For the last nine years, Corrie Gallant has successfully created an engaging experience for people at the Beauty Barn Spa, and along the way, has been passionate about giving back to the community in many ways.
Gallant, who has spent her whole life in Brantford, grew up in a family of entrepreneurs.
“I was born and raised in Brantford, and my mom owned a hair salon and my dad was an interior designer. They have always been entrepreneurial and my aunts and uncles were self-employed and small business owners too. I saw what they did, and saw a little bit of the freedom that they had. I also saw the highs and lows [as well as] how exciting it can be when you have your own business. I went for fashion design in college after high school and completed that. And when I was living in Toronto at the time, I had aspirations to be a famous fashion designer. I moved to New York with all these dreams,” she said. “I ended up moving back to Brantford with memories of working with my mom in the beauty industry as a young girl….sweeping the floors and doing hair washes. It wasn’t my passion at then…but it was second nature to me. It wasn’t until I became older that I realized that there was actually something really special there that I needed to discover.”
However, Gallant would delve deeper in the beauty industry, gaining vital experience that molded her entrepreneurial ambitions.
“I did a small business management course at night…providing me an understanding of business. I then ended up going into medical esthetics. I worked for a company out of Montreal, and I was doing laser hair removal….[I would eventually come back to Brantford] and worked for Scape Spa for a while [as well as] having my own business in a room out of my house… I then worked out on the reserve. Kenny Hill had a beautiful spa out there…and I managed it for around eight years. I came back into town, and ended up eventually buying my grandmother’s property. She was passing away, unfortunately, and the property was going to be sold. It was my wedding honeymoon when we got a call and needed to make a decision on if we were going to buy it…and we did…. I couldn’t imagine my grandmother’s property being owned by someone else. It was my safe place. Anytime I think any of us in the family or whatever we went through…we always came back to our homestead. And we decided that the barn on the property would be a great spot to put a spa while my husband grew his business around there too.”
However, the entrepreneur has worked to help businesses and organizations around her in the community.
“Around the pandemic…it pushed the trajectory for me to open my space to other businesses, because COVID was shutting down a lot of places around us…. they couldn’t have indoor spaces, but they could use outdoor spaces. So, my husband built a deck and we were able to offer, for instance, Modo Yoga and their staff, to utilize our space. I didn’t want them to pay me…I just wanted to support our fellow businesses through the tough times. And another time, I had a friend whose business was flooded and I also offered her my space. I have come [to realize] you can always help others with whatever you have…. sometimes you can’t always do it financially, but you can do it energetically or physically with what you have,” she said.
Along with building her business, Gallant has been devoted to overseeing an important event for the last ten years.
“The Awakening to Better Beauty event started the year before I opened the spa…and that goes back to the time, I was volunteering with Look Good Feel Better initiative which helps women going through cancer treatment….[around that time] my friend, who was a photographer…had lost her mom…[and] didn’t have any photos of her for the last few years…so she came to me with the idea to host some type of event that blended our talents…[and] knowing that I had just finished my oncology esthetics training (through Oncology Training International in Toronto). We rented out a different salon with another spa in town. They had a beautiful lounge area…and we had hairdressers there including my mom. I did all the makeup and my friend did all of the photos, and so that’s how Awakening to Better Beauty came to be. It was just the most touching experience…and when I opened up my business, I didn’t even think that’s something we’re going to do year after year.”
She further explained the event, which has continued to grow through the years.
“Hair, nails and lashes…really gets affected when you’re going through treatment, and so I think that that aspect of being able to show somebody, even if it’s just for a day…that there are other aspects of healing…[and] they don’t just come in to get a treatment and leave, they’re coming in and getting the space, the environment and a positive atmosphere,” she said.
Nevertheless, she has been focused on helping talented individuals in her circle.
“When you’re in a space where you see a lot of people with…they are going to tell you about all of the things they’re doing, and a lot of the time you will find out a person’s amazing gift that they have or talent. Sometimes they don’t realize their own potential. So, to me their creativity inspires me…Barb [Dzsudzsak], a friend of mine, has an amazing pottery business. She has done very well…selling in markets and from her house…but there was a part of her that was wanting to teach others, but she kept thinking she didn’t have the space [and fast forward to today]…she is now hosting classes out of her garage. So, I really like to push people outside of their comfort zone [and] Barb told me if I hadn’t done that…she really wouldn’t see this great outcome of teaching others,” she noted.
