In the midst of bleak economic times, many people are hesitant about leaving a well-paying job and launching a new business. Not Green Valley resident Gayle Creamer. She recently opened her own beauty salon at the Amado Territory Ranch, the fulfillment of a lifelong dream.

Gayle Creamer fulfills her lifetime dream of owning her own beauty business and opens Salon at the Ranch located at Amado Territory Ranch. Photo / Regina Ford

Creamer, 48, a veteran of 29 years in the beauty business as a nail technician and hair stylist, is no stranger to the difficulties of running her own show.

She owned and operated Encore Classics, a women’s clothing resale store in what was then the Green Valley Mall, for two years, starting in 2005. Then, because she liked the beauty business more, she sold Encore and went back to school for more than a year to gain state certification as a barber and hair stylist. She continues her education in hair styling, cutting and coloring with courses, seminars and shows, she said.

Creamer worked as a nail technician at local shops for more than 12 years and was most recently employed as a hair stylist at Talk of the Town in Green Valley where she worked for three years. Before moving from San Diego, Calif., to Green Valley 17 years ago, she was employed as a flight attendant for American Airlines and worked as a nail technician.

“I have been wanting to have my own salon for a long time, but just needed to find the right place. I consider this a golden opportunity in a serene, rural, green and beautiful setting, where there’s plenty of parking. Starting my own business is definitely worth the risk. As my husband said, ‘You have nothing to lose and a lot to gain,’” she said.

“I love people and people describe me as outgoing and positive, with a great sense of humor and dedication to my job. With my clients, I love to start with a blank canvas, analyze their hair type and face shape, consult with them, listen to them and give them a design that suits them and their lifestyles. I think people like the personalized attention and the fact that I take my time with each client,” she said.

Her clients include men and women, she said, from Green Valley, Sahuarita, Tubac, Amado and Rio Rico.

Creamer’s Salon at the Ranch is on the 17-acre Amado Territory Ranch.

Creamer provides services by appointment Monday through Friday at her salon. She also has a variety of beauty care products not available at convenience stores, she said. Nail services are not available at the spa. She may be contacted at (520) 398-9831.

Creamer and her husband, Al, have two children, Angela, 21, and Andrew, 19, both graduates of Continental School and Sahuarita High School,

Creamer has worked as a volunteer for several community organizations, including Casa de Esperanza, Los Ninos del Valle Preschool and Daycare Center, Continental School and the Sahuarita schools.

(Kathy Engle is a freelance writer who lives in Amado.)