Sarah-Lee Eastwood is the creative director at Wabi Sabi, a much-loved Northcote hair salon. She grew up on a small farm where she developed a deep appreciation for animals, sustainability and creativity. “I’ve always loved art and crafts, and moving out of home at an early age gave me the drive to find my sense of purpose. It also allowed me to connect with incredible people who supported and inspired my journey." A career in hairdressing became the perfect outlet for Sarah-Lee’s creativity, love of connecting with others, and passion for helping people feel good. Spending time in Melbourne was particularly formative; she gained invaluable skills and insights that shaped her as a stylist. Now, she feels at home on the Shore, focusing on cruelty-free practices and creating positive experiences for both people and the planet. Sarah-Lee talks business, social media and all things Wabi Sabi.
Channel Mag: Tell readers a little bit about your salon and how it came about…
Sarah-Lee Eastwood: Wabi Sabi was born out of a passion for creating beautiful, healthy and sustainable hair in a judgement-free environment. The philosophy of Wabi Sabi is finding beauty in imperfection; it’s shaped our space into one where individuality and wellbeing is embraced. I started the salon five and a half years ago when I moved back to New Zealand, settling on the Shore, which quickly felt like home thanks to the amazing community. I also wanted to create a supportive and nurturing environment for stylists with mental health focus at the forefront of values, where they can thrive both personally and professionally while building a community for clients to feel comfortable, cared for, and enjoy an incredible experience alongside great hair. Our team is dedicated to creating not just beautiful hair, but a holistic, pampering experience where clients feel nurtured, heard and cared for.
Is Instagram and TikTok a source of inspiration for you? Who do you recommend following and why?
I definitely use Instagram a lot as a source of inspiration, though I’ve struggled to fully embrace TikTok. Social media is a great tool, but our biggest inspiration always comes from our clients. We love following them to see what they’re up to and celebrate their individuality. We also like to follow accounts, such as Kevin Murphy, that align with our values that prioritise sustainability and ethical beauty. We also love following other like-minded businesses in our industry in New Zealand, and connecting with them. We are all about community and collaboration over competition. While having a strong presence on platforms like Instagram is important, we’re always mindful to keep it real. We focus on showing people what to genuinely expect from us while staying true to our values of authenticity and individuality.
Which other local businesses do social media well?
We follow a variety of local businesses on social media, some that align with the beauty industry and others that don’t so much. Community and collaboration are at the heart of what we do, and we’re lucky to be surrounded by some incredible local businesses at Woodside. Moreno Cafe, Unity Studios and Little Lato are great examples of community-focused brands near us that genuinely care about their customers and create amazing experiences. We love following and supporting them because they share our values and contribute so much to our local area and are the ultimate business neighbours.
What’s next for your business?
At Wabi Sabi it’s all about our clients. We want to elevate our client experience even more, introduce new pampering services, while ensuring each visit feels special and supporting our clients in their healthy hair journeys. This year, our focus is on growing our epic team and expanding our skills and our client experience. I’m passionate about providing my team with continuous education, ensuring they have the best tools to thrive in their careers and offer the best experience for our clients. At the same time, I’m dedicated to supporting them in achieving a balanced work-life dynamic, so they can have long-term success. Personally, after the challenges of the last few years, I’m also focusing on finding balance in my own life, nurturing myself alongside my business and team to ensure we all grow together. It's important to focus on our team's wellbeing so our cups are full and able to give our clients the best experience they have ever had.
29E Woodside Ave, Northcote, Auckland • wabisabisalon.co.nz
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