Tamara Steinley
Don’t tell Tamara Steinley a job in retail can’t be a career. She’ll not only tell you you’re dead wrong – she’ll prove it.
“People who think you can’t have a career in retail just aren’t working in the right job or for the right person,” says this fashionable 38-year-old from her newly renovated studio in the Medicine Hat Mall.
Tamara began her retail management career at Smart Set in the mall where she worked for a decade and in 2005 took home the prestigious Manager of the Year Award for the Western region.
But in 2007, she decided it was time to branch out. So she – along with her sister and brother-in-law – purchased the Merle Norman Cosmetics Studio.
With a lifelong love for fashion and makeup, buying the studio wasn’t exactly a leap of faith. “I was flipping through the real estate guide and saw that Merle Norman was for sale and thought ‘why not?’” says this born-and- raised Hatter.
Tamara went through an intense residency course in Los Angeles where she learned all there is to know about makeup and skin care. Merle Norman
operates through hundreds of independent business owners like Tamara who sell their North American-made products. “The best part of owning a Merle Norman studio is the ongoing training we get,” explains Tamara.
In 2009 and 2011, her Medicine Hat studio ranked in the Top 10 Merle Norman studios internationally in sales.
One thing that is important to Tamara is ensuring her employees see working at Merle Norman as a long-term career. Full-time staff get ongoing training and a fully- paid comprehensive benefits package. “When we bought the business, we wanted to be part of what makes Medicine Hat great,” she says.
Tamara also donates to a number of charitable organizations. The two closest to her heart are the Canadian Cancer Society and the Heart and Stroke Foundation. In 2000, Tamara lost her mother to breast cancer, and six years later she lost her father to a heart attack. “I didn’t want to just sit back and feel sorry for myself,” she says. “I wanted to help make a difference.”
And her passion for making people look and feel great has grown. She – with her sister and
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brother-in-law and boyfriend – recently purchased Labels for Men, a downtown clothing store. “Our downtown has so much potential and we want to be a part of making it a great place to be,” says Tamara.
Congratulations to all the Winners of Top 40 Under 40
Downtown on 3rd Street Locally Owned/Family Owned
TOP 40 UNDER FORTY | 21
41074645•05/25/12
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