She Bought a Salon at 30. Now She's Leading Canmore's Next Wave of Entrepreneurs

At 30, Aleasha Angelo is not the typical face of business ownership in the Bow Valley. She did not inherit a salon. She did not stumble into entrepreneurship. She did not wait for the familiar narrative of someday. Instead, she walked directly toward the one thing most young professionals spend their early career avoiding: risk.

Angelo, who grew up in St. John’s, Newfoundland, moved to the Bow Valley at 23 looking for what she describes simply as a bit of adventure. She arrived as a Red Seal stylist, drawn by mountains, scenery, and the promise of a different pace of life. What she did not yet know was that seven years later, she would be recognized as the Bow Valley’s Young Entrepreneur of the Year, not for starting something new, but for buying something established and reshaping it into her long-term vision.

From the moment she entered hair school, she says, the goal had always been ownership. Not the vague hope of owning a salon one day, but the firm intention of building something that reflected her style, her standards, and her leadership. “Owning my own salon was not really a dream,” she said. “It was the clear, long-term goal I set for myself.”

So when The Loft, a well-known Canmore salon with a strong reputation, came on the market, she did not hesitate. She evaluated the numbers, assessed the space, imagined the creative potential, and confronted the inevitable question: Am I ready.

It is a deceptively simple question, and one of the few that can stall even the most determined entrepreneur. But for Angelo, hesitation was not the answer. She bought the business in July 2025.

What followed was less glamorous. The due diligence process involving leases, employees, legal agreements, finances, and contracts was “scary,” she says, and far beyond the work she had mastered behind the chair. She describes leaning heavily on a small circle of advisors and friends. They were the quiet supporters who helped her navigate the emotional and administrative weight of becoming a business owner for the first time. “Owning a small business means you have to know everything about everything,” she said. “It is a steep learning curve.”

But what emerged from that learning curve was something closer to a philosophy. Angelo did not just want to run a salon. She wanted to build a culture. Not a staff room full of contractors, but a family. Not a place where stylists learned to survive, but one where they could specialize, grow, and thrive.

“We encourage everyone to lean into what they do best,” she said. “Extensions, perfect blondes, perms. Everyone has a niche. You do better work when you genuinely love the service you are providing.”

In a resort town where talent is mobile and staffing can be unpredictable, she knew the challenge was not just recruitment but belonging. Her approach has already begun to take root. Stylists who join The Loft enter an environment that is intentionally collaborative, grounded in trust, and led by someone who understands exactly what it feels like to be in their position.

The early months of ownership brought another surprise. The intensity of community support. “I quickly realized how incredibly supportive this community is,” she said. “Even if you do not know it, you have a ton of people quietly rooting for you.”

That support reached a louder pitch this month when her name was announced at the 2025 Bow Valley Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Awards. She received the Young Entrepreneur of the Year award. The moment, she says, felt like an out-of-body experience. Hard work, risk, and self-doubt all collapsed into a few seconds before she stepped onto the stage.

The award recognizes entrepreneurs aged 18 to 30 who show resilience, creativity, and dedication. For Angelo, the criteria fit. She had overcome uncertainty, pushed through fear, and bet on herself. And unlike many entrepreneurs who build something from nothing, her challenge was different. She stepped into someone else’s legacy and reshaped it without erasing the foundation.

Her relationship with the previous owner, Liz, who by coincidence made the same leap at the same age, helped smooth the transition. Their shared experience became a source of reassurance rather than comparison.

Now, several months into ownership, Angelo describes her vision with clarity. She imagines a thriving, joy-driven salon where clients feel energized and where her team loves the environment they have built together. In five years, she wants to look around the space and recognize the goal she set and achieved. “Ultimately,” she said, “it is about reaching the point where I can look at what we have created and say, This is it.”

Expansion is not off the table. Mentorship, education, and possibly a second location are all part of her long-term imagination. These goals come naturally to someone who benefited from strong guidance and now wants to offer the same support to younger stylists.

But beneath all the planning and professional ambition lies something quieter. The knowledge that she pushed past the moment when fear could have stopped her. “The biggest moment of self-doubt was definitely questioning whether I was truly ready,” she said. “I am grateful I pushed through that fear because if I had not, I would probably still be wondering.”

For a new generation of entrepreneurs, her message is simple. “If you want it, go get it.”

2025 Business Excellence Award Winners

Alongside Angelo, several other local leaders were recognized at this year’s Business Excellence Awards for shaping the future of the Bow Valley’s economy and community.

• Carter Ryan Gallery and Live Art Venue, Champion of Arts and Culture

• Bow Valley Pride Network, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

• Arbus Mountain Homes, Sustainability in Action

• Peak Pursuits Cycling, Non Profit of the Year

• Jade Ansley, Women in Business

• ARC Construction, New Business of the Year

• Shoppers Drug Mart Canmore, Community Impact