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I'm a Mom of Two Baby Girls + An Interview with Gwynne from Ojon

by on ‎10-17-2012 04:24 PM

Those were the humble words that came out of my mouth as I sat around a board room table with 11 other women who had also made it to the final round of auditions to be a host at QVC.  Each one of them listed movies, commercials, and TV shows they had been a part of back in LA, or NY.  Nothing I could say could compete with their credits.  I had been in news for 8 years and hosted a few small projects but none of that really mattered to me when I finally became a mom the year before.   So when the man who would decide our fate at that table got around to me and asked that open ended question, “tell us about yourself,” I listed the only credit that, I felt, gave me worth.


A year later I’m the only one out of that boardroom that day that gets a chance to sit in that same room weekly and look at my picture on the wall with the 25 other QVC hosts. 



It was a spur of the moment decision for me back then, but that answer has really defined who I am here at QVC and as a woman in general.  Being a mom is THE credit. So, even as my life has dramatically changed in the last year and a half I never forget who I am.  I am Grace and Georgia’s mom, Dan’s wife and the Lords child.


That’s why my trip to NYC last month for fashion week was such a surreal experience.  I am not saying that moms can’t be sexy and cool or party like rock stars, but this mom never really did.  I knew about fashion and hair and makeup but not to the extent that I now do after being so well educated by QVC.   


In the last year I have fallen in love with Manhattan.  I spend a good deal of time there now working with our designers and make up companies and skin care creators and each time I get off the train my heart starts pumping and I feel so alive!  It just has this energy.  I am someone who can never really sit down and in New York I don’t have to.  The walking, the things to see, the restaurants, It’s a bit addicting.


When I was invited up for the Dennis Basso runway show , as well as a couple others shows and to spend the day with the crew from Ojon. I was immediately in!  I spent hours talking to the more experienced hosts at QVC to find out what to wear.  I posted on facebook the dress selections and you all helped me out. 



But, it was the husband and kids that gave me the most assistance; they came with me.  I didn’t want to experience something so huge alone.  Its only fun if you can share it with the ones you love. So my darling husband walked me to the Mercedes Benz Tents with the girls in the jog stroller and waited for me until I was done.   Just knowing they were there gave me all the confidence I needed.



Then of course I rewarded my husband with a babysitter and a ticket to the Basso show. 



My does my man clean up nice, right?



It was two days of pure girl fun!  Clothes, shoes, people watching.  It was amazing.  The highlight for me was my afternoon with Gwynne Mims and the team from Ojon.  I knew their products were great, my step mom swears by them, but for me, part of why I became a true believer in a brand has only about 50% to do with if it does what it says it does and 50% to do with whether or not I believe in the people and the company.



Think about it.  Don’t you fall in love with the person behind the company almost as much as the product?  I tried Mallys products because we hit it off talking about her twins.  I love Josie Maran products because she is a sweet California girl and her company gives back to charity.  I am devoted to because of the true sprit and message of their products that come from the hearts of the three women who sell them.   And so, when I met Gwynne, I was sold on Ojon.


My Cinderella weekend was made complete by the fact that this celebrity stylist and the face of Ojon did my hair for the Basso show and made me feel like the farthest thing from a tired mom with just a couple of products and a blow dryer in her hands.  While I was in her chair I asked her a million questions about her (I was a reporter in my last life, it’s a habit,) and I thought she was such a doll that I asked if I could share her thoughts with you.  Maybe you can get a small sense of why I love working with her and have now become a true believer in Ojon. 



KL:  Like me you moved from the beach to the city.  You moved from South Carolina to NYC to follow your dream of becoming a celebrity stylist, what was it like moving out here?!


GM: Coming to the northeast was a major adjustment. Don’t even get me started on that first winter! Now I am thankful to have spent time in such different places, it has helped shape me into a pretty well rounded girl.


KL: What do you love most about NYC?


GM: The amount of respect that is given to beauty and fashion is truly inspiring. The craftsmanship and art of hairdressing is recognized and respected, which has helped me grow and develop as a stylist. Plus I adore having all of the incredible museums and restaurants at my disposal. There’s never a dull moment!


KL:  So true!  I love NYC, but I do struggle with missing home, California. What do you miss most about home?


GM: Sitting on the beach, hearing cicadas buzz on summer nights and driving, music blaring, with the windows down. I’m a Southern girl at heart. And I’ve learned that in order to keep myself sharp, I have to factor in quiet time back home with my friends and family.


