Downtown Los Angeles, CA
/// "My calling is to help women who don't feel worthy and accept the abuse given to them. They've been stripped down to feel they are nothing. I've been there. ” -Kat
We met when in the most precarious of ways. I had roaches. She had her poisonous sprays.
I open my door and in comes energized Kat— laced with pink: pink truck, pink hair— pink supplies and of course, pink combat boots and--a large smile. To say the least she is vibrant, confident and soothing. She wasn’t always this way.
In a cycle of emotionally and physically abusive relationships—and widowed by the age of 26, she was left to raise her two sons on her own. The uphill battle hit a low at the age of 32, when she and her children had to live in their car. In this dark time of her life is when she found her calling as an exterminator.
Kat had been working at the desk for a major extermination company, and it simply was not enough to support her family. She knew she had to get gloves on and join the men out doing extermination calls. She just happened to choose pink gloves instead.
/// "I've been through a lot of shit . It's all happened. It's okay to feel defeated sometimes but don't let it overcome you. You can overcome it."
Growing clientele inspired Kat to open her own exterminator business--though doors surprisingly began closing on her. "People didn't think I could do it on my own” she sighs, "My business is very male oriented and well—the job entails bugs-- and most women are afraid of bugs. Many can't see beyond that”
The truth is-- Kat doesn't even flinch at the sight of pests. In fact, you'll see these critters tatted all over her body. In her own quirky way, her ink is a reminder that a woman doesn’t have to be afraid— she can conquer her fears.
//////// One of Kat’s favorite quotes is from Eleanor Roosevelt: "No one can make us feel inferior without our consent"
She focused on running her business her way, making sure she listened to all of the client's concerns-- even personal ones. "Not everyone has someone to talk to," sighs Kat, "a lot of people walk with bruises inside and no one cares".
This is why Kat makes sure to chat with her clients and see how they are doing, allowing them to open up about their life. She has endless stories of tears, hugs and consolations. For Kat, each call is an opportunity to help someone with their literal and mental pests. She finds "La Exterminadora" to not be a career choice, but a calling.
So if Kat knocks at your door, for her it is no coincidence. She is there to brighten up your day, and to kick some exterminating ass.