On the Cutting Edge at Changes City Spa

Norma Dorey, president and CEO of Changes City Spa, knows the beauty industry after 40 years in the business. She started out in 1983 as part of a children’s salon franchise known as The Bus Stop. A couple of years later, she opted out of the franchise and started her own business, now called Changes City Spa.

Changes has seen some changes over the years. 

From the beginning, Norma has had a heart for others. “I love helping people grow and find their niche in the beauty industry. For example, we might have a recent high school graduate who is working as a front desk receptionist when she thinks she might like to be a nail tech. We can get her involved in our apprenticeship program. We also send our employees to New York or Las Vegas for training. We like to be on the cutting edge of what is happening.”

The Changes business model is working, as several employees have been with the salon for 20 years or more. “It’s much easier to grow when you have people who have grown with you,” Norma says.

Changes City Spa makes an impact in the community by helping nonprofits like Hope House, Edmarc, and the Foodbank. During the Covid pandemic, Changes offered free haircuts to frontline workers. “Covid was a wake-up call for us,” Norma says. “We were scrambling to see how we could still provide services and help other people.

Norma relates how Changes first connected with TowneBank. “In 1999, I was trying to buy the building that is still our home. I was having a hard time with my bank and felt like I had hit a wall. One of my clients could see I was upset while I was cutting his hair so I told him that I might lose the building. He said, ‘I think I know someone who can help you.’ Two days later, Bob Aston, Dawn Glynn, and Paul Going came to see me. I still tear up talking about it because it meant so much to me when Bob said, ‘Don’t worry. You will get the building.’ It was a process, but Towne navigated it, and they believed in me. Here I am 24 years later, and I own the building free and clear. Chelsea Copan, Dawn’s daughter, is my banker now, so we really have come full circle.”

As a member of the TowneBank Norfolk Board, Norma has this comment, “I enjoy hearing firsthand what’s going on with the bank and their involvement in the community. I learn a lot and can bring it back to use in my business.”

For more information and to schedule your next beauty treatment, visit ChangesAreGood.com.