Kathleen Li: “A working woman should be a Jack of all trades”

Enswing an excellent service, patience, good communication with clients and above all passion for the job... These qualities, says Kathleen Li, are essential to be successful in the world of hairdressing and beauty care. Her company Katbalou celebrates its 27th anniversary this year. [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"16226","attributes":{"class":"media-image wp-image-27359 alignleft","typeof":"foaf:Image","style":"","width":"201","height":"292","alt":"Kathleen-Li-1"}}]]Kathleen’s rapid rise to the top is due to the dedication she has for her chosen profession. Spending 27 years in the field of beauty care is not an easy feat. Kathleen narrates how she had to overcome several obstacles to stand where she is today. “After college, I decided to start a career in hairdressing. In 1987, I left for London where I studied the techniques for two years,” she states. After that, she followed a course in make-up in a beauty centre in Paris. After having completed her studies, Kathleen returned to Mauritius in 1989 and opened her parlour in her parents’ house in Quatre Bornes. She spent the next 15 years working from that location; staying there even after her wedding. However, operating from her parents place had a serious drawback. She could not extend her services to a wider clientèle. In 2004, after considering the proposal of a close friend, she inaugurated her own parlour at the Trianon Commercial Centre. Seven years later, in 2011, she opened another one at Cascavelle. Kathleen points out that in the beginning, she specialised in providing hair dressing services only. However, due to a growing demand, she gradually started to offer other beauty care services such as facials, body massages, manicure, pedicure, hair styling, cutting, colouring, hair extensions, waxing, reflexology and other services. [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"16227","attributes":{"class":"media-image wp-image-27360 alignright","typeof":"foaf:Image","style":"","width":"186","height":"248","alt":"Kathleen-Li-2"}}]]Today, Katbalou offers a range of beauty treatments for the whole family. In all, the two parlours employ 15 persons. Some employees, says Kathleen, have been working with her from the beginning. Her clientèle grew through word of mouth. “I firmly believe in public relations. In fact, I am still receiving the same clients when I started 27 years ago,” she says. The most recent project was the renovation of her parlour in Trianon in which she has set up a private area for ladies who wear the Burkha. These ladies, says the beautician, now feel comfortable when they come for beauty care treatment.  

Tight schedule

This profession, says Kathleen, is a creative task which offers an opportunity to create contacts with new people on a daily basis. “However, the biggest challenge is the hectic schedule. You have to work everyday and sometimes even until 8 pm,” she says. Furthermore, some customers are demanding. Thus, she must always be available to serve them. [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"16229","attributes":{"class":"media-image wp-image-27362 alignleft","typeof":"foaf:Image","style":"","width":"197","height":"225","alt":"Kathleen-Li-4"}}]]To offer the best services to customers, the woman entrepreneur pays special attention in the training of its staffs. “We are a member of the club L’Oréal Paris & Kerastase. Therefore, we often get training sessions with trainers of L’Oréal,” she says. Two year ago, Kathleen attended the L’Oréal Business Forum in Dubai. This annual conference, she explains, brought together some 2,300 hairdressers from 57 countries. “Five beauty parlours from Mauritius participated in this forum. The goal was to bring together professionals and renowned hairdressers such as Laetitia Guenaou and Trevor Sorbie to perform demonstrations and give an overview of new trends,” states Kathleen.

[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"16228","attributes":{"class":"media-image wp-image-27361 alignright","typeof":"foaf:Image","style":"","width":"200","height":"211","alt":"Kathleen-Li-3"}}]]Personal life

Kathleen is married and mother of three children aged 9, 14 and 16 years respectively. She considers herself lucky to receive the support of her family, especially her husband who helps her in running the household. “When I am in the beauty saloon, my mother takes care of the children,” she confides. A working woman, she says, should have the ability to manage both her home and her work efficiently. “She must be a Jack of all trades.” She also emphasizes that she has good managers and employees on whom she can rely. Besides her profession, the beautician also practices yoga and Tai Chi. Reading is one of her favourite activities.