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54 B C B U S I N E S S . C A M A R C H 2 0 24 SOCIAL CUES FIG OUT It's not easy being green, but it does make for a great Instagram aesthetic. Here's what works about Vancouver-based medi-spa Formula Fig's very verde social presence by Alyssa Hirose " There are different categories of art collectors where there's meaning and investment. For me, it's about the emotional and visual impact that I get. And maybe that I want others to feel, too." newsletter is still published twice a year (often with pictures of art Goodman owns on the cover—with the artist's permis- sion, of course). He officially took over when his father re- tired five years ago. Goodman's interest in art was spurred by six months backpacking through Eu- rope. (Meeting his wife—Erika Balcombe, who today teaches philanthropy and design at UBC and Kwantlen Polytechnic—in university also wouldn't have hurt his appreciation for the finer things. These days, Goodman's office more closely resembles a museum than anything else. As we move through the space, he starts and stops abruptly, never going more than six or seven feet without pausing to offer thoughts on a piece by an artist like Vancouver's Douglas Coup- land ("I've had dinner with him; he's got such a brilliant mind") or Toronto-based up-and-comer Peter D. Harris. "His inspiration is this theme of vacancy," Good- man notes on the latter. "During COVID, I was driving to work every day for two years and ev- erything was vacant and empty. I think he'll be discovered on a bigger scale. But I didn't buy it with the intention to move it. If he pops, great." Goodman's office is a short drive from his house. There, visitors are warmly greeted by works by Coupland (I Just Want to Lick It) and Warhol (Marilyn Monroe). Downstairs, where his teenage son spends most of his time, Banksy hangs out with Xbox controllers while a spare room is completely stacked with works that Goodman himself admits are a little darker, like Warhol's Electric Chair and Wil- liam Betts's surveillance-themed Fifth Avenue. Balcombe keeps a desk on the top floor where, she notes, it's "much calmer." Up here are two works from German colour theorist Josef Albers that Balcombe calls her favourites in the collection. Also here, sitting inconspicuously down a hallway between two bedrooms, is War- hol's iconic Tomato Soup. "There's three I don't think I could ever let go of," says Good- man, referencing Tomato Soup, Untitled (Head) and Crying Girl. "There are different categories of art collectors where there's meaning and investment," he explains. "For me, it's about the emotional and visual impact that I get. And maybe that I want others to feel, too." By Design Deep greens are a trade- mark of Fig locations, and the spa design is as much a part of the expe- rience as the treatments are. Lots of serene interior shots (like this one featuring the Mount Pleasant space) make for a beautiful grid. 240 likes 13 comments Hype House Since being founded in 2019, Fig has garnered attention from both local and international media. A simple text-based post of its accolades in Vogue, Wallpaper or Fame yields lots of support from diehard followers. 188 likes 30 comments All Together Now Fig sets itself apart from other medi-spas through pop-up shopping eve- nings, facial tutorials and more, and photos and videos from those events encourage en- gagement (mostly from envious viewers tagging their friends). 572 likes 18 comments