Finding Her Divine Beauty – Sathi Ganpat

BY: ALYSSA MAHADEO 

Born in Trinidad, Sathi Ganpat immigrated to Canada at three years old with her parents and siblings. As the eldest of three she experienced what it was like to grow up in North America, but still maintained much of the teachings and customs instilled in her by her traditional parents.

“My parent were somewhat old school, but because they came here in their mid-20s, they were super involved in learning about and the experience of Canadian culture,” Sathi shares. “They still held their roots very dear and close, and so growing up my dad was always the one that enforced what we should wear, while my mom gave us some leniency but made sure we dressed trendy, but conservative at the same time.”

Sathi’s parents took them back to Trinidad each year for vacation so they would never forget the island they called home. “We grew up eating everything culturally that would come from Trinidad and celebrated special occasions the way they would have back home with lots of roti, and curry and Caribbean music.”

Her family lived in North York, moving to Mississauga, where she attended High School, and after graduating from High School Sathi made the decision to go into a career in nursing.

“I graduated at seventeen, and who really knows what they’re going to do at seventeen years old?” Sathi explains. “As I contemplated what to do with the rest of my life, I looked at what I was good at which were the sciences, biology, and chemistry, and my mom suggested I try becoming a nurse as it had been something she had wanted to do.”

At the end of the day, coming from a Caribbean household, it’s common for them to push you into that kind of field. It’s more acceptable to go into more prestigious work that is held to a higher regard because you are considered more educated and more likely to be successful.

Sathi went on to attend Seneca College for nursing, but two years in she realized it wasn’t the career path for her. “It was too emotional, and I couldn’t deal with being around the patients who were sick all the time,” she shares. “Being around that type of energy wasn’t fitting for me; I was good at it, but I didn’t love it.”

Around that same time, she reconnected with a childhood friend in Trinidad, a boy that would later become her husband. They started dating while still in High School, and after she dropped out of nursing and moved back home, they decided to get married.

“Everyone was against me getting married at nineteen. He was living in another country, and we were still young people were telling me how it’s fine to have a boyfriend, but at least finish college first before making such life-changing decisions,” Sathi says. “I knew him since we were kids, even my mom knew him and she was still concerned about whether or not I was making the right decision, but I was always more mature, and it was something we both wanted.”

When she left College and got married, her very traditional West-Indian parents were obviously less than thrilled, but Sathi didn’t allow that to hold her back. “When you know, you know,” she says.

“Getting married young, when your friends are going clubbing and doing things like that, your social circle becomes very small, and there are things you have to do in order to focus on your relationship and build a future with each other,” Sathi says.

In taking this step, this is where Sathi was first inspired to one day become the owner of her own business.

“It was challenging at times, but we were best friends and so we didn’t necessarily need anybody else, and he was always there supporting me in any decision I made.”

Sathi had always been artistically inclined. “I’ve always loved makeup, and I loved doing it for friends and family,” she shares. “I decided to take a course to learn full body beauty and aesthetics so that maybe one day I would be able to get a job in the industry.”

Sathi says this was a time when YouTube had just started putting out makeup tutorials online. “I saw one girl online maybe about ten years ago Kandee Johnson and I thought she was so cool, so I got so immersed in watching her that and became super interested and I said you know what I think I could do this.”

She bought her first makeup pallet and began experimenting with different looks and then after a year, she decided to go get certified in makeup at the Canadian Aesthetics Academy.

“My passion is in aesthetics and makeup and hair and everything else that comes with it,” Sathi says. “I’ve been doing makeup for about eight years now and started my own brand Divine Beauty. Hopefully, in the next couple of years, it’s something that I’ll be able to take on full-time and I’ll be doing it has a full-time professional.”

Since making the decision to pursue her passion, there have been ups and down, but her parents have seen that she is doing well for herself and can see that the path of entrepreneurship can be difficult but yields a love for the work that you do.

“Now that my dad sees that I’m not sitting at the side of the road that I’m still out here doing something, making something of myself and it’s something I’m passionate about,” Sathi shares. “I am able to see myself doing this long term, I have a home, I have a family and my business is doing well.”

While the level of competition has changed since she started as a MUA, Sathi is still optimistic about doing something she loves and is passionate about full time. “I enjoy what I do, I enjoy applying makeup for my clients and my continuing to put work into building my brand it’s something that I can see myself doing, bringing on more people to help in years to come.”