Person in business: Jinny McMahon

This week's profile is on Jinny McMahon, who owns home-based beauty salon Jinny's Beauty in Selwyn Heights. She was also featured on the Maori Television show Head Start last year, which followed a group of aspiring hair and make-up artists competing for an $18,000 scholarship to New Zealand's premier hair and make-up school Cut Above Academy.

Briefly outline your current position?

Makeup artist/beauty therapist small business owner.

What was your first job and what did you learn from it?

My first job was when I was around 13 working part-time at a fruit and vege shop in Naenae, Wellington, where I grew up.

What do you see as the greatest opportunity and greatest challenge in your sector in the year ahead?

I'm wanting to upskill at the moment to keep up to date with trends, but finding the time to do that with running my own business and family will be a big challenge. Keeping myself ahead of the competition is also a challenge, but our work speaks for itself.

What three skills or qualities are essential in your role?

Having good people skills is very important in my industry, being easygoing so people can relax and just unwind, women come to vent or chat - all sorts in my job. You have to have good personal hygiene and appearance is also important as you wouldn't want your makeup done by someone who couldn't even do their own would you? And just being flexible to clients and employees as well because things do come up in life, where people can't make it to appointments.

How do you maintain a healthy work/life balance?

I've managed to calm down my work a lot in the last few weeks and give myself a balance because working from home you do tend to do longer hours because you can. However, my children were moaning that I was home, but was always in my room. I had to learn to say "no" to clients when they asked for late appointments but they were very understanding. I'm now only doing a couple of late nights, which has been great, and my husband and kids are very happy with our arrangement now.

If you could do any other job for a day, what would it be?

I was just talking to my client about this the other day ... well right now if I wasn't doing beauty I would want to work at The Edge radio station with Fletch and Vaughan because they make me laugh so much while I'm working.

What is one thing most people don't know about you?

I won medals doing ballroom dancing and trampolining when I was a kid.

What achievement to date are you most proud of and why?

Sorting my life out for my kids, my husband and I getting married, prioritising and dedicating our lives to the Lord and becoming born-again Christians. I don't know where I would be without the Lord's guidance in my life.

What one piece of advice do you wish somebody had given you when you were starting out?

I don't mean to be negative, but watch your back - not everyone has your best interests at heart. Don't be naive.