International Women’s Day: Meet Amber
March 8th is International Women’s Day and we’re celebrating by featuring some of Downtown Burlington’s female business owners & managers! With so many incredible business owners downtown we turned to our community to help us in the selection process by nominating a female business owner that inspires you.
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Meet Amber Gillies, owner/Bowen practitioner at Spa in the Village who was nominated for “being actively involved in the downtown, as Block Captain for the BDBA, as the VP of Burlington Network Group and always putting her hand up to offer support in any area she can. They have collectively added life to the Village Square, bringing the spa to street level, expanding it, and creating an inviting place for local residents and tourists to enjoy. Her and her co-owner Tiffany work amazingly together, feeding off each other’s strengths to offer superb experience for both their customers but for their staff and by offering a tremendous workplace for their staff, their customers in turn receive the best service!”
We asked Amber a few questions:
What was the defining moment for you? When did you know that this was your career path?
19 years ago when Bowen Therapy helped me recover from a severe back injury, I knew I had to learn how to help others the same way. I never realized it would result in the purchase of a spa several years later, but I am thrilled to be in the downtown core as a result of that decision.
Who helped you get where you are today/influenced you to achieve your current accomplishments?
Upon purchasing the spa three years ago, we immediately made the decision to renovate the ground floor unit and move down. The help we got from our husbands, neighbours and friends not only made the whole thing possible, but it was fun too! I’ve had a ton of help from my family, particularly my sister, who is a huge part of the business. We never would have endeavoured to purchase Spa in the Village without Lala Alexanian so we have her and every staff member to thank for our success.
As a celebrated successful female, what advice do you have for the next generation of successful women?
Believing in yourself is important but so is hard work. As long as you are willing to put in the time and effort, anything really is possible. Use your brain to make educated decisions, but when in doubt, listen to your gut. Always look for the good in people, and do the right thing. When things don’t go your way, don’t sulk and dwell – there is usually a lesson to be learned that can only make you stronger and better in the future.
Follow Amber @spainthevillageburlington