maandag 27 mei 2013

Liesbet, the hairdresser who came to your living room



We've never been the type that visits the hairdresser monthly, not because of a hair-cut-o-phobia but because it's just so expensive. Actually we once cut our hair ourselves, but of course our hairdresser noticed that even five months after. You. Cut it. Yourself. Exclamation mark. She was disappointed, we were deeply ashamed.     Since Rosie & The Rabbits is all about nice initiatives and problems being solved, we are happy to tell you that Liesbet Laroy simply comes to your living room with her fully professional scissors and skills, whenever it suits you best and takes the time to cut your hair the way you like it for a very fair price. Woohoow!



Rosie & The Rabbits: When did you start as a "mobile" hairdresser, visiting your customers at home?

Liesbet Laroy (hairdresser and former teacher): I used to be a teacher, but in September I took a career break and in October I officially started as a hairdresser. Eight years ago I took a complete training course but I was already used to cutting the hair of my sisters, husband and children, so I thought: "why not go and learn the right technique?".  It actually never was my intention to turn this into my profession, I just thought it might come in handy and finished the evening course successfully. After eight years, I got too many requests to cut people's hair to keep combining it with a job. So to be honest I didn't start from scratch in October.


Rosie & The Rabbits: Until October you were a teacher. What made you take the decision to go far a career switch?

Liesbet Laroy: It's a passion, really, and it has been there ever since I was a child. It must have been triggered by the fact that one day my two younger sisters cut each other's hair. It was already quite late in the evening and my mother of course said they couldn't go to school like that. So I cut their hair a bit. I "dared" to do it and my sisters let it happen. And it went exactly like this in the youth organization too: I braiding the younger children's hair and so. During evening class they told me a couple of times they could really see I had done it before. Because of the fact I already had some experience and because I was a bit older, the decisive step was not that hard for me. My husband "pushed" a little bit however - he's an entrepreneur himself. I mainly wanted to do what I love, be independent but have time left to spend with my children as well. Sometimes I just take them with me so they can play and get to know other children along the way.


Rosie & The Rabbits: Did it turn out to be what you expected?

Liesbet LaroyYes, but I must say my expectations weren't that high. Word-of-mouth advertising is working quite well, as well as Facebook. Although my customers still always have some kind of link with friends, family or colleagues. It was quite difficult to estimate how fast the clientele would grow, but it's still increasing.


Rosie & The Rabbits: We love the idea of having a hairdresser coming over so we assume you get positive reactions in general? 

Liesbet LaroyPeople do let me know what they think about the result, yes, via Facebook or text message.  It really does make a difference if your hair looks good because you simply feel better. A lot of people are also happy that their kids are not afraid anymore to have their hair cut, that it has become something natural for them. And a lot of customers make a new appointment immediately after, so indirectly that's a nice compliment as well.


Rosie & The Rabbits: Do you give advice about which haircut suits who and which doesn't? Do you tell when a certain idea will not work out?

Liesbet Laroy: Well, first of all I have a different clientele than regular hairdressers. Certain people have difficulties explaining what they want or expect and then of course I can suggest a certain type of haircut or model. But these types should always be adapted to the person and the face. I work in a rather careful way in order to get to a compromise and everyone can be happy with the result. It's a process.


Rosie & The Rabbits: Have you ever thought about having your own salon?

Liesbet LaroyNever say never, but I would certainly want to emphasize children friendliness and focus on families with kids. Going to people's homes however causes less stress for the parents: if their son or daughter can't sit still, they are not disturbing other customers. Another big difference compared to a traditional salon is that at home people are not "just a number". People are more relaxed and sometimes know better what they want.


Rosie & The Rabbits: Is your experience as a teacher an advantage?

Liesbet LaroyI'm a patient type by nature and if children squirm, I simply move with them. In a salon they just tell them to sit still. I used to teach teenagers and now a lot of my customers are teenagers as well. They're very worried about how they look. I often aim for a compromise between what they want and what their parents want, because that's often something completely different. We take our time and go step by step.


Rosie & The Rabbits: Salons and staff rooms are often the place to be for gossip and little stories, is that the case when visiting your customers at home as well?

Liesbet Laroy: It depends on the age group the customer is in. A frequent topic would be children and education, but sometimes I get very personal answers, for example to a simple question like "how are you?". Gossip and scoops are not really my cup of tea. A lot of customers are more or less my age, in their thirties,  but I also have a couple of elderly ladies who are very happy I talk to them, compared to some youngsters at the salon.


Rosie & The Rabbits: We read that people can also host a "hair party" with friends or kids while you cut the invitees' hair?

Liesbet Laroy: Yes, there's a growing demand for it. In the beginning it was mainly on Wednesday afternoons for children. They would see each other's hair being cut and thought it was less threatening. From a social point of view it's fun for the mothers as well, so they are happy too. A party with friends is more about catching up during a cozy evening with a glass of cava and a piece of cake while the ladies can discuss each other's haircut. You see, it doesn't always feel like working!


All info and contact details can be found on Liesbet's Facebookpage:


www.facebook.com/KapsterLiesbetaanhuis




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