Citizen Salon Studios

When Calgary was hit by the recession, Jeff Wade started to look for an opportunity that wouldn't ride the ups and downs of oil and gas. “My wife and I both worked downtown for a long time and we were ready for something new. We knew we wanted to start a business,” Jeff says. Calgary is becoming known for its large community of entrepreneurial-minded citizens, and Jeff knew he wanted to create a business where that sort of mindset would be fostered. And though neither Jeff nor his wife are stylists, today Citizen Salon in Mission serves as both a beauty community and a space for entrepreneurs to start their own businesses.

Prior to opening Citizen Salon Studios, Jeff worked in finance, real estate and sales while his wife worked as a banker. With this background, the couple felt equipped with the skills to pursue entrepreneurship on their own. “We wanted to stick with what we knew,” he says. After a bit of brainstorming, they secured a modern space in Mission and the professional beauty community of Citizen opened in April 2017.