Life & Work with Ely Meece of Ohio

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ely Meece.

Hi Ely, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I was raised in old school hair salons, my great aunt had a salon in her basement after she retired and a good friend of my mother’s did our hair all through elementary school in the beauty parlor she owned. I’ve always been enamored with glamorous women and considered both of these women incredibly glamorous. I loved watching the women in their communities consult with and confide in them. The salon always felt like a secret society, for women, by women. I didn’t really think I’d end up being a hairstylist myself, but I knew I wanted to be in a position to empower other women the way they seemed to. Growing up lower middle class, beauty was the one luxury I always felt was within reach. Tweezers, eye liner, and mascara were my first transformation tools, I used to sit in the sink and pluck my eyebrows into skinny little arches and that small ritual always felt like I was getting closer to seeing my true self. The desire to help others really see themselves evolved from there. I started doing bridal makeup in college as a gateway to cosmetology. I’ve since owned and closed a salon in NKY, put 15 wedding seasons under my belt, spent time as a commission stylist, and finally landed on owning and operating a private beauty studio in my hometown of Cincinnati.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I have always been someone that has to learn “the hard way.” I bought my first salon before I even enrolled in beauty school, in another state, and figured I would learn as I went. And learn I certainly did. I shuttered Stylz only 3 years after buying it from the previous owner. I’m glad I experienced salon ownership so early in my career. Juggling beauty school, a part time job, and salon ownership isn’t a path I’d recommend to anyone, but it was the path I needed to become the service provider I am today. I used to be incredibly unprofessional with employees and clients, I was in it for the “money” (oh the irony), and treating my craft like a hobby. Failing at ownership as an employer and a hairstylist humbled me in ways no mentor, ebook, or business school could. It forced me to get serious about my workmanship, my goals, and my reputation. I went bankrupt literally, and had to reevaluate what I loved most about the beauty industry. I took about 3 years away from service providing to work in cosmetic retail before I realized what the industry needed from me.
In the beginning of my career I was afraid if I didn’t chase trends I wouldn’t get noticed by potential clients. Back in 2016, bold full glam was the standard in makeup and all hairstylists worth their weight in lightener wore the infamous “balayage brim hat.” We were constantly striving for practically black and white ombre or King Kylie-esque blue and pink hair. There was little consideration for personal style, maintenance routines, solving identity issues, or enhancing natural features. Fast forward to 2020, the industry catapulted into the “clean girl” aesthetic, and my baby stylist imposter syndrome crept back in…yet again, I didn’t quite fit this mold but feared being left behind if I didn’t conform. I lingered somewhere in between these two polar opposites, and I knew I couldn’t be alone.
Consultation after consultation led me to realize that as women, we’re all painfully aware of beauty trends. We’re constantly marketed the opportunity to reinvent ourselves at a whim, but rarely given time to explore what really embodies who we are as individuals. If a full overhaul of our identity is the basis of every appointment, are we ever getting closer to presenting ourselves authentically, or are we only cosplaying the latest most viral beauty moment before we feel ugly again?
So I stopped expecting women to only want what’s trending, and furthermore I stopped suggesting services and products based on virality. I started digging a lot deeper. Even the most confident declaration of desiring a change required a lot of cross referencing. It’s not that I ever want to discourage a transformation, but I do want to encourage authenticity, manageability, and comfort. If long hair is a core part of your identity, why do we suddenly want a bob? I LOVE a bob haircut by the way, so it was hard to train myself out of immediately following through with these kinds of requests just because I loved them. I didn’t want to interrupt another woman’s morning routine for the sake of my own enjoyment. What if you can’t get it into a ponytail? Is that going to make or break the next 3-6 months for you? If so, we need to reassess. A $65 haircut shouldn’t cost you your sanity for months to come, and it became increasingly more important to me to communicate that reality rather than just pick up the shears for pay.
Having the space and time to give women the chance to think beyond the appointment has been the biggest blessing in my business. Beauty has always extended beyond appearance for me. I want women to feel comfortable enough to try something new AND confident enough to know when they’ve found what they want to stick to long term. If you leave my chair feeling like you have one or two less decisions to make everyday, that’s a win

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Dimensional hair color and precision hair cutting is the core of my business. It may come as a surprise to those that don’t know me but I majored in Fine Art/Art History in college so I treat every haircut like my version of sculpture and every hair color appointment like a painting. No two are ever exactly the same, even if similar technique is used. I hate that the beauty industry has convinced us to niche down to be successful. I’m most well known for customizing everything to the client in my chair, so while I’m incredibly skilled in blondes, I’m just as skilled in formulating brunettes and coppers. Being able to take a client’s starting point and elevate it through subtly is something I enjoy the most. Full transformations with high maintenance routines are fewer and further in between, and I couldn’t be more grateful for that. I still enjoy the occasional full overhaul but I am really thrilled that women are expecting enhancement rather than reinvention.

Can you share something surprising about yourself?
I am obsessed with Cincinnati history, vintage shopping, pre-midcentury architecture, and interior design. If you cannot figure out what color to paint a room in your house or want a fun fact about Cincinnati, please come sit next to me!

Pricing:

• Haircut + Dry $65
• Partial Balayage | Highlight + Cut $225
• Brow Wax + Tint $45
• In Studio Makeup Application $100
• Single Color Root Retouch + Cut $135

Contact Info:

• Website: https://ecincybeauty.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/e.cincybeauty
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/elyallynnbeauty
• Other: https://ecincybeauty.glossgenius.com