Venkat Raman
Auckland, January 9, 2023
In selecting Keshwin Nand, Director of Xtreme Beauty Clinic & Spa as the winner in the Best Businesswoman of the Year Category at the 13th Annual Indian Newslink Business Awards held on November 29, 2022, our judges said that she is an outstanding entrepreneur.
“Keshwin demonstrates a huge commitment to excellence and growth. The Judges are impressed by her commitment to learning, engaging, and passing on their expertise to others. Every year, this category gets harder and harder to select the Best Businesswoman of the Year. The calibre of entrants gets more outstanding each year,” they said.
Challenging and Competitive
Xtreme Beauty won the Business Excellence in Retail Trade Award at the 12th Annual Indian Newslink Business Awards held on November 25, 2019. The Judges said that the Company has the key elements of its retail business well managed.
“With strong practices around training and customer feedback, the voice of the customer is amplified into the planning process to design new product and service offerings. The judges were impressed with the all-round quality of this retail business,” they said.
While the Awards were gratifying Keshwin and her team of beauty, skincare and other specialists are keen on winning the hearts of customers and gaining their satisfaction.
The beauty business is not only challenging but highly competitive and remaining on top in a crowded market requires an innovative spirit, professionally qualified personnel and various other factors such as location, a wide range of skincare and beauty care products (Including the inimitable ‘Pure Fiji’ branded products), state-of-the-art technology and most important of all, a commitment to excellence.
Keshwin has all these attributes and more- an understanding partnership with her husband Nilesh Govind (who operates Xtreme Barbers, a unique venture based in Beachlands) and teams of dedicated staff based in two locations, completing the ‘Keshwin Family.’
An early dream
Born and raised in Fiji, Keshwin dreamt of establishing a ‘Total Beauty Care’ business, for as she mentioned, “making people look good and empowering them to feel good and confident about themselves has been a glistening passion since I was a teenager.”
Marriage came early when she was just 20 years of age, and with it came the duties of making a home and looking after a husband and a growing family.
She went about fulfilling each of these but her love for the beauty industry grew stronger by the day.
“That passion continued to grow even though I was somewhat overwhelmed by feeding bottles and changing nappies. As a young mother, I had to support my family by working as a cashier at a supermarket while my husband pursued a course to qualify as a teacher,” she said.
Nilesh also later entered the same business of making people look good.
Keshwin soon enrolled at the South Pacific Academy of Beauty Therapy in Nadi, Fiji.
That was the beginning of her journey and she began to steer her destiny.
Such was her dedication that she invested extra effort into her studies and her quest to learn more and learn better earned her the title of ‘The Best Student’ at the Academy.
Following the completion of her studies, Keshwin worked as a beauty therapist at various island resorts and spas and Fiji, pursuing excellence in every aspect of the industry. It was little wonder that her expertise earned her credit with customers. All that she needed was a greater opportunity.
It is often said that talent cannot remain undiscovered for long and true to this belief, the much-awaited chance arrived.
New life in Aotearoa as Entrepreneur
It was while on a holiday in New Zealand that Keshwin was offered a job in a Beauty Clinic. The hours were long and filled all days of the week but she considered it a turning point in her life and career.
“I had no idea how I will manage the immigration process to facilitate my husband and children (daughter Symentha and son Divesh- her third son Desmond was born eight years ago) to migrate to New Zealand. But I was determined to start my own Clinic after I gained the necessary experience working in Wellington and Auckland.
Year 2015 marked the beginning of her tryst with success as Kesh took the leap of faith.
With the support of her husband, she established Xtreme Beauty Clinic at the Botany Junction.
Not that there was a long queue of customers waiting.
Keshwin knew that life will not be easy, but it was not her wont to give up.
“Six months passed with few customers walking into the Clinic. There were many days when we were open from 9 am to 6 pm without serving a single client. But things began to change,” she said.
Word gets around. One client referral led to another and soon discerning women (followed later by men), assured of quality products and services, began to patronise the Clinic.
Her qualification as an Eyelash Technician from the Lash Joy Academy Brisbane helped her Clinic to offer specialist services.
As well as employing more staff, Keshwin felt the need for expansion and opened another Clinic at Beachlands in 2017. Recognising the market potential, she persuaded Nilesh to resign from his job in the airline industry and study to become a qualified Barber.
Xtreme Barbers
A year later, Keshwin established Xtreme Barbers in Beachlands.
“It was a difficult decision but I had faith in Keshwin’s judgement,” Nilesh said.
Xtreme Barbers, located in Beachlands, is unique in its concept and practice. Hairdressers usually keep magazines and newspapers for waiting for clients to peruse but Nilesh has more.
There is a billiards table and it is not uncommon for people to drop in for a pool if not for a haircut.
Soccer, Cricket and Rugby players and enthusiasts are among those who bow down before Nilesh, not in shame but to elevate their style and appearance!
A thorough professional, he keeps his head cool.
With hair care going beyond just a massage, shampoo or plain dyeing, the business requires constant attempts to keep in touch with the latest trends, techniques and styles.
“It is a pleasure to meet people, dress their hair and make them feel well groomed and comfortable. A well-groomed man measures taller than he is, and in a world where appearances mean a lot. A properly set hair is important,” he said.
In 2019, Keshwin won two Awards- the Indian Newslink Business Excellence in Retail Trade and the New Zealand Fiji Times Businesswoman of the Year.
New Service at Ormiston Town Centre
Although Covid-19 lockdowns and uncertainties were unnerving, Keshwin opened the Xtreme Beauty & Spa at the Ormiston Town Centre in 2021.
Xtreme Beauty Clinics offer a wide range of services including waxing, threading, facial, nails, microdermabrasion, peels, eyelash extension, perming and tinting deep hydration and more.
“Our massage services pamper the skin and the body, accruing therapeutic benefits, relaxation, hot stone and deep tissue. Our services are beneficial to men as well and hence there is an increasing clientele at all our branches.
Her daughter Symentha has joined Xtreme Beauty Beachlands after qualifying as a Beauty Therapist and training in a recognised organisation.
Keshwin is grateful to her family and staff and the people of New Zealand for the opportunity accorded to her to grow as an entrepreneur and become a professional in the realisation of her dream as a teenager. The reason for her success is simple: “Great service at a reasonable price.”
