Kathleen Berg-Keehn shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Kathleen , so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
Something outside of work that is giving me joy is my spunky 2-year-old daughter. I’m not sure where she finds her energy, but it’s endless! I love taking her to playgroups, gymnastics and anything with live music. Spending time with her and my husband is my greatest joy!
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Kathleen Berg-Keehn and I own Kathleen Berg Beauty, LLC. We are an on-location bridal hair and makeup team that services to Metro Detroit and beyond. As an all-women team with over 40 years of combined experience, we specialize in soft glam makeup and timeless hairstyles that make you feel like the best version of yourself. From your first inquiry to your wedding day, we take a personal and organized approach—making the entire process seamless, stress-free, and tailored just for you.
What makes us stand out is our attention to customer service and detail. We are more than just your glam team – we guide you through many concerns a bride can face all the way up until you’re down the aisle. On the morning of your wedding day, we often hear that we “fit in” perfectly with friends and family while getting ready. Our laid back and friendly approach will make you feel so comfortable on one of the most anticipated days of your life.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. Who taught you the most about work?
I’ve been lucky to have many mentors, colleagues and family members show me what it takes to be a hard, successful worker, but one stands out in particular. During college I worked at an Estee Lauder counter. It was one of the first jobs I had where I could really learn intimately about a brand and sales. My counter manager, Rita, had been working for the company for decades. She knew the clients, company and way of sales like the back of her hand. Rita was extremely knowledgeable in everything Estee Lauder, but she also had a ton of life experience and taught me so many everyday skills. Rita was a no-nonsense person, so she taught me how to speak up and stand for myself, behind the counter and not. She was a great listener and always had advice on whatever situation you found yourself in. Not to mention, she loved to laugh. When it was appropriate, she would have you in stitches talking about a funny customer interaction. I took a lot away from that job and it was all because of her! I left feeling more confident and stronger in both sales and in life.
What fear has held you back the most in your life?
I think any small business owner can relate that the fear of failure is always in the back of your mind. There is a lot to keep up with when you have a small team, and trends in business are always changing so making the wrong move sometimes seems too easy – failure almost seems inevitable, but every year when I collect our annual data and think about changes for the next year, I always look back at how proud I am of how things ran that previous year and how I’m excited for what’s to come.
Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? Whom do you admire for their character, not their power?
One of my biggest inspirations has always been Sara Blakely, the founder of Spanx. Her story is very motivating and it seems like where she came from is very much a part of who she is today. Sara talks about the failures she faced when she first started her company, and the struggles she still faces today as a mom and busy founder who now owns multiple entities. She finds ways to make fun of herself and not take anything too seriously while remaining super professional and successful.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. If you retired tomorrow, what would your customers miss most?
If I were to retire tomorrow, I think our clients would miss our passion and attention to detail the most. We hear it very often that it looks like we love what we do….and I’m glad, because we do! Having our clients reach their dream bridal look all while building trustworthy relationships is our goal, and I’m so happy our clients can see our passion in real time. I think today you hear a lot of talk about how “customer service is dead,” but we absolutely thrive on our customer service skills and pride ourselves on the fact that those skills are what keep us in business.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://kathleenbergbeauty.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kathleenbergbeauty/
- Other: https://www.theknot.com/marketplace/kathleen-berg-beauty-detroit-mi-2048850
Image Credits
Green Holly Photography
Adrienne and Amber Photography
Lexie Cornett Photography
Jennifer Boris
Eleven 11 Photography
