How energetic Maggs stays ahead in the cut and thrust of business

She admits entering the world of hairdressing by being just a tad opportunistic, but now after working in some of Ireland's top salons Maggs McKeon would not change her job for the world. Nigel Tilson reports

The post: Educational Director, Paul Stafford Hair & Beauty, Belfast
The postholder: Maggs McKeon

She admits entering the world of hairdressing by being just a tad opportunistic, but now after working in some of Ireland's top salons Maggs McKeon would not change her job for the world. Nigel Tilson reports

Maggs McKeon's job is split into two areas of responsibility. As well as being a stylist dedicated to creating modern and unique hairstyles for clients, she has the added responsibility of training staff in the Paul Stafford Academy

Maggs McKeon dabbled at painting and sculpture before stumbling into hairdressing. She says it has turned out to be a very rewarding and fulfilling career COLM LENAGHAN

What does your job entail?

My job is split into two areas of responsibility.

Firstly, I am a stylist, dedicated to creating modern and unique hairstyles for my clients.

Secondly, and of equal importance, I have the responsibility of training our staff in the Paul Stafford Academy.

There is a lot of emphasis placed on training within Paul Stafford Hair & Beauty to ensure we have the best team of artistic, innovative stylists who represent us well now and who will continue to do so in the future.

How did you get into this line of work?

Actually, it was fate.

My best friend at the time had an interview with a Dublin-based hair salon. She decided not to go and I thought I would seize the opportunity and went in her place.

It might have been a bit cheeky, but I will never regret it.

Since then I have trained and worked in some of the best salons in Ireland.

I don't think many people have a life-plan these days - I certainly didn't - but I wouldn't change my job for the world.

Outline your career to date.

I started out in a salon called Robert Chambers in Dublin.

From there I worked with a Vidal Sassoon trained stylist.

I then travelled to Australia, working in Melbourne and Sydney. When I moved back to Ireland I joined Toni & Guy where I trained to the level of academy teacher. I taught in Dublin and Belfast while managing a Toni & Guy salon and worked on various photo shoots and projects before joining Paul Stafford Hair & Beauty earlier this year.

Tell us about your qualifications/training.

In this industry, formal qualifications aren't the be-all and end-all.

The training that I have received has largely been from other professionals in the industry.

I was just fortunate enough to come into contact with people who were revolutionary in their ideas and teaching and who opened up a whole new world of hairdressing to me.

They set me on a particular artistic path and I have sought to work in salons with people who are as adventurous and dedicated as me.

I now enjoy giving our staff the opportunity to train and learn so that they can advance their own careers and talent.

We employ junior assistants who are 17 or 18 years old and train them over a period of time to the level of stylist - it's great to watch their progression.

Did you always want to work in your chosen sector?

Not specifically. Coming from a family of nine tends to make you very competitive.

We have professional artists on both my mother and father's side of the family so I think I was always going to pursue a career that allowed me to express myself creatively - exactly what I hadn't quite worked out yet.

I had dabbled at painting and sculpture before I stumbled into hairdressing, which has turned out to be a very rewarding and fulfilling career path.

What qualities are required for your position?

You have to be outgoing by nature in this profession and having the gift of the gab always helps.

From a professional perspective it is important for me to listen to my clients and to be able to communicate my ideas for new styles and colours to them.

In my role as trainer at the Paul Stafford Academy I have to be organised and methodical, stripping cutting methods back to their basics to aid the understanding of my students.

I have to have bags of enthusiasm and the patience of a saint, too.

What do you do day to day?

On Tuedays and Wednesdays I have morning, afternoon and evening training sessions during which I put the staff through their cutting practice and assessments. The rest of the week I fulfil my creative ambition and give the people of Belfast great hair.

Every day is always different, as you never know what your clients are going to ask for.

There is a great buzz in the salon and I enjoy being part of such an innovative and inspired team.

Detail any recent projects that are reflective of your job and your industry.

Recently I was entered into the Raw International Photographic Awards and came runner-up.

For this type of project inspiration comes from some of the most bizarre places, and I actually used Chinese animation as the basis for my Raw project.

I try to incorporate these novel ideas into both my teaching and hair creations at Paul Stafford. Somehow it all works.

No-one from Ireland had ever been placed at these awards before. There were entrants from London and Tokyo and little ole me.

What makes working in your industry interesting and challenging?

The freedom of artistic licence is very rewarding and every new client is a potential blank canvas.

Everybody wants to have good hair but I want to give clients great hair.

The challenge comes from keeping ahead of the competition, staying energised and motivated to produce original and modern hair designs.

Challenges also come from continually trying to improve yourself while building the skills of our junior stylists and trainees.

What career progression opportunities are available?

Having recently joined Paul Stafford's internationally respected team, which is arguably the most successful and fastest growing name in hairdressing in Northern Ireland, I feel there are a lot of opportunities ahead for me in terms of teaching and hair design.

Cutting in the same salon as Paul, three times winner of the Northern Ireland hairdresser of the year title and a member of the Hall of Fame, and his wife Leisa, a winner herself of the Northern Ireland hairdresser of the year title, inspires not only me but the whole team to push the levels of our creativity at all times.

The company is currently planning to expand with the opening of a second salon coming soon, so there will be plenty of opportunities to keep me on my toes for the foreseeable future.

What kind of personality do you need to operate within your chosen industry?

You have to be confident as you deal with so many different people in one day.

Naturally you need creative flair and a good eye for knowing which particular 'look' will best suit your client.

You have to be thick-skinned, too, as you can get a lot of knocks in this profession.

A sense of humour is a must as is being a master of small talk.

Having a degree in psychology would sometimes be of great benefit and it helps to be good-looking, witty, charming? need I go on?

What do you do in your spare time?

I like to spend time working out in the gym.

In my quiet moments, getting lost in a good book or practising meditation relaxes me.

At the other end of the scale, nobody enjoys a night out as much as me.

Tell us an interesting fact about yourself.

I have all my own teeth.

Who has inspired you most in your life?

The person who has inspired me most in my life knows who they are - they still continue to inspire me - but I'm not telling you who they are.