December marks the first-year anniversary of one of Niverville’s newest businesses, Done: Hair, Skin, and Nails. The owner, Karen Albaugh, opened the salon last year after a whirlwind series of events.
“I’m from Kenora, but I have family that lives here, and I would regularly visit them,” Albaugh says. “And one year we came to get pedicures at this salon, before it was mine, and there was a sign on the door.”
That sign announced that the previous shop had closed its doors indefinitely. Albaugh hadn’t gotten any notice to cancel their appointment, so they were taken by surprise. However, she saw the disappointment as an opportunity.
“Literally the next day I met with the building owners, and literally within a week I decided to drop my whole life and start a business,” she says. “It wasn’t planned. I was at a point in my career, the 20-year mark, where I thought, what do I do? So I had 6 weeks to close down my life and get here and get these doors open.”
The 1,500-square-foot salon supports the use of chemical-free beauty products, and this is reflected in the many product lines they carry.
Albaugh employs a staff of 4 and sings their praises. “It’s not often in this business that we get this many people with so much experience in the same room. So we have a lot to offer people.”
One of those people is Michelle Lee Friesen-Plett, who has more than 25 years of experience as a hair stylist, including the previous shop in Done’s location. When it closed in 2014, Friesen-Plett got a call to meet with the new owner.
“I didn’t really know her, but when she came in, she and I hit it off instantly,” says Friesen-Plett. “Two hairdressers don’t always get along as we do! It’s been very refreshing. It’s been a very positive experience. She’s a great boss.”
Combined, Albaugh and Friesen-Plett have more than 50 years of experience.
“Even though we’re a little bit old school, we still keep up with the very modern styles,” Friesen-Plett says.
“Sometimes people do hairstyling so long, they get stuck in a rut. But we don’t. I learn from her, and she learns from me. We bounce ideas off each other and get each other’s opinions on things.”
Albaugh and her team are hosting a grand opening on Thursday, December 3, from 4:00–10:00 p.m. “We’re doing wine, cheese, and chocolate,” says Albaugh. “We’re going to have live entertainment here, booking incentives, and prizes and draws throughout the night.”
