Girl Boss: AJ Woodworth of The Glamoury

In honour of International Women’s Day, March 8th, we’re chatting with some of our fave female business owners (and Blanche Macdonald grads) in Vancouver! Here, AJ Woodworth of The Glamoury tells us about herself, her success and her girl power! —Noa Nichol

Hi AJ! Tell us a bit about yourself to start!

HI! First off, thank you so much for featuring me for International Women’s Day! Supporting women is really important to me and running a primarily female business allows me to constantly meet new and extraordinary women! I started a business called The Glamoury, which is a makeup and blowout bar, back in 2016.

What inspired you to get into business and open The Glamoury?

It sounds silly but makeup has always been a big part of my life. I was teased growing up and makeup was something that gave me confidence and made me feel better about myself. Before The Glamoury I found it difficult to find accessible makeup artists without spending a lot of money and also finding a makeup environment that was private. For me, going to a busy crowded mall on a Saturday just didn’t make me feel comfortable. It was really out of my own personal need that I founded The Glamoury.

What’s a day in the life like for you?

Oh boy! It honestly changes minute to minute depending on how busy we are! On a more relaxed day, I usually start my morning off with coffee and some emails, head into our Yaletown location to check in, then midway through and between meetings I make my way over to our PARQ location.

How does The Glamoury empower women?

I believe The Glamoury empowers women by offering them a safe place. What I mean by safe is that we really try and respect what each guest is needing that day. We start every appointment with our experience cards, which dictate how they want their experience to be. Do they want to talk or have a quiet session to sit and relax? If we do our job properly, our clients walk out feeling beautiful and empowered because they received exactly what they were looking for.

What are the current challenges for women in your industry? How do you overcome them?

I can’t really speak for others but I can say that the challenge for me right now is learning to be patient. I started this business with no initial clients or track record. Thanks to my team, we have grown a significant client base, however, having that constant consistency is still difficult at times and learning to be patient while maintaining momentum during the slow times is something I am still challenged by.

How do you create a supportive environment for yourself and your team?

I think it is important to treat every person that I work with like co-worker. I have never had that “boss” “employee" mentality. I constantly ask the team for their opinions on how things are working and try to have a constant open line of communication. I also try to support their individual careers in addition to The Glamoury’s growth.

Who has been your greatest influence/mentor in your life?

My mom. She is my biggest supporter, my sounding board and my rock, really. My mom has an ability to take on the world and never ask for anything in return. She is the strongest woman and the biggest supporter I have and will ever have.

What are you most proud of doing/accomplishing?

In 2018 I was approached to partner with the first Spa by JW in Canada on our second location. To form a partnership with the largest hotel chain in the world was a pretty surreal moment for me!