However, recently, Gallant had an opportunity to become a teacher at Fanshawe College.
“At the beginning of 2026 when I received a message from a staff member at Fanshawe College who had previously been a client at my spa. She reached out to let me know they were looking for an Esthetics instructor and thought I would be a good fit…[I eventually] found myself standing in front of a classroom teaching Esthetics. If you had told the younger version of me that one day I would be creating curriculum and lesson plans for a college, teaching students of all ages, and helping shape the next generation of estheticians, I wouldn’t have believed you,” she said. ” As a second-generation spa owner, I’ve seen this industry change and evolve over the years. I’ve experienced the ups and downs, the trends, the challenges, the growth, and the evolution of beauty throughout my life. I knew I had something I could pass on to the next generation of students.”
Recently, the newly minted instructor has already struck a positive chord with her class.
“I had an experience that unexpectedly filled my heart. An adult student came up to me after class and told me she’s taken a lot of classes over the years and was having a discussion with her husband when she told him I was the best teacher she’s ever had. That was such a compliment and something I never thought I would hear,” she noted.
Gallant, has also reconnected with her life-long passion for fashion by introducing, Coressentials, a linen line at her spa.
“While my career eventually led me into training in aesthetics and the beauty and wellness industry, I’ve always carried that creative foundation of design and fashion with me through my life…so, adding a linen clothing collection to the spa feels like a full-circle moment. It has given me the opportunity to reconnect with passions I developed years ago and blend them with the lifestyle and values we promote every day at The Beauty Barn,” she explained. “The collection is centered around natural fabrics…that help women feel confident, comfortable, and effortlessly themselves. For me, it’s a reminder that the things we learn along the way often find their way back to us when the timing is right.”
As well, over the years, she has learned many lessons as a business owner.
“I think that the reality of navigating a business through the highs and lows is an emotional roller coaster, but it’s also learning how to remain strong. One of the toughest things for me was during the pandemic…people were looking for answers, and as a business owner, they were coming to me…I myself couldn’t ask anyone because no one experienced this before. So, I started to reach out to the owners of other spas and find out what they were doing. At that time, I didn’t have a great rapport with many of them…but I wanted to at least create an atmosphere that we’re all experience this…so, I wanted for us to come together as spa business owners and be there for each other…whether it’s to talk over the phone or to like each other’s posts….because at the end of the we were all trying to keep our businesses going, even if we’re not working in them,” she reflected.
Gallant has also learned a great deal from those around her which has included her staff at The Beauty Barn Spa.
“There have also been countless people who have helped shape this journey [including] my staff, mentors, teachers, friends, clients, family members, and community. Amanda [Doxtador] has been with the spa since the beginning and is truly the heart of the business. Julie [Hewings] stepped in as a spa manager when I needed help getting back after my accident…she brought her creativity and artistic spirit into the space,” she noted. “Joanna [Wilson]…brings her soul-nourishing gifts through Reiki, Reflexology, and Aromatherapy. Both Abby [Young] and Andrea [Chambers] help create the sense of relaxation our little country spa is known for. My mom Debbie, who is an award-winning hairstylist with experience in celebrity hair from her days working at Holt Renfrew and the Windsor Arms in Toronto, who like me owned her own beauty business has evolved with the seasons of life. She is our salon matriarch and I have learned so much from her.”
And it has been important for Gallant to change her mindset, which has led to new doors being opened.
“The Canadian Chamber of Commerce….were offering $10,000 grants to 65 businesses…and posed the question…what would you do with your business if you were given this money right now? So, we developed this idea to create a one-on-one space where somebody who may not feel comfortable coming into a place where there were a lot of people…could have this space where they could maintain this high level of private service and we were very much already positioned for something like that,” she stated. “And we ended up being one of two spas from 65 businesses that received the award. It was special because I really changed the way of thinking to get into a positive mind set and create an opportunity for someone to get the most out of a one-on-one service.”
However, the spa entrepreneur maintains the importance of finding your own path.
“One of the things that I want people to know is that there are many paths in this industry and none of them are one-size-fits-all. What matters is making informed decisions and [ultimately] finding what feels good and is right for you. Beauty should be empowering….not something that makes you feel less than, better than or leaves you feeling like you’ll never measure up,” Gallant said. ” I’ve learned that trusting your instincts [and that] following your passions can take you to places you may never have expected. If my journey inspires someone to take a chance on themselves, encourages them to pursue a dream, or believe they’re capable of more than they think they are, then my heart is full.”
