Treacha Reid-McCalla – Changing lives

AN optimist who always wears a smile, Treacha Reid-McCalla has resolved to make a profound impact on people’s lives in addition to enhancing their looks.

Owner of Bella Day Spa and Shades of Elegance Salon and Spa, the 40-year-old trichologist has been offering her services to disadvantaged girls at Mary’s Child and Yadel Home For Girls through total makeovers — procedures that involve doing their hair and treating their faces and nails.

This is the second year of her involvement with these two particular homes, but Reid-McCalla says that in the past she has voluntarily offered her services at different children’s homes.

“I’m always excited to know that I’m making so many girls smile and putting joy in their hearts. I love people, I love when they are happy and feel good about themselves, plus my business thrives because of the way I treat people, and I ensure that my staff does the same. These are girls who are victims of rape and abuse, and I am here to hold their hands and let them know they have a shoulder to lean on,” she told All Woman.

Apart from this year’s Christmas treat which saw her catering to 42 girls and their house mothers, Reid-McCalla has assigned a staff member to mentor each girl throughout the year.

“If we can assist them with finding their position or place in society, we would have helped a great deal. We can’t be selfish, you have to hold somebody’s hand all the while,” she said.

She explained that her interest in these girls was piqued after a staff member shared that she too had grown up in a home, and though she is now an adult, Reid-McCalla had to help her acquire self-confidence.

“I had to really help her to own her past and realise that owning her past would have made a difference in her life, because if she never went through what she did she would not be so strong now,” Reid-McCalla shared.

She added: “My passion is about making people look good, making people feel good — not just on the outside, but on the inside. Beauty plays an important role with how you feel about yourself. It gives me the opportunity to touch lives, and I see different kinds of people every single day. I observe each client and I ensure that everyone leaves with their spirits uplifted.”

Reid-McCalla said her desire to serve people stems from the way she was raised by her single mother, who always ensured that she and her siblings were clothed, fed and experienced love.

And even though she was never in need, Reid-McCalla admits that at times she regretted not being able to afford certain things in her youth. As an adult, she now tries to get people to overcome this yearning, and to help them feel that life is worth living.

“People must feel good and have good things all the time. If they can’t, they need to work their way up to start feeling that way and experiencing certain things in life, and I want to help people get there. In order for you to get to where you need to go, you need to help somebody else get to where they need to go. In spite of my growth, development and achievements, I have to share what I have achieved, how I feel, and the steps it took me to get there.

“I started my business on my mother’s verandah. I didn’t know life would unfold this way. I didn’t want to be a cosmetologist, so I went to hairdressing school reluctantly. I credited $32,000 worth of products, and my mother had to stand as guarantor. I worked and paid back that $32,000. But a king isn’t honoured in his own country, so I moved from my hometown as I wasn’t getting the support I wanted. But by then I had fallen in love with cosmetology after entering school and meeting Dr Hyacinth Oates. I knew I didn’t want to be a behind-the-chair hairdresser, but someone impacting lives. I wanted to be an example, and now that my business has blossomed into two beautiful spas in Kingston and Old Harbour, I will stay on the path,” she said.

Reid-McCalla pointed out that she assesses the level of all her staff when they come in, gives them additional training, and then gets them certified.

Outside of work, Reid-McCalla enjoys reading, music, mentoring people, giving motivational talks, and spending time with her husband Leo and their two children.

Daily she repeats the mantra that discipline is the refining fire by which talent becomes ability, and explains that without discipline, you will not be great at what you do.

“Zig Ziglar has a quote that says: ‘You were born to win, but to be a winner you must plan to win, prepare to win, and expect to win.’ Without planning there is no way you can expect to win,” Reid-McCalla stressed.