Meet Ginger Boyle

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ginger Boyle a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Ginger, so many exciting things to discuss, we can’t wait. Thanks for joining us and we appreciate you sharing your wisdom with our readers. So, maybe we can start by discussing optimism and where your optimism comes from?

My optimism is something I built over time, not something I was just born with. I faced setbacks and tough days, but I always looked for small things to be grateful for. Growing up, I saw that people who kept a little hope did better, so I made it a habit. More than anything, I believed people can change and good things can happen, even when life gets messy. My optimism is grounded in experience and a steady choice to look for the bright side.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

If you’d told the small-town girl from Wisconsin—the one who grew up in a place with just one traffic light—that she’d one day be styling hair for glossy magazine covers in Los Angeles and New York, she probably would’ve just grinned and grabbed her comb. Because even as a kid, I knew I was meant to make people feel beautiful.

Right after high school, I packed my bags and dove headfirst into beauty school. My first adventure took me to Montana, where I opened my very first salon. It was there that fate intervened: I crossed paths with Horst Rechelbacher, the visionary founder of Aveda. Horst saw something in me, and before I knew it, I was swept into his world—working on the education and artistic team, soaking up every bit of knowledge from one of the industry’s true pioneers.

But my story was never meant to stay in one place. The next stop? Los Angeles. Suddenly, I was styling hair for major fashion magazines, working behind the scenes on editorial shoots that once seemed like distant dreams. I opened a salon in Beverly Hills, then another on Melrose. Thirty years later, I’m still here—still chasing the thrill of transformation, still believing that beauty is an adventure.

These days, my creative journey has a new twist. I spend a lot of time collaborating with my husband, photographer Robert Lynden, on photo shoots that let us capture the spirit of beauty from every angle. After all these years, I’m still just as curious, just as passionate, and just as excited as that girl from Wisconsin with big dreams and a love for hair.

It’s been a beautiful ride—and I have a feeling the best chapters are still ahead.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Success isn’t some secret formula or a single trait that only a few lucky people have. If you look at the people who are truly happy and thriving, you’ll spot a few things they all have in common. Sure, there’s talent and luck and a bit of timing, but the things that matter most are actually simpler than you’d think.

First, there’s passion. It’s what gets you out of bed when you’d rather hit snooze. Passion isn’t just about loving what you do—it’s about caring enough to stick with it through the rough patches. People who are passionate don’t just work harder; they find meaning in the work itself, and that makes all the difference.

Then there’s fear—or, more accurately, the absence of it. The people who go the farthest aren’t the ones who never feel afraid. They’re the ones who refuse to let that fear make their decisions for them. They take chances, try things that might not work, and don’t let worries about what might go wrong hold them back. It’s not about being reckless, but about being brave enough to move forward even when you don’t have all the answers.

And finally, there’s happiness. It sounds simple, but it’s easy to lose sight of. Real happiness isn’t about chasing some perfect moment or milestone. It’s about finding satisfaction in the process, being grateful for what you have while still reaching for more, and not tying your self-worth to your achievements alone.

It’s tempting to look for a checklist or a roadmap, but in the end, it comes back to these basics: find what lights you up, don’t let fear stop you, and remember to be happy along the way. Everything else is just details.

Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?

One thing I learned from my parent is strict discipline. Growing up, there were clear expectations in our home—rules weren’t just suggestions, and consequences for breaking them were always consistent. At the time, it sometimes felt unfair, especially when friends seemed to have more freedom. But looking back, I can see how that discipline shaped who I am today. My parent didn’t enforce rules just for the sake of control; it was their way of teaching me self-control, responsibility, and respect for others. Early morning routines, finishing chores before play, and always following through on commitments became habits that carried over into school and, later, into my work life. It wasn’t always easy, but learning strict discipline taught me that success rarely comes from talent alone. It’s about showing up, doing what needs to be done, and holding yourself to a standard—even when no one is watching. That lesson, more than any other, has stuck with me and continues to guide the way I approach challenges.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.planetsalon.com
• Instagram: http://instagram.com/planetsalon
• Twitter: https://www.facebook.com/ginger.boyle
• Other: Personal IG @ginger4boyle

Image Credits

Photo by Robert Lynden