In this episode, Al sits down with Amanda Rae, the owner of Base Studio, a thriving hair salon in Regina. Amanda shares her journey from a stylist to a business owner, the challenges she faced, and the resilience it took to overcome them, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In this episode, Al sits down with Amanda Rae, the owner of Base Studio, a thriving hair salon in Regina.
Amanda shares her journey from a stylist to a business owner, the challenges she faced, and the resilience it took to overcome them, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
You can learn more about Base Studio at basestudio.ca.
YWAO Base Studio_transcript
Allan: [00:00:00] Hello everyone. I'm Al Grego, and this is the 'Yes, We Are Open' podcast.
Today I am in the eastern part of Regina in a neighborhood called Al Richie. The neighborhood was named after Alvin, Horace Richie, a Canadian multi-sport athlete, coach, administrator, and all around overachiever dating back to the early 1920s through to the forties.
Richie served in World War I. In addition to football, he also played hockey, lacrosse, and baseball. He went on to coach the Rough Riders for several seasons and also the Regina Pats football and hockey teams. He's the only person to win championship in both sports. He was also a scout for the [00:01:00] L'S, New York Rangers for many years until his death in 1966.
Today, Richie is a member of both the Canadian Football Hall of Fame and Canada's Sports Hall of Fame. And despite being originally from Ontario, he left his mark in the city of Regina. The neighborhood named after him has an approximate population of 8,000 people. It's centered around the Al Richie Community Center in Park, which is managed by a registered charity and nonprofit organization, the Al Richie Community Association. As I said, overachiever, just kidding.
Today I'm headed just east of that community hub to a plaza on Park Street next to the Rose Garden Chinese restaurant, and the subject of this week's story. Base studio.
Amanda: Hello again.
Allan: Take take two.
Amanda: Yeah.
Allan: That's Amanda the owner. She's making fun of me because due to a [00:02:00] scheduling mix up, I had previously arrived a couple of hours earlier than we had agreed on.
I got so messed up. Not just with the time difference, but then on Sunday when I flew here
Amanda: Oh yeah.
Allan: Was daylight savings time and I know that there's, that doesn't happen here.
Amanda: Like we don't know what that is.
Allan: I know, I know.
So I left, had some dinner and then came back. So this was effectively take two of my arrival. Anyway, Amanda was very understanding. She gave me a quick tour of the salon featuring some shelves with various products at the front entrance.
Then beyond her front desk, there are a bunch of stations, three on one side, two on the other, a wall of greenery with the words, "Love Your Hair" written on it, and shampoo stations in the back. It's a very welcoming space.
After our tour, Amanda and I sit in her front waiting area for our interview. There's a customer in getting a haircut, so there's a little bit of background noise in the beginning.
Amanda: Hi, my name is Amanda Rae. I own Base Studio and I'm also a hairdresser here.
Allan: When did you base studio?
Amanda: We opened in July, 2018.[00:03:00]
I worked as a stylist at a salon just after high school. I was there for eight years. And then I opened another business with a friend of mine that didn't work out. About a year and a half, two years later, I left to open this business.
Allan: So the first time you were with a partner, this time you're doing it yourself?
Amanda: Correct.
Allan: Were you always into the hairstyling?
Amanda: I was in university at the U of R in business and I didn't enjoy it. Doing hair was kind of my side hustle and ultimately it's no longer a side hustle. It's what I do for a living.
Allan: Now are you from a Regina originally?
Amanda: I would consider Regina my home now, but I am from Esteban, Saskatchewan.
Allan: When did you move to Regina?
Amanda: We moved here when I was in grade six, so like, it's me and my mom here in Regina, but the rest of my family is in Esteban.
Allan: Where'd you get the name Base Studio?
Amanda: When I was going through my turnover of owning a salon, I wanted something that reminded me of foundations, of relationships, of knowledge, and of our [00:04:00] community. And that's kind of where base came from. And then we're a small space, so the studio.
Allan: Is this your first location?
Amanda: Yes, it is.
