Meet Katherine McKeon

Today we’d like to introduce you to Katherine McKeon.

Hi Katherine, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Well, it’s been a journey but one I am so grateful for. I was born and raised in Los Angeles and I graduated from ASU in 2013 with a degree in Communication. Instead of pursuing a career as a Hollywood publicist, which I originally set out to do, I decided on a whim to join the Peace Corps, which landed me in eSwatini (a small landlocked country in southern Africa) for two years working with the youth in my community on initiatives such as women’s empowerment, life skills, and teaching English.

After my time in the Peace Corps, I earned noncompetitive eligibility for Federal employment, which led to a role with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in Washington, D.C. as a Training Coordinator for their Supervision Learning and Development team. While life as a Federal Employee had its perks and I enjoyed the cultural element of living in the heart of it all, I never really found my groove and missed the sunshine and laidback energy of the west coast. After a surprise opportunity to be bought out of my apartment, I took that as a cue to move back to California and pursue a career in LA, thinking my resume was pretty sharp at this point.

Turns out, being in the Peace Corps and a former federal employee didn’t get me quite as far as I thought it would, and I had a tough time finding a job. I finally got hired to be a Sales Assistant with a private equity firm and found it to be a terrible fit. I worked 6 am – 3 pm with the stock market, which caused me a lot of anxiety, along with the culture shock of being in such a foreign environment, resulting in sudden onset chronic migraines. My work performance was admittedly sub par and I was fired after about two months.

I ended up living with my Aunt and Uncle in Orange Country for a few months to try and figure out my next move. I was great and landing interviews but couldn’t figure out why I wasn’t getting hired – I explored almost every industry imaginable for roles that lined up with my experience. It was a painful, stressful time. I felt like I had done everything I was “supposed” to do to ensure success and I couldn’t understand how I got to this place. I felt like a fish out of water. I distinctly remember meeting up for coffee with a close friend of mine, Cathy, in LA who is very spiritual and had a lot of wisdom to offer. She told me, There is this saying that goes like ‘the universe will try to get your attention and put you on the right course by throwing little pebbles at you. If that doesn’t work, it will throw rocks at you.’” At this point I realized the universe was throwing boulders at me to put me on my correct course. I started thinking outside the box and considering careers I never would have thought of previously. I asked myself what I am actually interested in. And after a few random, chance encounters with people in the industry, I decided to go to esthetics school – I’ve always been intrigued by the beauty industry and liked the scientific element that came with esthetics.

I had been visiting friends in Phoenix for a wedding and realized this was actually a city I could picture myself thriving in long-term. With that, I applied to the esthetics program at Aveda and landed a part-time job at Joya Spa at the Omni Montelucia. Six long months later, I was a licensed esthetician! About one month after that COVID hit. I had accepted a position as an esthetician for a small boutique skin care company but due to COVID, I was never able to start. However, I had done some leg work previously to get myself on the radar of Melissa Pruett, owner of MELT // by Melissa and over the course of several weeks of interviewing and getting to know each other, Melissa invited to me to help out at the studio on Saturdays to take pics for IG. My role and involvement at MELT continued to grow and eventually led to a full-time position as a SKIN WIZARD, which is where you can now find me!!! P.S. I also do lash extensions now.

In summary, This was a very long story about how the universe works in mysterious and complicated ways, but if you keep at it, notice the pebbles and stones being tossed at you to put you on your course, you WILL find where you’re meant to be.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
No, it has not been easy and there were many struggles along the way!

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a licensed esthetician. With my license, I am qualified to perform a wide variety of beauty treatments including facials, advanced skin procedures such as chemical peels and microneedling, lash extensions and lash lifts, and hair removal.

I would say my specialty and what I am known for are my “magic hands” when performing a facial. I am confident in my ability to perform an ultra-relaxing and soothing facial that will also guarantee a brighter, dewier complexion and tone to your skin. With that, I also strive to make genuine connections with everyone that lays on my bed and I do my best to ensure that the kindness and compassion that’s in my heart manifests in every conversation I have and with every touch of the hand.

We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
I consider myself to be an avid risk-taker! I am proud of myself for taking risks throughout life and my career, listening to my intuition, and not giving up on myself. My first big risk was applying the Peace Corp on a whim and then actually following through. I think moving to D.C. without ever having been and without any connections was a bit of a risk. It was even riskier for me to quit and take my chances back in California. Then, taking a chance on esthetics school and moving back to Phoenix.

Beyond just professional risks, I’ve also taken chances on investing in experiences which resulted in financial risk. I traveled quite a bit in my 20’s and during that time, valued those life experiences more than the financial impact it would have down the line. Looking back, I was somewhat naive about money and had a hard time with the concept of saving for the future, but I don’t regret the memories I made and the profound influence those experiences had in my life. Going forward, I anticipate making more *calculated* risks in the future.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @_skinbykatherine