Feeling Beautiful with Jennifer Dubois at Miyowisin Salon
It was a blizzard outside, the kind where the cold bites and snow swirls endlessly. Yet, in walks this perfectly composed woman, wearing only a warm long sweater without a single speck of snow on her. Her presence immediately brightened the room. I had arrived earlier to claim a cozy spot in Venue B, and the moment our eyes met, I smiled knowing this conversation would be one to remember.
This latest installment of Drinks with Bernice brings an insightful conversation with Jennifer Dubois, an entrepreneur, mother, and Indigenous trailblazer. From personal sacrifices to professional triumphs, Jennifer shares the essence of her journey, balancing unexpected hardship with resilience and vulnerability in every aspect of her life.
Enjoy!
Q: What is your weekly pocket of sunshine? What is your self-care routine like as a mom and a business owner?
Jennifer Dubois
My pocket of sunshine is spending time with my children. My son lives in the dorms at Notre Dame, so I don’t get to see him often. When we’re all together, it feels wonderful. Another thing that helps throughout the week, which keeps me balanced and brings me joy is going to the gym. I need that scheduled time to release stress and maintain my health. It’s my way to decompress, and that’s always been one of my goals.
We’re now approaching eight years since I started my business. My children were much younger then. My son, now in Grade 12, is almost 17, and my daughter, 14, just started Grade 9. Back when I began, they were around nine and seven. Before opening my business, I worked at First Nations University and the University of Regina, and I continued doing hair, which I’ve done for over 20 years, often from home. My kids were always around then, even after my day job, when I’d do clients’ hair at home or on weekends. We also used to take time off to travel as a family whenever I got holidays from my traditional employment.
After I opened the business, however, things changed. Just one year in, the neighbouring business had a fire that spread into our building, causing extensive fire, water, and smoke damage. We were forced to close for 11 months to renovate and restore everything. We finally reopened, and about a year later, COVID hit. All these challenges demanded significant dedication and hard work. During that time, my daughter would sometimes come and hang out at the salon in the evenings while I worked. My clients never minded, which was wonderful, but it still meant a lot less free time.
I’ll never forget when my daughter once said, “Mom, I wish you still had your old job, because then you could take holidays, and we could go on a trip.” Hearing that was heartbreaking. I realized how these shifts in my career, in trying to build something for our family, were also affecting them. It made me pause and remember why I started this business in the first place: to provide for my family and have the freedom to spend time with them. Her words were a vital reminder to refocus on my true priorities my family. I needed to ensure that, despite the demands of entrepreneurship, I could still make time for what mattered most. That moment serves as my North Star: I’m doing this for my family, so I must be present and able to travel and create memories with them. It was a turning point that reminded me not to lose sight of my goal.
Q: How often do you go to the gym?
Jennifer Dubois
I go to the gym three times a week. It’s just a small gym. It’s called Heavy, and I mostly lift weights with a personal trainer, and it’s usually just with a group of five people to six people in the session. I love it, I’ll do weight training, or like a boot camp style. You work on one thing; you move to the next. It’s a little mixture of cardio in with the weightlifting. I’ve been doing that for quite a few years now. Every week, I go three times a week, sometimes four, or sometimes two, or if I’m away, then I’ll miss a week. I go early in the morning at about eight. I am a morning workout person.
Q: What inspired you to start your business in Regina? What was that process? Why do you think you had that drive
Jennifer Dubois
I was slightly rebellious growing up not towards my parents, but as an Indigenous youth who constantly had to defend myself and prove my worth. That momentum shaped me. Even before finishing hair school, I often thought about what I wanted to do in life. I considered becoming a physiotherapist because it would allow me to control my own schedule. Independence has always been a key part of who I am.
My parents were loving and supportive, but I moved out at 17, got my apartment, worked, and bought my vehicle. I wanted to do things on my own. After finishing hair school, I worked at several salons, but the last one wasn’t a great fit due to management styles. I kept thinking, I could run my own business, my own salon. That led me to pursue a business certificate at university.
While on maternity leave from the salon, I decided to focus on school to open my salon. I started in 2009 and, balancing work and motherhood, finally completed my degree in 2015. During those years, I worked from home doing hair, attended First Nations University part-time or full-time, and held office jobs. In 2015, I decided to make my dream a reality. I began working on a business plan, which took time, but by 2017, I opened my salon.
Q: Why did you decide to do this in Regina?