Allan: Cool. Uh, why did you pick this area?
Amanda: I also live in the east end, so that was super important to me. I don't like driving, so going downtown or even to the north end where I'm sure you're from like is a bigger city and Regina's considerably smaller, but I don't like driving to a different end of the city. So being close to home was super important to me and this space. Came available.
The space was actually a chain salon prior.
Allan: How did it go when you first started it?
Amanda: It was amazing. I had already been doing hair for 10 years, so I already had an existing clientele. The girls that I had hired also had an existing clientele, so it was super easy and received super well by our community.
Allan: Okay. So you mentioned the girls. How many of you are there here?
Amanda: There is. Four of us in total.[00:05:00]
Allan: So you have four stylists, but you're the owner, your boss.
Amanda: Yeah. However, everyone has their own business here.
Allan: Oh, okay.
Amanda: So they all rent chairs.
Allan: Oh, that's interesting. So that's how that works. So you own like kind of the location, but different stylists kind of run their own chair.
Amanda: I provide, the products that they purchase here, but they provide all of their own back bar for like washing, coloring and doing hair essentially at the chair.
Amy: My name's Amy and I'm a hairstylist.
Allan: Okay. And how long have you been a hair stylist here?
Amy: Almost four years.
Allan: Before that, do you want to say how long you've been doing it?
Amy: Since oh six. So you do the math.
Allan: I'm really bad at math. That's why I do this.
Amy: Me too. That's why I say that.
Allan: All right. Why did you come work here?
Amy: I am friends with Amanda. And I had a daughter. And when I came back from mat leave, I just wanted to work a little less in the salon I was at before I managed. And they wanted me back full time. And I just like Amanda's values and stuff and it's amazing.
Allan: What sets the salon apart from others that you work?
Amy: The staff, they're fun and like we get to [00:06:00] do whatever we want. We can come and go as we please. If you wanna work at 8:00 AM you can, if you wanna work at 11:00 PM you can. There's no set hours, which is nice.
Allan: Is that a usual way that salon just set up where they're like independent like contractors almost?
Amanda: It's either or. I feel like when you're on commission, that's your next step. Aside from owning your own business. To make more money is to now take that step in business ownership. Sure. Of running your own hours.
Allan: Yeah, but I mean, the whole model of where you're the owner of the building and the product, but you rent your chairs out.
Amanda: That's very common.
Allan: That's common.
Amanda: Yeah.
Allan: See, these are things I don't know.
Amanda: You learn something every day.
Allan: Shows you, this is my first salon.
What about running a salon would maybe surprise somebody, you know, like somebody who doesn't know anything about this world. Is there anything that you'd say like that maybe you learned going, oh yeah, that's, I don't think people know about this.
Amanda: Aside from [00:07:00] being able to design, which I really like to design, and having choices over what we're keeping in stock, owning the salon isn't really that beneficial financially, I guess, unless you have like a lot of chairs. So really, if you don't need to own the salon, I would suggest not.
Allan: Just rent one. Rent a chair.
Amanda: Rent a chair. Yeah.
We are full service hair salon, so we do anything hair related in the products. That we carry. We've converted a lot over to our Canadian brands, but we carry a wide variety of other brands as well. I find that retail, especially in salons, is dying just because of the overhead costs. We try to make everything accessible and competitive with Amazon or Sephora where things are maybe even a little bit more accessible for people.
Allan: Sure. You've got some jewelry and stuff, is all that like all locally sourced as well?
Amanda: It is.
Allan: You wanna shout out any other makers?
Amanda: Sure. The bracelets and wristlets [00:08:00] are, Hello Belyoun. It's actually a Haitian word. The creator went through an adoption journey. And part of the proceeds go to the orphanage that her daughter had come from. And then Prairie Creek Candles, Kendra just a, a boss woman. She started in her house and now she has this massive shop on her property that she's pumping out candles like crazy how she comes up with those scents. She's a magician with scents and I'm proud of her.
