Yellowknife (June 30/03) - Lance Morrison is a 25-year-old smashingly dressed hairdresser with a clientelle list in the 500s and a tendency to cut hair past midnight.

Lance Morrison, co-owner of Vixen Hair Den and newly-hired regional educator for American Crew, says cutting hair is more than making people look pretty. You're giving out good moods and confidence. - Jasmine Budak/NNSL photo

Along with running one of the most successful hair salons in Yellowknife and attracting a cultish following, Morrison's got a new job and he'll be busier than ever.

News/North: Okay, let's start with your big news. In addition to being a co-owner of Vixen Hair Den...

Lance Morrison: I'm now the regional educator from American Crew.

N/N: What does that mean? Tell me about the job.

LM: Starting out, it's just product knowledge. I can go to salons and teach about American Crew products...mostly around the North.

N/N: So, what did you do when you found out?

LM: I went home, checked my answering machine... I screamed. I ran around my living room. I was confident I might get it, but I thought possibly because of my location, I wouldn't get it.

N/N: How will you manage the new job along with all your responsibilities at Vixen?

LM: Most of my travel will be in the North on weekend trips. It probably just means I'll work later when I get back to Yellowknife.

N/N: How long have you been in Yellowknife?

LM: I moved here in January, 1983, with my family from Merritt, B.C. I'm a Yellow-lifer.

N/N: Where did you train to be a hairstylist?

LM: Marvel College in Edmonton. They have programs in hair, esthetics and fashion. I just took the hairdressing course -- I have no interest in doing bikini waxing.

N/N: Why hairdressing?

LM: My mom was a hairdresser in the early '70s and she quit 'cause she had a family and wasn't really making much money. I always wanted to do it and always found it interesting, but my mom said if you want to make money, it's really not the option to take. So I didn't, and then I met some hairdressers at Essentials (in Yellowknife) and they said there's money to be made -- if you're good.

N/N: So where did you start work following school?

LM: I worked for New Beginnings for two-and-a-half years and four of us just decided we wanted to try working for ourselves and start a new venture.

N/N: So Vixen Hair Den was born and it seems to be doing remarkably well -- why?

LM: Our mission is basically to provide Yellowknife with a salon where stylists go out and get educated as much as possible. It's our desire for education and then educating our clients. We also don't take commission on our retail so we can afford to mark our prices down a lot lower. We also have a huge focus on customer service. We wanted to give Yellowknife what it was missing.

N/N: You have quite the reputation around town as a sought-after hairdresser. I often hear people refer to a haircut with you as being "Lanced." How do you feel about this local stardom?

LM: I sometimes don't believe it. Sometimes it seems surreal that in a really short time frame I was able to boost my clientele so much. But I'm a busy-body and I don't like to be sitting around. At New Beginnings I didn't have many clients yet and I'd spend half the day folding laundry or going for a cigarette or a coffee, when all I wanted to do was stand behind that chair. So every weekend when I'd go out, I'd take out 50 business cards and just give them out. I would tell people if they sent me five people, I'd give them a free haircut. I'd go up to new people in town and other people that were willing to let me be creative. And then it grew. People told people who told people.

N/N: What makes you a good hairdresser?

LM: I have kind of a cocky confidence and I think some people aren't used to it, but some people find that unique. A lot of my clients when they sit in my chair say, 'so, what are we doing today?'

There's a trust level with stylists and once you trust someone, you're willing to sit in their chair and let them do whatever. I ask a lot of questions before I do anything -- especially with a new client.

I also try to invent new things and keep a good memory about where people work and adapt haircuts.

N/N: How many clients do you figure you have?

LM: According to the computer, around 500. But it's probably not exact.

N/N: Do you find your reputation tiring -- always being solidly booked and doing free stuff on the side for friends and family?

LM: I don't find it tiring. I'm quite proud of it. But it becomes difficult when you want to go on vacations.

I have a few clients that are already booked up until Christmas and so I have to call them up and tell them I'm leaving town. But they usually understand. I can't just decide to leave town next week... more like in 10 weeks.

N/N: Do you ever overwork yourself?

LM: There was a time, during Vixen's first year, when I almost burned myself out. I worked one day near Christmas until about 1:30 in the morning and working 45 days without a day off.

N/N: What do you get out of your job?

LM: I love the fact that every day is different. I love that I can create my own styles and cuts.

My favourite thing, as cliche as it is, is when you have somebody come in and they've had the crappiest day and you give them a scalp massage and 45 minutes later they leave walking on clouds. If your hair is crap, you feel like crap.

If you're having a bad hair day, you're having a bad day. I also love the social aspect of the job. You come into work and you know everybody and a lot of the clients know each other. It's a total social event.

N/N: What's difficult about your job, or what do you dislike about it?

LM: I love the creative hairdressing side, but the business side, not so much.

I love doing advertising and marketing and displays, but going back to the salon at midnight to do a cash out, not so much.