KL: So what is your life like as a star stylist and Ojon spokesperson?


GM: It’s a busy life, that’s for sure! I am (thankfully!) booked solid when I’m in New York at Eva Scrivo Salon downtown, then travelling a few times a month with Ojon. There are months when I feel like I don’t even have time to unpack! I’m hooked, though. I am so excited to be in a position that allows me to get my hands into different aspects of this industry that I love.


KL: Lets talk hair. What is the number one problem your clients talk to you about?


GM: Dryness and breakage. I am glad to be a resource to my clients. I spill my secrets, walk them through styling, and sure enough most of the time women realize that beautiful hair is achievable at home with the right products.


KL: What is your hair advice to busy mom’s, grandmom’s, workingwomen, just busy ladies in general!


GM: Extend time between shampoos! Beauty confession: I only wash my hair a couple of times a week. This way, the 20 or so minutes I spend blowing out my hair is really worth it. On the in-between days, I spray Rub-Out dry shampoo at my roots and smooth a little Rare Blend Oil on my ends.


 KL: Where do you see yourself in 10 years?


GM: I hope to have a healthy, beautiful family. I’ve had such a blast being a single city girl, and I’ll be excited to bring it full circle at some point. I’d love the chance to be as good of a mother as mine has been to me.


KL:  Ahhhhh, you will be a great mom, I can already tell.  I’m considering going a bit longer with my hair. What’s your best advice for growing out hair?


GM: The enemy of length is breakage, and from one blonde to another, it happens easily. Hair goes through a ton between coloring and daily styling! Do a deep conditioning treatment at least once a week with damage reverse Restorative Hair Treatment. Here’s another to-do: When I was growing out my pixie, I kept a folder of cute cuts I wanted to explore on my way down. It helped keep my spirit up during those awkward lengths!



KL: That’s brilliant!  I have one of Charlize Theron on my phone that I am using as inspiration J You have a wildly successful salon business in NYC Why did you decide to come on board with Ojon?


GM: I fell in love with Ojon dry shampoo and restorative hair treatment in my personal beauty routine so it was a no-brainer when the opportunity came up. Plus their green practices and efforts to protect and sustain precious Ojon oil resonated with me. It was truly the perfect match!


KL: how do you like being a guest at the Q? Anything surprise you about the QVC world?


GM: I’ve often subscribed to the notion that if it’s too good to be true, it is... but I have been proven wrong at QVC! Ya’ll truly are as warm, friendly, and FUN as you appear on TV. I feel grateful to be able to wake up (sometimes at CRAZY hours!) and roll into the studio to be greeted with such hospitality.


KL: I couldn’t have said it better myself.  It really is the warmest place to work. People really do care, and that’s what makes it so wonderful for me. What’s the best part about being a Guest at QVC?


GM: When viewers call in! Getting names and voices in my head is so invigorating. It’s also helpful to be able to answer real questions from real women. The questions you ask come up when I sit down with the product development team!


KL: Any insider stuff people would be surprised to know about the beauty business?


GM: There are a lot of smoke and mirrors at photo shoots. No one is perfect, ladies. We spend hours styling, backcombing, pinning and placing extensions into the locks of celebrities and models. One of my favorite parts of working with Ojon at QVC is that it’s all-real. We show you attainable beauty. And I love the honesty of it.



 


“All real”-- Maybe that’s the point.  Thinking back to all those actresses that I auditioned with to become a host, most of what they had accomplished, though amazing (and honestly I was a little jealous,) wasn’t necessarily part of what is real.  Having my major “credit” be mommy, was real.  Just like you. I still can’t add any major motion picture credits to my name and I’m not the host of some crazy reality show, but I did get to spend two days at NYC fashion week and get dressed up like a princess, and meet new celebrity friends like Gwynne.  And the best part was, at the end I got to go home to the family that that made it all possible. The people that keeps me real.


Have a blessed day!


Kerstin Lindquist


Keep up with me and the family @ www.facebook.com/kerstinlindquistQVC and on https://twitter.com/KerstinLindQVC


 By the way, Gwynne is back over the next few months with some great Ojon products for the gift giving season, make sure you call in and welcome her to the Q. In case you are wondering, my absolute favorites from the line are the Deep conditioner that I am now using once a week and the Rub Out Dry shampoo.  Seriously that has changed my hair life.  It really works.  I try not to wash every day like Gwynne said and so I can spray this on my roots and it actually gives my hair the same feel as being washed without the water.  LOVE.