Allan: Okay, so you've been open for, you know, since 2018, so that's seven years now. What would you say has been your busiest time?
Amanda: Definitely we're leading up to grad and wedding season, so we do a lot of weddings here and we pride ourselves on being able to be that part of people's lives. And very important people's lives. And then also kind of like the Christmas season, getting everyone ready to like be with our families is also a really busy [00:09:00] season for us.
Allan: True. That makes sense. In terms of like year over year, would you say you're still getting busier now or was there like a time where you guys were more busy.
Amanda: I definitely think that we're probably more at a steady rate, like, with all of us being our own businesses, there's not really much more that we can do on taking on clients because we can only work so many hours in a day.
Allan: So you said you're pretty much a capacity?
Amanda: Yes. Aside from hiring another stylist, we're pretty much at capacity.
Allan: And are you open for that? Do you have an extra chair?
Amanda: I do have one extra chair.
Allan: Oh, there you go. So good to know.
We'll find out later whether Amanda is interested in filling that extra chair. But first I. With Amanda going out on her own and being the sole owner base studio, the buck stops with her. Is she ready for the challenge? Especially considering the challenges she's about to face with a pandemic inflation and now tar war? [00:10:00] Let's find out.
You are listening to, "Yes, We Are Open". After a first failed attempt at owning a hair salon with a partner, Amanda Rae decided to sink or swim on her own. In 2018, she opened Base Studio in her Regina neighborhood and business went really well, but heavy is the head that wears the crown. Amanda is about to face some heavy times in her business.
How does she overcome them? Let's have a listen.
If I were to ask you to think back to what's been the greatest struggle you've had so far since opening Base Studio? What would that be?
Amanda: Probably Covid. We were shut down for two months. We did have a makeup artist here and she was closed down for an additional month. And I think just kind of coming back from that and deciding whether or not we were going to increase our prices due to increased costs [00:11:00] in PPE. Most of us chose not to do that because it, we did see it as a temporary thing. And I would just say that the dynamic, I guess, of coming back from Covid financially just would be our biggest struggle and strain.
Allan: Sure.
How close did things get? Like did you ever have like a go no go meeting where it's like, uh, we may not come out of this.
Amanda: So part of the reason why I chose this place in particular was because it was something that I would be able to afford if everybody else left. Sure. And whether that be for reasons due to covid financial issues or they hated me and wanted to go elsewhere.
Allan: Right, right.
Amanda: Uh, I wanted to be able to afford it on my own. Sure. And that was a struggle that I know I faced when we owned the other shop, is that like it was a very large shop and if there was like a mass quitting, they would've needed to do some damage control.
Allan: [00:12:00] So because you were able to run this as a one person show, you were able to kind of survive for a few months longer than maybe you would've otherwise.
Amanda: Yes. It also helped. We were meant to go on a educational trip to Italy, with Milkshake. That's one of the brands that we carry here, and that I had a large cushion kind of saved up Sure. To go on this elaborate educational trip that I used to support the salon When we close.
Allan: So you never got to go on that trip?
Amanda: We haven't got to go on the trip. Milkshake still hasn't done education for Canada. Wink, wink.
Allan: We'll make sure they hear this. Alright, so obviously you came out of Covid. Were you able to keep all of your hairdressers?
Amanda: Yes. At the time there was only three of us and we were able to be six feet apart and accommodate the restrictions that we had.
Allan: Okay.[00:13:00]
You said you were shut down for two months, right?
Amanda: Yes.
Allan: What were you doing during those two months?
Amanda: I was working out of my home in the sense of, I picked up some mannequins to teach people how to do easier updo at home.
Allan: Oh, okay.
Amanda: Braiding at home,
Allan: like online?
Amanda: Yeah, on Instagram. I think that was my first reel.
Allan: That's creative.
Amanda: Yeah.
Allan: During that time, you were at home and. You got creative, you started showing people how to do updos online.
Amanda: Men's haircuts.
Allan: Yeah. That's, that's creative.
Amanda: Taking out your extensions.
