Industry Hair and Body Care is more than just a salon.
It’s a family.
And while owner Sam Hubbard’s six-year-old daughter Elle may be a frequent visitor to the hair studio, the family extends well beyond her own flesh and blood, to her co-workers straight on down to her clients.
From the moment you walk through the front doors, you’re made to feel like family. Following a tour and a thorough lay of the land, the salon is yours to discover.
“Make yourself at home,” Hubbard says.
That’s after you’ve been warmly greeted at reception, given a glass of champagne and orange juice and had a warm wrap draped around your neck.
“We walk eve
ryone through, give them a tour and introduce everyone so everyone feels like they’re home,” Hubbard says. “We want it to feel like home.”
And that means feeling comfortable, with no surprises.
Before even touching a strand of hair, Hubbard sits down with a client to go over price points and determine exactly what the client is after.
Whether the guest is at the salon for a hair cut, colouring, pedicure or manicure, tanning, or waxing, Hubbard tries to keep her prices reasonable.
“Price point is a really big deal for me,” she says. “Jobs are difficult to find here and they’re not always great paying jobs. I think if you live on the Island, you don’t pay Vancouver prices to get your hair done.”
Which is one of the reasons Hubbard opened Industry Hair and Body Care in October of 2013.
The salon, which offers an array of services, each nestled within its own little room within the shop, is a far cry from where Hubbard first began.
Her first salon was run out of the kitchen of her home in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Hubbard gave up a job at the prestigious Marca College of Hair and Esthetics in Ontario to return home after her grandmother, also a hair dresser and who owned three salons, passed away.
“I went back to Saskatoon, started from scratch, and ended up in the kitchen,” Hubbard says.
Hubbard’s husband, Rafael Hubbard, said the salon was a hit.
“People were coming in and out of her house, and people were so happy to be there,” he says. “She was notoriously under charging people.”
But it wasn’t just the price that kept people coming back.
“Most of our success is through Sam’s personable nature and the energy level she keeps up,” Rafael says. “We find we’re having huge success because she’s able to infuse that ethos, that spirit, to her clients.”
To find evidence of that success, you don’t need to look any further than Industry’s Facebook page.
“We have 81 reviews and all are at 5.0,” says Hubbard proudly.
Or take for example, what happened this past winter when Rafael nominated Hubbard’s salon for a Small Business BC Award.
Rafael nominated the salon for a Premier’s People’s Choice Award just two days before the nomination period ended but the salon “garnered enough votes in two days to land ourselves in the top 10 for the award.”
While Hubbard herself can take a large chunk of the credit for her success, she says she wouldn’t be able to do it if it weren’t for the staff and the clients.
“We’ve got an incredible team here, it can never be just one person,” Hubbard says. “That’s what makes us special, is the symbiotic relationship with the staff.”
Hubbard isn’t afraid of losing a client to another staff member, and vice versa. Rather, they know one another’s strengths and want what’s best for the client.
“I just thank the amazing, talented and creative girls I have here,” Hubbard says. “I wouldn’t be able to do any of this without them. And of course the clients, without them I wouldn’t have a business. I’m very honoured for both of those components.”
And she’s especially thankful to be able to do what she does here in Campbell River.
“I love living here, it’s a special piece of heaven we live in,” Hubbard says. “It’s beautiful, and the people are nice. We should be honoured to live in this town.”
For more on Hubbard’s salon visit the Industry Hair and Body Care Facebook page.