1. How/why did you start your business?
I came to this country at 8 years old and watched as my parents took our family from 10 people in a 2 bedroom apartment in a bad part of LA to a comfortable middle-class lifestyle in the Valley. They did it all through strategy and grit. Business is in my blood. It was only a matter of time before I started my own company- Platinum Vocals Inc. a children’s performing arts school that created young aspiring artists with no experience in Broadway, Disney Channel, America’s Got Talent, and American Idol stardom. Despite the success of this business in 2009, some major life changes occurred when I decided to get out of a bad relationship that crippled my self-esteem. I divorced my first husband and needed to reinvent myself. I tried new things to get myself out of my comfort zone. I started modeling, acting, freelance makeup artistry, musical theater and my last job was waiting tables in a schoolgirl outfit at Dillon’s Irish Pub serving avocado fries. A year later fate brought me to Will, the love of my life and after we got engaged I was ready for stability. My dreams changed. Avocado fries although delicious wasn’t exactly my idea of a dream job. If I wanted kids, a house, a beach wedding and the whole enchilada I needed to get a better job, that made a lot of money, with benefits, that allowed me to make my own schedule, where all my best friends worked too so that it would be fun!
2. What is the most difficult thing about building a brand from scratch?
The most difficult thing about building a brand from scratch is learning how to encourage yourself to keep going, keep posting, keep smiling even when you feel like no one cares. Now several million dollars later, I’m sure you say that’s easy for me to say. But let’s go back into my time machine, shall we? In my first month as a brow artist I had one client, and she complained.
My first podcast had 12 downloads.
My first long caption post on IG had 8 likes.
In my first life, I’m pretty sure it was just my Mom and her friends watching.
In my first online course, I had 3 sales and I was elated.
When stuff like this happens you feel like a failure. The hardest part about entrepreneurship is showing up every day no matter what and just deciding that you are “a person of influence” and “important” all of a sudden. Even though the low views, even though the low sales, even though the low likes, and even through your period cramps. Next time you find yourself starting to talk yourself out of a commitment that you made to yourself, see what happens if instead,
you can offer yourself the grace of understanding that without the failures, you would not be able to reach your desired destination.
3. What do you love about your work?
Nothing feels better than watching the emotional and teary testimonials of clients at the end of their program with us at Pretty Rich Bosses. What’s even better is if I remember their hesitation towards spending a grip of money on coaching in the beginning. It’s so amazing to be able to “introduce” our students to the “hashtag boss babe” within that was dormant all along. Such an incredible feeling.
4. What tips do you have for other women who would like to start their own businesses?
“Dont start a business. Start a mission and make THAT your business!” This is exactly what I did. My mission was to create what I needed 10 years ago and here it is today. I have a pain in my soul for the woman who is an amazing artist but isn’t getting the visibility she deserves.I feel deeply for the girl who is crippled by the fear of what people may think if she starts to show up more for her business. I empathize with the person who constantly lives in a state of worry and anxiety because she doesn’t have a consistent flow of clients. And lastly, I am obsessed with YOU the woman who’s sitting here reading this right now because you took a chance! You have this crazy dream that none of your friends and family fully understand and that’s why you’re here. You’re the beauty entrepreneur who is hungry for more. You crave soul, strategy and sisterhood in this seemingly lonely little trade of ours. Just like I did! I am so PROUD and HONORED to have you here. I want you to know I see you and I know you because I am you! Give yourself permission to play a little harder, look a little deeper and be a little kinder… not only to everyone you meet but more importantly to yourself. It is my prayer that you become ignited to release all of the miraculous gifts within you that you have kept locked away out of fear and sheer doubt. You have a crazy opportunity to create whatever breakthrough you’re looking for by showing up, letting go and trusting your own unique process. Take a deep breath. Hand on your heart.Close your eyes and say “I love you soul. You got this.”
5. Some tips for budding influencers?
Would you rather have a million followers or a million dollars? I know you want both but if you could only have one, which one? Dollars of course! Follow count doesn’t matter, what matters is influence. Can you INFLUENCE your follower to purchase from you and turn that follower into a paying customer? What matters is SALES. I feel honored to have done eyebrows for several insta-famous mega influencers. It’s hard to believe that having millions upon millions of Instagram followers isn’t an instant ticket to a million dollars. But the one thing that is for sure is SALES SKILLS. Sales is the metric upon which one can measure how effective of an “influencer” you actually are. To me you’re not an influencer unless you can sell. Influence is a skill. And sales is the skill that teaches you how to convince others to act aligned with your desired outcome. So my advice to all budding influencers is don’t be a poser, learn sales.