Allan: Yeah. That's good stuff. And were you getting like a lot of, feedback there?
Amanda: Yeah, some people are just asking for different braids or different styles. Lots of how to curl your hair type of tutorials. So I worked on those type of things.
Allan: Did that spark anything in you that maybe you'd want to someday teach?
Amanda: No, absolutely not.
Allan: That was a very quick, quick answer.
Amanda: Absolutely not. I'm not. I'm not a great explainer. If I do something, I can't necessarily explain why it works for me. So to explain that to a student or an [00:14:00] apprentice stylist, it's, it's really hard. We did have an apprentice stylist just after Covid. She ended up quitting hair, but you know, just teaching her how to curl hair, I was showing her and thinking that that was being absorbed and it just wasn't, I'm not a teacher. But there's another gal here that she finds passion in. Kind of teaching newer staff members. So if she was just like, if we get another person, I'll take on the role of teaching her, but that is not my role.
Allan: Coming out of it. Obviously we also hit some hyperinflation. After the pandemic and stuff, how did that affect you at all?
Amanda: I would say that a lot of us are still probably not correctly pricing our services, but that's because we feel bad for our clients that it's not necessarily something that should be put onto them, even though it's their services so that it should be get put onto them. But I feel like we've had a good balance of talking to [00:15:00] our clients about. What those prices look like and what the future holds with that. And there hasn't been like any crazy surprises.
Allan: I mean, it's tough. I know that, uh, you want to try to keep things as reasonable as possible for your returning to customers, but at the same time, everything's going up right?
Amanda: It is. And I feel like. You know, both when Amy and I started doing care, a retouch costs less than $50, and a retouch is no longer less than $50. It's, you know, for our area it's closer to a hundred, 150, depending on, yeah.
Allan: And what about like the more recent stuff now? Like we're talking about tariffs and stuff like that, any of that?
Amanda: Luckily we only carry one brand that is American based. You know, Milkshake is from Italy. There's a free trade agreement with Canada. And then we carry a lot of Canadian brands as well that it just hasn't reflected in that.
Allan: So That's good. So, and, and 'cause there's a huge buy Canadian movement going [00:16:00] on right now, so that kind of plays right into what you guys were doing anyway.
Amanda: Exactly. We also carry a lot of local businesses to us, like Prairie Creek Candles. They're out of Emerald Park. Notice Shampoo Bars, they're outta Calgary. The Relief Bath Salts are also from Calgary. I try to support as many. Local or even Canadian local businesses as I can.
Allan: Would you say businesses back to normal, to pre pandemic levels, or how's business now?
Amanda: For the clientele? Yes. I would say we're probably at pre pandemic levels, but also I think people are just being a little bit more financially responsible in the sense of maybe they're going to take a couple extra weeks before coming to their next appointment rather than coming every four to six weeks.
Allan: Coming up after the break, we find out what the future holds for Base Studio. Welcome back to Yes, we were Open [00:17:00] Base Studio seems to be thriving under Amanda Rae's leadership and it seems that Amanda is very much at home as a sole proprietor. They're as busy as they want to be. If she wanted more business, she'd have to fill her last chair.
Will she? What does the future hold for Base Studio? Let's find out.
You survived. You know, the, the most challenging part of most businesses that have encountered is a pandemic and stuff you've come out of. It looks like you're doing all right.
Amanda: Yeah.
Allan: What would you like to see as the future of Base Studio?
Amanda: We're definitely not expanding by any means, and I think we're just trying to navigate through this new world of creation and content creation specifically to keep up with the times. Basically.
My first couple years of doing hair is when Instagram kind of came out and like. If you go back and look like some of those posts, they have like thousands and thousands of [00:18:00] like likes on them. And then now I think I posted one today and I, I think it has like four likes on it because it doesn't have music attached to it. I didn't hashtag enough, I didn't post a location and it, it's not. Moving. It's just a picture. But that's okay. That's shows my elder millennial age.
