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There’s a saying in Fort McMurray and it’s, “We Have the Energy” but when you meet, Faye Glavine owner of Artistic Hair & Body Studio, and Kaliko Kutz Hair & Body Salon, you will say, she has the energy!
Faye was born in Buchans, Newfoundland. After finishing high school, she moved to Toronto and attended Marvel Hair Styling School, where she completed her training. After hair dressing school, she moved to Grand Falls where she worked at LeMoin’s Hair Salon. Then, she opened her own salon in her home town of Buchans.
After 7 years, she moved to Corner Brook where she taught hairstyling at the government operated trade school. While teaching, she worked on her degree in vocational education. In 1974, she moved to Labrador City with her husband and two children.
In the late 1970’s, Faye and her husband moved to the land of opportunity…Fort McMurray. And, she has never looked back.
She managed the Glemby Hair Salon in the Bay for 17 years, which is now where Zellers exists in the Peter Pond Mall. She then moved to Ultimate Image and operated her own small business. After awhile she moved to Artistic as a stylist and when it came up for sale, she bought it.
After a few years, she believed it had more potential and followed her dream to turn it into a full service salon and spa. So, she set out and did some renovations.
Her new salon and spa offers everything you’d expect of a high-end beauty salon, plus advanced skin-care solutions; massage therapy services by a registered massage therapist; and full-service nail, manicure and pedicure services.
While renovating Artistic Hair & Body Studio, Faye purchased a second salon, Kaliko Kutz. While not as large as Artistic, it still keeps very busy as the only hair salon in the Abasand area of Fort McMurray.
“The oil companies have the resources to offer higher salaries, etc.” says, Faye “and so one of my toughest challenges has been keeping staff. This is a very busy and transient City and people are always on the move.”
“In my business, my employees are everything to me. I wouldn’t be where I am today without them” says, Faye. “So, I go out of my way to do what I can for them”. She even offers a benefits and bonus package for them, which is unheard of in the salon world. Plus, she helps them out with RRSP contributions and tax breaks.
Faye loves what she is doing and you can see it in her smile and her eyes, as they light up when you talk with her about her business.
From the moment I walked into Artistic Hair & Body Studio to interview Faye, I felt a sense of family and calm. Her employees go out of their way to make you feel welcome and at home, and you can feel from the way that they laugh and talk with each other that they truly enjoy working there.
Another time, while having my nails done there, I also received a complimentary mini neck and shoulder massage from one of her massage therapists. Needless to say, with treatment like that…I’ll be back time and again.
I’m not sure where she gets her energy….I think she stole it from the oilsands.
Besides, working more than the average 40 hours per week that most of us do, when she’s not cutting and styling hair, she’s personally handling all the other aspects of running two very busy salons, including ordering all the supplies and keeping her own accounting records.
Faye has more innovative ideas that she is working on but isn’t quite ready to let us know what they are. But, I can hardly wait to see what she has in store.
She also has a passion for dancing and is very involved with the Fort McMurray Social Dance Club and dances at least twice a week. Faye also bred Basenji and Maltese dogs and has been a member of the Northland Kennel Club for 15 years. She has put championship ribbons on 10 dogs.
“People ask me all the time, ‘when are you going to retire?’ and I tell them I am retired” says, Faye. “Retirement is doing less of what you don’t like and more of what you do like. Be committed to do what it takes to have what you want”.
Written by: Bonnie Gray |
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