Jennifer Dubois
I’m originally from the George Gordon First Nation, but I grew up in the city. I never really considered moving elsewhere. I’ve always been close to my parents, and since they rarely travelled apart from one year we spent in British Columbia. I never developed a strong urge to leave Regina. My extended family is large and most of them live in or around the city, so staying felt natural.
Now that I’m older, I sometimes think I should have explored other places when I was younger. Even so, my children are here, and I enjoy raising them in a smaller city. I appreciate that it’s not as crowded as Toronto or Vancouver. Though we do visit family in Vancouver occasionally, it’s just too busy and congested for me. I’m a prairie girl at heart. I don’t enjoy being surrounded by mountains where you can’t see for miles, and the winding roads make me sick.
Still, I’ve begun to consider other locations more recently. A good friend of mine lives in Oklahoma, and if my circumstances ever changed, I’d consider moving somewhere like that. It’s open, spacious, and less claustrophobic, much like home.
We encourage our children to explore beyond Regina. We let them know they don’t have to stay here if they don’t want to. If they decide to move elsewhere for school or any other reason, I’d likely follow them to keep our family close while also embracing the chance to experience somewhere new.
Q: Tell me about your support system and how you navigate balancing motherhood and business ownership with help?
Jennifer Dubois:
I’m grateful my husband can step into traditionally “maternal” roles, keep the household running smoothly, and take the time off that I can’t always afford to take. His support has always been what I lean on. It was tough for me to let go of the idea of what I thought I had to do myself. There are times, I must miss a school event or a hockey game because I need to be at the salon or attend an out-of-town event. Sometimes, I know it would be even more challenging as a single mother without such support.
The harsh reality of being an entrepreneur is when you put a lot of focus and effort into something, and it still struggles. It’s hard to have balance. Everyone faces challenges whether they involve family, relationships, or business. Achieving balance can be difficult, and I’ve always tried hard to maintain a healthy work-life balance. I remember a time when my daughter wanted to travel and I couldn’t join a family vacation, it was partly due to finances. We had just started the business and needed a steady income to cover expenses and grow. Sacrificing those family trips at the time was hard, but it taught me that even if I haven’t reached all my goals, I can still find happiness in the present moment.
Now I focus on enjoying the everyday moments spending time with my daughter at the end of the day, being together as a family when my son is home and celebrating milestones with my staff. Some of my employees have been with me for years, which is a significant achievement in an industry known for high turnover. Recognizing these victories, however small, helps me handle stress more effectively.
Of course, I’ve struggled, just as many mothers and entrepreneurs do.
It’s impossible to do everything alone. I depend on my staff, our clients, friends, and professional advisors when I face unfamiliar areas like HR or finance. Although the final decisions rest on my shoulders as a sole proprietor, having that network helps me feel less isolated. It’s still challenging, but I approach it day by day. Instead of dwelling on what I haven’t accomplished, I focus on what I can do now and find reasons to be grateful for where I am today.
Q: What is the greatest challenge you’ve overcome as a business owner, and how did you overcome it?
Jennifer Dubois
The fire was probably the most challenging event at first because it was my first experience dealing with something completely out of my control. Thankfully, I had solid insurance coverage, which helped carry us through that period. Still, it was unsettling everything suddenly stopped, and we had no idea what would happen next.
COVID, on the other hand, was a different kind of difficulty. With no insurance to rely on, we still had to pay our bills our mortgage, car payments, and the salon’s lease without any income. We couldn’t hold events or travel for work. That meant carefully reviewing our finances, figuring out where we could pause certain expenses, and determining what we needed to keep the essentials paid. During that time, I spent a lot of hours on Zoom, listening to others, seeking motivation, and learning how they were managing the crisis so I could apply similar strategies to our own situation.
When the fire happened, I had been scheduled to give a series of presentations at the university, high schools, and elementary schools, and to sit on a few entrepreneurship panels. After the fire, everyone asked if I still wanted to go through with those appearances. I did because I believed it was important to show the human side of entrepreneurship the vulnerability and the struggles that come along with building a business. People need to know you’re real, not just a brand name. By sharing my story during such a challenging time, I connected more deeply with audiences. This, in turn, led to greater community support when we finally reopened. It also reinforced my belief that the business I had envisioned as an Indigenous-owned enterprise is truly needed in our community.
