Meet Ksenia: Model & Entrepreneur

A few months ago I was thinking about all of the amazing women on Livlyhood, and I felt very compelled that I needed more diversity in the types of women I shared. I put that out into the universe (don’t make fun, it’s a real thing!) and just 24 hours later I got an email from a PR manager who stumbled upon my blog and wanted to share her client with me. Today I’m honored to share Ksenia Shipilova!

Ksenia Shipilova is a Russian model, finalist of Miss World 2009, beauty-expert and a philanthropist. She is the owner of the beauty salon “Keep Looking,” where women go to find harmony between real inner beauty & appearance. “Keep Looking” focuses on ideas of lightness, grace, natural beauty & the desire to be a better person.

I’m so excited to share her story!!!!

Tell us a little about yourself and your career

My name is Ksenia Shipilova. I started my professional career at the age of 18 when I began to take part in beauty contests. I won the title “Vice Miss Russia” and became the finalist of “Miss World”. Since then, I have participated in shows of various brands. But now this is not the main sphere of my activity. I have the beauty salon chain “Keep Looking” which provides a wide range of services. In my spare time I do charity work and create various actions in my Instagram account to raise funds for foundations and projects.

How does your community of women you surround yourself with support you?

It seems to me that everything can be achieved if either you or your environment are confident. I have friends who also do their own business, so I can always contact them to ask for help or discuss some ideas. Also, there are women in my team who are taken by the same idea. In the beauty salon we are connected in one big and friendly family achieving the set goals. Our clients can always tell us about their problems or achievements, and we will help them or enjoy together. My salon chain is not only about external beauty, but about the inner one, so we have our own library where we issue reader’s cards.

What barriers have you had to overcome opening a business in Russia?

In this regard, I believe every woman should know the rules of etiquette because in the modern world we do everything quickly without thinking about any actions. Then we can be judged or considered as ignorant and rude people, and after that it will be difficult to get rid of a first impression.

What do you wish you could go back and tell your younger self re: your career aspirations? 

Probably many people would like to change something in the past. Or even say to the same young and inexperienced girls, as they were once, something that would change the course of events or help avoid mistakes. I would say one thing: do not complicate things worrying about every wrongly hammered nail in the wall of the salon or negative feedback addressed to me. Everything can be changed or simply put aside. And it helps you to follow your dream.

What is your career-related mantra?

In the work I always try to find a balance between work and leisure. Sometimes I do not notice that I did not have time to eat lunch or even that there is already a late night outside the window. It all has a negative impact on the further work because we are all people who need food, rest and communication with our family.