Meet Pina B

Pina Baldassi has been the successful owner and operator of Pina B’s Salon and Spa for over 27 years. Even as a young woman she knew as soon as she began working for a salon owner when she was 14, that she was destined to be a leader in the beauty industry and she’s been making magic ever since.

Aside from being the salon and spa’s CEO, she is currently working on a significant project: an academy of aesthetics where her role will be The Dean. After two decades in the industry Pina feels it’s vital to be able to teach all she has learned to today’s eager students. As a major contributor to the beauty and health and wellness sectors, Pina has valuable skills to pass on to her potential scholars.

Pina is very active in her community, she values community involvement and is actively participating in festivals and fundraisers. “Giving back to the community is important, I believe you always give back what you get and I am lucky enough to be surrounded by a great neighborhood and they deserve the help of its people.”

Pina also prides herself on her involvement with associations and organizations. Currently she is a member of TDSB Co-op and Careers Program, Toronto Enterprise Business Organization, Angels Hair for Kids hair donation not profit charity. “I cherish my memberships with these organizations; they strengthen my business relationships and inform their members of awareness of the community’s business owners. “Staying connected is key in owning a successful business. Always remembering who we know and how we can help is central in commerce. It’s give and take, trust and gain.”

Even after years of award winning service to her community and a full staff of accomplished and skilled technicians, Pina is not yet ready to put down her cutting scissors. She is skilled in both hair design and aesthetics but her calling, she says, is in hair design. “Every head that walks into my salon is my masterpiece, my work of art and like any other artist, I am not complete unless I am crafting or creating.” Pina does not plan on putting the scissors down anytime soon. She’s known for her skilled design that’s recognized by people and even celebrities. Pina treats her clients like family, everyone who comes in has a story to tell, a problem to be resolved or something to celebrate. “After being around over 27 years, you become more than just familiar with these people, you care about them, hope the best for them, so being Pina B doesn’t stop at just a great hair cut. I have helped and been helped by my clients outside of my salon, so most I call friends.”

It’s exactly that dedication that has won Pina B’s Salon and Spa the Aesthetician of the Year award in 1996, multiple Gem of The Lakeshore awards, and numberours skin care, aesthetics and tanning awards, and perrenial Readers’ Choice awards in the Spa and Salon category. Pina is frequented cited in local media.

She’s a business owner, an academy dean, a fully entrenched PTA mom and a community activist. There’s not much that Pina can’t handle. She has been praised for her strong ethics and impact on Etobicoke’s community. She is recognized as an industry leader by community officials.

When asked what it is that keeps her motivated she humbly replied that “I am blessed, a lucky woman who is surrounded by amazing people, a great son, a wonderful staff and I get to meet successful people all the time, I learn from them and hopefully they learn from me. And it doesn’t hurt that I am a full time beautician and part time magician. Who doesn’t need a little beauty and a little magic some time??”