as the goal is to be an enchanted version of your natural self on your big day – schedule your makeup trial on the same day as your hair trial to see the finished look.

Frequently asked questions

“But is it going to last?” And the answer is yes, if you use a professional makeup artist who uses the right products and does makeup to a photographic standard. You can tell this by looking through their portfolio prior to booking a trial.

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Jill Ritchie Life Coaching – Living A Limitless Life

Living a limitless life

“Your current situation doesn’t need to become your future reality. Life Coaching helps you connect with your ‘Why,’ allowing you to take control, feel empowered and live a limitless life” – Jill Ritchie

Life Coach, Jill Ritchie always knew that she wanted to help people. Her career began in financial services where she became successful very quickly from a young age, due to her skills in managing and motivating people to really get the best out of them. 

“Things really changed after I had my children, says Jill. “I felt such a huge pressure to maintain my professional reputation that I no longer felt fulfilled in my work. It started to impact on my health – I felt ashamed that I was unhappy, and that feeling consumed me.” What Jill didn’t realise at the time was many working adults feel this way but there is a solution. She was gifted two books, The Secret and The Miracle Morning and realised that to be happy she needed to invest in herself.

After sixteen years as a corporate leader, Jill left her job to begin her life coaching journey, earning accreditation and a certificate in Leadership Coaching. She says, “Leaving a secure role was not an easy decision, but I had such a huge desire to not only live my best life, but help others do the same.” As a mother and a wife she worried about the practicalities of leaving her job but knew she could offer more to her family if she was the best version of herself.

Life coaching transforms people’s lives for the better. Jill works with individuals, couples, corporate clients and small groups, on a range of things like improving relationships, goal-setting, accountability, weight loss and fitness, and she also provides mindset coaching to clients who are looking to shift their focus. With the use of online tools like Skype and Zoom, she can connect with clients all over the world.

“It’s my job to help my clients become the best version of themselves,” says Jill. “I offer a free consultation, so what have you got to lose? Worst case scenario, you’ve had a nice chat for half an hour; best case scenario, your life is completely changed within a few short months.” When you think about it simply, what price would you pay to be happy in all aspects of your life?

“If you have a deep desire to have more, do it! Get out of your comfort zone, don’t accept ‘Fine’. You’re a gift with a beating heart, thoughts and ideas in abundance. Do you think you were put on this earth to play small? I don’t think so, and you deserve way more than ‘Fine’.” Says Jill. “My mission is to reach and help as many people as possible to become the best version of themselves. This came from me being the worst version of me. It’s time to take back what’s yours!”

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“Jill opens me up so I can see for myself where I am, what’s stopping me and what actions I need to take to move on to what I want. I feel like she has an insight into my soul and knows exactly what to say and when to say it – working with Jill is so powerful and so rewarding.” Michelle Cranston – Head of Safety, Health and Environment (Global Organisation)