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2011 Business Excellence Awards

The Fredericton Chamber of Commerce presented the Business Excellence Awards at the Delta Fredericton Hotel.

This year, the Matthews McCrea Elliott Sustainable Leadership Award was given to Sue Lawrence Hair Spa & Gallery.

Check out the full story at the Daily Gleaner.

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"I am so happy that I won this great package! The people at Sue Lawrence were amazing. Sue personally cut my hair and Simone, another amazing hair dresser at Sue Lawrence was so good to me - very attentive, honest, and caring. She did an amazing job with my hair and I am looking forward to being spoiled there for the next while. Thank you girls so much; not only did I get pampered, I learned some very useful information too. Thank you 105.3 - U truly ROCK!"

~ Pricilla Grimmer

For Sue Lawrence, hairdressing has always come naturally.

Sue Lawrence, owner of Sue Lawrence Hair Spa and Gallery, poses for a photo Friday afternoon at her salon on Queen Street in Fredericton. She grew up around people who cut hair. Lawrence's father learned the art from his father, and she remembers how he used to give the neighbourhood boys crew cuts.

Her babysitter, who was also a hairdresser, influenced her as well. Lawrence said she started cutting her mother's hair when she was in Grade 8.

"The scissors felt really natural in my hands, and I was just really attracted to it," she said. "I was not a girly girl, with hair spray and permed hair, and what you'd think a hairdresser would be. I just had a natural ability."

After high school, Lawrence further honed her skills at the Atlantic Hairstyling Academy in Fredericton. She's been a hairdresser for 28 years, and she said she's loved every minute of it.

Lawrence owns her own salon, Sue Lawrence Hair Spa & Gallery on Queen Street. She said her work keeps her busy. At the moment, clients have to wait about three months to get an appointment. She wouldn't have it any other way.

"I love the skill, I love the artistry of doing hair, but I really love dealing with people," she said.

"I've got clients that have been with me since beauty school that still come and see me once a week. Those are nice relationships. You get to know people, and there's nothing more gratifying than making someone feel spectacular."

She said in addition to her passion for cutting hair, she also loves experimenting with colour.

"It's just a whole different world because you can do a lot with the dimensions of a haircut," she said. "Light colours make things come out, dark colours make things recede. And then you can do multi-colours."

Lawrence said she enjoyed the styles that were popular in the 1980s, such as bright colours and offbeat styles such as mohawks.

In recent years, she said she's been pleased to see a return to some of these funkier looks and see them become more accepted in the mainstream.

"To me, hair is a form of expression of the individual," she said. "It's like your clothing or your eyewear; it's part of who you are."

She said that while she doesn't see any of the challenges in her field as insurmountable, they do exist.

"One of our biggest challenges in the salon is people doing home colours," Lawrence said. "We do a lot of colour correction in the salon. I see young girls coming in with black hair, wanting to be blond again.

"I think the most challenging thing is being able to take and correct mistakes that have been done elsewhere. We see a lot of that because people know we do a lot of colour work here. It's hard to see people that have ruined their hair, and then you have to fix it."

She said young people just starting in the industry would likely face a greater range of challenges than she did. For example, she said there used to be an apprenticeship program in the province where new hairdressers would work with someone experienced in the industry for a year before starting on their own. That program was abolished a few years ago, she said.

"I think it's the biggest mistake they've ever made in the industry," she said. "It's like how electricians or plumbers have apprenticeships; there's so much to learn. A lot of the kids coming out of school aren't ready to deal on their own."

Becky Lewis, an instructor at the Atlantic Hairstyling Academy, said hairdressers must complete 1,600 hours of practical and theory training at the school in order to graduate. In that time, she said, they learn many skills.

"They'll start out with sanitation," she said, "Then they start cutting and learning colouring, perming, finger waves and so on."

She said there's quite a bit of demand for hairdressers, and most graduates from the academy don't have a hard time finding work.

Lawrence said that one of the best things about being a hairdresser is that it provides a lot of freedom to work in different settings. Over the course of her career she's had the opportunity to teach, work on photo shoots and get involved with major hair shows.

"There are so many different dynamics to our industry that you can do globally," she said. "I've done photo shoots in New York and Los Angeles. I've done video work in LA. I've done hair shows in Europe and through the U.S. You're working at these big shows with 130,000 people and you're getting to work with peers from all over the world that have come to teach at these shows.

"Teaching is another dynamic, whether you're teaching in beauty school or at big events. There are many, many things you can do within the industry. The sky's the limit, especially if you're a creative person."

Lawrence said that in addition to excellent technical skills and an understanding of proper chemical colouring techniques, being a hairstylist requires patience, listening skills and people skills.

She said she encounters many aspiring hairdressers who think it's an easy profession, but she said that's a major misconception.

"There's a lot involved," she said. "I've taught colour my whole career, and it's not an easy thing for a lot of people. Cutting is a skill. It's a talent, and not everybody has it naturally.

"You're standing for 10- or 12-hour days - that's the norm. You work nights. You have to work Saturdays to be available for customers. It's physically demanding.

"Clients can be very demanding sometimes as well, and it takes a special person to deal with that. Some people think hairdressing is an occupation where you don't have to have a high IQ, and I disagree. I've seen a lot of brilliant, dynamic people over the years in the industry."

Lawrence said that anyone who's passionate about being a hairdresser will find the work fulfilling, and she would highly recommend the profession.

"It's a great career," she said. "Walk into it with an open mind and gobble up all you can in beauty school, because everything they're teaching you, even finger waves and pin curls, is important to know for the foundation and structure of hair design.

"If it's something you love, you'll be good at it, and you'll have a happy career."

Education requirements: Hairdressers need to complete a 1,600-hour hairstyling program. In Fredericton, the Atlantic Hairstyling Academy and Majestany Institute offer a program. Salary: Becky Lewis, an instructor with the Atlantic Hairstyling Academy, says in New Brunswick the salary can range from minimum wage to more than $50,000 a year for an experienced hairdresser. Hours: Sue Lawrence, a hairdresser, says the job can involve long hours, which normally include evenings and Saturdays. Demand: Lewis and Lawrence say there's a high demand for hairdressers, and most people won't have much trouble finding work after completing school.

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