Professionals Tamborine Mountain 
Tamborine Mountain is a naturally beautiful area— for the majority of its residents, that is its most treasured appeal. What’s more, the people of the mountain value that beauty in themselves, enjoying expressing their individuality and inner beauty through their personal tastes. That’s where Karen Flynn comes in—with her daughter Nat Shaw, she runs Moptops, a hair salon in Eagle Heights. She’s seen the mountain’s unique style grow over her time here, and it’s left her with some interesting insights into the nature of the area and its colourful cast.
by Kyle Hitchmough
How long have you been in business?
We’ve been up here about eighteen months now. We’re originally from the coast.
What was your original drive to open Moptops?
I live on the mountain. I previously lived on the Gold Coast and worked with Moptops down there, and just transitioned up here through COVID. I fell into hairdressing by accident, really. When I was 14 years old, my mum worked at the bakery next door to the local hairdressers and I got a job there. I fell in love with it and that was it.
Do you sell hair products as well? Do you promote any particular brands?
We do sell some product, though I don’t promote any brands specifically. The main thing is that they’re all natural. That’s what we sell a lot of, it’s something we prioritise. People care about that up here.
You also offer beauty services, correct?
We do beauty as well, yes. My daughter, Nat, does that. We do spray tans, eyebrows, eyelashes, all that sort of stuff. We’ve always had that element of beauty, people come in and they want to do it all in one hit. People are time-poor nowadays. It’s about the convenience.
Are there any particularly popular trends, cuts or styles on the mountain that you’ve noticed?
The more vibrant colours. People up here like the reds, the pinks, the purples. Being on the Gold Coast it’s all blondes, so that’s what we specialized in for years. We’ve had to turn it around now to get into those bright colours.
It’s often said that a hairdresser is like a counsellor to their clients. Is that true in your experience?
The cheap psychologist! That’s definitely true. We know secrets that nobody else gets to know! For me personally, I think it’s all about fun. I don’t like a stuffy atmosphere to work in. I don’t like people coming into my place of work and feeling uncomfortable. With hairdressing, there’s a lot of snobbery, so people come in and they’re nervous, especially when they’re new. If you deal with them in the wrong way, it makes the whole experience a bad one. To me, it’s about making them feel comfortable, and we’ll have a laugh along the way. I let them lead the conversation, and then they’ll open up. You can judge really how far to go with that conversation, and when to pull back.
Are there any notable trends in your clientele?
Mainly families and older people, people that are on a budget, with a set income. That’s who we target, older ladies who are on a pension and know they can only spend so much. I accommodate that. We’re affordable and give good service without compromising on the quality, and I would hope that most of my clients would say that.
What’s your opinion on the Tamborine Mountain area and community?
It’s very family-orientated, and it has old-fashioned values. By that I mean they want to bring up their kids in a safe environment, and have the grandkids there. It’s a generational thing which you don’t find in a lot of places anymore. Some of my clients have lived up here 20, 30, 40 years, and you get their kids and grandkids coming in… I just love living up here. It’s the peace and quiet.
Is there anything you personally enjoy doing on the mountain?
Apart from all the food places? Our favourite is the Coffee Plantation. We love Pippin Took around the corner, too. Sadly, Three Little Pigs is no longer, but we’ll try anywhere up here.
What do you think Moptops really provides to the area?
A good quality service at a reasonable price, and a return service. I’m not here just to take money off people the one time, I’m here to build so that people can come back to get what they like. It’s about listening to the client. Not everyone wants a complete change, sometimes they just want to maintain what they’ve got.
What do you enjoy most about doing this?
It’s all I’ve ever done. For me, it’s when they come back, because then I know I’m doing something right.
What’s been your most memorable moment in your time here?
I think the main thing is how quickly people came in when we first opened. We thought it would be a slow burn thing and it absolutely wasn’t. It exploded straight away. We were like “Oh my god!” But we ran with it and it’s definitely worked out.
Moptops Hair
Above Foodworks, Shop 9/17 Southport Ave, Tamborine Mountain
We are always looking for new topics for our blog. If there’s something you like to see more of, email your suggestions to: social@professionalsserendipity.com.au, or email the writer at kyle.hitchmough@hotmail.com.