Branding ourselves as an Indigenous business can be more challenging than launching a typical venture. There are additional barriers and skepticism to overcome. However, going through these struggles allowed me to highlight our mission, our values, and the importance of what we’re doing. Ultimately, it confirmed that our services and identity resonate with people and fill a vital role in the community.
Q: Who or what has been the greatest influence in your business?
Jennifer Dubois
There are a few friends I rely on for professional advice, especially when times get difficult, whether it’s about finances or marketing. I also draw inspiration from my industry and look up to those who have found success. One person who stands out is Candace Bakke. She runs the Style Academy and her own salon, Shear Escape. She has mentored me through leadership classes offered at the Style Academy and has been a great source of guidance.
Candace is not only an entrepreneur but also a mom with younger kids than mine, and she’s achieved so much starting her salon in her early 20s. She’s someone I can turn to when I face challenges. Beyond that, I would say my community, including my clients, plays a huge role in keeping us going.
Q: What was the biggest adjustment you made in my personal life to accommodate being a business owner?
Jennifer Dubois
The biggest adjustment has been the role change in my household. In the past, I was the one coordinating things with my kids’ teachers or managing my son’s hockey team, which I enjoyed because I had the time. But when I started the business, everything shifted. I was working 14 – 15 hours a day, seven days a week, and my husband had to take on many of those responsibilities.
Even basic things like cleaning the house became a challenge, especially with young kids it was chaotic. I struggled with not being the “traditional mom” who takes care of everything. I didn’t have regrets, but I did feel some shame for not being able to manage it all. I’ve always been someone who likes to do things myself, so relying on my husband to handle tasks like laundry or things traditionally associated with moms or wives was difficult. Society’s expectations of roles added to that struggle.
Over time, we’ve found a better balance. My kids have also adapted they often go to their dad first for things, knowing I’m busy. Sometimes I wish they’d come to me too, but I understand it’s a natural shift. It’s about finding new ways to bond with my kids now that they’re teenagers and accepting the trade-offs that come with pursuing business success. It’s an ongoing process, but I think we’ve made it work.
Q: If you could do this again, would you go through this entrepreneur journey again?
Jennifer Dubois
100%!
If I could start over, I wouldn’t change a thing. Life experiences shape who you are, and I truly believe everything happens for a reason. A great example is the fire we experienced. At the time, I questioned why it had to happen and how we’d overcome it. But looking back, that event brought us unexpected opportunities.
The media attention we received after the fire helped us reach a wider audience. People who had never heard of our business suddenly knew who we were, what we stood for, and why supporting Indigenous businesses is important. It gave me a chance to tell our story and solidified my understanding that this business is not just my dream it’s something our community needs. That realization gave me a deeper sense of purpose.
Even though the fire was devastating, I’ve always been a positive thinker. When one door closes, another opens you just must keep looking for those opportunities. As an entrepreneur, staying stagnant isn’t an option. Growth and improvement are constant goals. I could say I wish the fire didn’t happen, but it led me to where I am today, and I’m grateful for every experience along the way. I have no regrets.
Q: What advice would you give to other women who are interested in becoming an entrepreneur? Do you have any tips to share to inspire and help them on the journey?
Jennifer Dubois
If you’re passionate about starting a business, my advice is to go for it, knowing it won’t be easy, but it will be worth it. Take it one day at a time and give it your all.
Start with a solid business plan and do thorough research into your industry. Understanding the field, you want to enter is critical. If you’re planning to run your business solo, like I did as a sole proprietor, surround yourself with smart people experts in areas where you lack expertise. These people will help you make tough decisions and guide you through challenges. It’s also crucial to understand your finances and budgeting. If you’re not skilled in those areas, find someone you can rely on. You can’t do everything on your own, no matter how much you want to. Delegating and leaning on others who excel in areas you don’t will make all the difference. In short, do your research, build a strong support network, and don’t be afraid to ask for help.
Jennifer’s journey reminds us that even amidst life’s storms with determination and a strong support system, you can find the power of staying true to your purpose. Whether you’re an aspiring entrepreneur or someone seeking inspiration, her words offer valuable lessons on balancing ambition with life’s most meaningful priorities. In the meantime, if you are looking for a new salon for a new year glam, check out Miyosiwin Salon and Spa and be prepared to be pampered, and made gorgeous.
Stay tuned for more conversations like these in Drinks with Bernice, where the stories of extraordinary individuals continue to unfold, one sip at a time.
