The Feel-Good “Fairy Godmother” Behind Looking Good By Tracie

Meet Tracie Donahue, Weymouth’s friendly neighborhood fairy godmother, Reiki master, and exceptional hair stylist. Tracie’s been a hairdresser for over 30 years and currently owns Looking Good By Tracie at 188 Washington St. Do you have questions about how this neighborhood woman-owned salon is faring this year? So did we - let’s see what she has to say by way of introduction.

Q: How did Looking Good By Tracie come about?

A: It was a moment of serendipity. I saw the Looking Good salon late last year just before its former owner was retiring and selling the shop. I called her like five days before it was going to be shut down, and in late December, I inherited it pretty much turn-key. I was approved by the Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering late last year and Looking Good By Tracie was born, opening up to serve clients at the beginning of 2020. It was definitely a “right place, right time” sign from the universe.

Q: What’s your background as a hairdresser?

A: I’ve been a hairdresser for over three decades and I’ve worked in lots of different salon environments! I worked at the Dellaria Day Spa, then a family salon, and did mobile hairstyling for special events like fashion shows, weddings, and Bar Mitzvahs. I specialize as a colorist, but have a wide background in cosmetology.

Q: I heard you’re in the process of getting your barber license. What inspired that? What’s the program like?

A: Looking Good’s previous life was as a barbershop and it got me thinking about adding that to my services. Barbering is really detail-oriented, using straight-edge razors and focusing on fine lines. It’s not only about adding a service to the salon, though I’m excited to be able to do both - it’s giving me a fresh perspective and additional skills to use in my work on cuts and color, as well. I’m always trying to find new stuff to add and new skills to develop. Life is about learning!

I’ve been doing the barber program since early March. I’m able to go to the program half-time, since some of my previous experience counts for hours. I go to the classes in the morning and return to the salon in the afternoon, or earlier if I have a client! It looks like I’ll be done and licensed in February.

Q: You opened Looking Good right before the pandemic. How has that played out? How did it impact you, and what are the safety measures you’ve taken as you’ve returned to service?

A: It was definitely a struggle at first, but I got crafty and made it work. I saw a lot of small businesses selling raffle tickets to generate revenue, and it got me thinking about a similar idea. I ended up selling gift certificates for salon services online until we could reopen, which helped tide me over. I got to reopen on Memorial Day weekend, though I did some outdoor haircuts the week before - a unique 2020 experience, for sure. What’s nice about the salon is that it’s very cozy, and I’m the owner and only employee. There are only two chairs. I take one client at a time, so it’s really easy to be safe and sanitize everything - you don’t have to worry about a bunch of potential contamination.

Q: How do clients respond to pandemic services? Have you seen a lot of COVID “hair disasters?”

A: It seems like a lot of people went through the age-old “hair panic” at the beginning of quarantine and maybe gave themselves some haircuts or box color that they regret now. It’s cool, we’re all human, and doing something to your hair makes you feel better and in control - when it doesn’t go badly, obviously. I’ve seen a lot of the more hilarious fails online, but in person, not a lot - I’ve mostly seen long root-grow outs, which is a little more difficult and time consuming to fix as a hair colorist. Maintaining root color is easy enough if it’s done regularly, but if it’s been growing out for three or four months, it takes some effort and finesse to fix that.

I definitely notice that some clients are a little more on edge and less chatty, but everyone is different. Everyone has a different attitude. I’m pretty good at getting people a little looser and happier, though.

Q: On the note of getting people looser - you’re also a Reiki Master! How did that come about? How does it play into your work as a hairdresser?

A: I’ve been a Reiki master for a decade now. There was a woman in one of my previous salons that was a trained acupuncturist. She was seeing a Reiki master and I ended up checking it out. I was going through a really dark patch and it was an extraordinarily healing experience. I decided to take the classes and get trained. I’ve always been really in tune to people’s energy - it’s part of why I really like the intimacy and beauty of being a hairdresser - but becoming a Reiki master really took that to the next level.

People come to get their hair done because they want to look good, and the aesthetics are part of that - I pride myself on being good at that part - but in order to really look good, you have to feel good too. I pick up on people’s energy when they’re sitting in the chair. I help them loosen up, chat about their problems, and look at things in a different way. I give them expression and tools to look at themselves and their world in a different light. I want people to be beautiful inside and out - it’s why my friends joke that I’m a fairy godmother.

Q: A fairy godmother hairdresser - that’s a great addition to the neighborhood. In closing, what does the fairy godmother have to say for advice to other business owners right now?

A: Everything is chaotic right now and none of us know what the future is going to look like. Don’t look too far into it, it’ll drive you crazy. Be grateful for what you have right now, and take it one day, week, month at a time.

Looking Good By Tracie is located at 188 Washington St in Weymouth.

For appointments call: (781) 803-3333

www.lookinggoodbytracie.net

Follow her on social media: Facebook: @lookinggoodbytracie and on Instagram: @lookinggoodbytracie