I used to have an online store. It was also by a local person. I think it was before Covid. He had started a company that was shop local for local. So if you were in Saskatoon, you wouldn't actually see our shop on. That platform. But he has since shut down, so I'm no longer online.
I've definitely thought about it. It just, because we do carry such a wide variety of brands, and I know there's a lot of salons that. Stick to like one or two, and I think we have five or six and just a lot of that has come from personal use. That's why, you know, I like a little bit of this line. I like a little bit of this line.
Allan: Because you're a user of all of this, of the,
Amanda: Exactly. I've [00:19:00] used them, so I know that they work really well and I support them.
Brand With A Heart is Canadian. They're a newer brand out of Toronto. Surface Hair actually is originated in Saskatchewan. So that's super cool. Design Me is Montreal, I believe.
Allan: So. You're like all over the country. That's great. I'm all over the country. Yeah. Yeah. But that's good. Buy Canadian.
Amanda: Yeah.
Allan: Would you consider adding another chair?
Amanda: No.
Coming from a salon that was much larger, that was also a spa. I found girls can be mean, especially when they're all the same age and they hang out with each other. But granted, we were all younger, so that was an issue. Now that we're older, we're in our own lanes, but I find too many people can cause some issues. So having a core group of girls. That are on our own path that enjoy helping each other and enjoy doing what we do. You don't wanna interfere with what's going good.
Allan: Sure, sure. Yeah. Don't, don't mess with it. It's working good.[00:20:00]
Second time's a charmed that looks a bit.
Amanda: Yeah.
Allan: How do you feel?
Amanda: I feel good. Like I said, I chose something specifically that I could accomplish on my own if that corner turned. But I'm super proud of everybody here. We're a really good team. We work well together, and when anybody needs help, we're in there helping each other.
We just want to do really good hair. We don't want be photographers or content creators. We just wanna do really good hair. And the times have changed that that's kind of what we need to grow to, but we've been really blessed. Amy and I, Ashley, Felicia, we've all been doing here for over 10 years now, so our clientele is pretty solid that we don't necessarily need to be content creators in order to maintain our clientele, but you know, there's always some fluctuation and so you always want to leave the door open for new clients to come.[00:21:00]
Allan: Is Base Studio Open?
Amanda: Yes, we are open.
Allan: Perfect. Thank you so much.
That's the story of Base Studio. It's an interesting time for small business owners. Not just because of trade wars and such. There's the added pressure to, not only be an expert at what you do, but also an expert at marketing. Last week we heard the same from Ashley at BasketCases.
Now here's where I'm gonna show my Gen Xer age.
There was a time when you started your small business, all you had to do to get the word out was get added to the local Yellow Pages. Yes, I'm talking about phone books, or hand out flyers. [00:22:00] Buy an ad in the local paper or if you were really ambitious, a 30-second spot in the local radio station. Today, the pressures on small businesses to promote themselves can be daunting.
At minimum, you need a website. Social media has also become a must. Suddenly, instead of just being the best hairstylist you can be now, you also need to have an eye for content creation or pay someone who does to keep on cranking out new content that alone's a full-time job. I can totally relate to Amanda's desire to just do what she does well and let her work speak for itself. It seems like she's at a place in her career and in Base Studio's existence where she can do just that.
Second time really is a charm for Amanda. Kudos to her for not giving up after her first attempt. That business didn't work. That's perseverance. And that may make Amanda a cut above the rest.
'Yes, We Are Open' is a Moneris Podcast production. I'd like to thank Amy and Amanda for taking the time to share their story. You can learn more about Base Studio at [00:23:00] basestudio.ca. Follow them on Instagram @BaseStudioYQR. For more information on this podcast, visit our site YesWeAreOpenPodcast.com. If you'd like to support us, rate us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast.
If you're a Canadian small business owner or know of one with an interesting story of perseverance to tell, I'd love to help tell it. You can contact me at Podcast@Moneris.com. Tune in next week for another story of small business struggle and survival on the 'Yes, We Are Open' podcast. I'm Al Grego. Thank you for listening.