When they were little girls, they dreamed of co-owning a hair salon and spa. Now, it’s become a reality.
“It’s been a dream of ours ever since we were little girls,” says Lisa Blake, one of the co-owners of Core Salon and Spa in Prince George. “As the oldest sister, I would actually be the one cutting, perming, styling their hair as kids. Now they’re the ones doing hair – not me!”
Blake and her sisters, Laurie Gill and Leeann Brent, had always hoped that sharing a hair studio and spa would be in their futures. The dream never faded but was placed on the back burner as they grew up. While Gill and Brent both went to hairdressing school and started their own careers as stylists, Blake went into the banking industry for 15 years. The sisters started their own families and the dream became ever more distant.
“We have dreamed and fantasized about it lots over the years, not thinking it would ever really happen,” says Blake. “We were all in our respective industries for 20 years before we even got the opportunity to make it a real thing. We were doing some research, and miraculously things just came together.”
That coming together officially paid off in September 2011 with the opening of Core Salon and Spa.
“It was so exciting,” says Blake. “We were – and are – thrilled! Our hope was that it would be a positive for our families, freeing up time and allowing flexibility. It actually turned out to be an extreme amount of work, dedication and commitment. We’ve made great strides to get where we are today.”
Those strides have lead to a well-loved local beauty salon with seven hair stylists, six estheticians, lash technicians, and nail technicians. Their employees have certifications in other services as well,including microblading, and podology/bracing.
They also employ a Certified Master Pedicurist who is licensed to work on diabetics, seniors and those suffering from other foot issues.
“We feel that we’ve built a really strong reputation. People often tell me they have heard nothing but good things about Core,” says Blake, noting that their salon has won Reader’s Choice Awards from the Prince George Citizen many times, most recently winning first place in the hair salon category, and second place in the spa category in2018.
If you’d like to find out more about Lisa, Laurie, and Leeann, head to Core Salon in the Westwood Plaza, in Prince George, or visit their website at coresalonspa.ca. You can also find them on Facebook and Instagram.
