We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Catherine Lara . We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Catherine below.
Hi Catherine , thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?
I always say I owe a lot of my success to my parents. My father, Alberto, owns a construction company in New York City which taught me how to present myself, negotiate, consult and everything in between there is to know about business. My mother, Alejandra, had many dreams of her own as well. Although she had the privilege of staying home while my father took care of business, she never gave up on her goals and dreams. She always encouraged further education and clearly showed her interest in learning more about business, life and real estate over time. Both parents installed my work ethic by example. Observing the long hours, commitment and dedication to their own goals showed me I can do whatever I put my mind to.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
My artistic career started as a makeup artist in New York City. Working with models for fashion shows and on set for Television. Overtime I decided to continue my education and pursue getting my cosmetology license. This is where everything changed drastically. I became a colorist and over the years my work became more recognized. Doing hair was a way to keep my creative juices going while making an income as a young girl in her early 20’s. I focused more on brunette transformation which is what caught a lot of my audience attention. At the time, there was a lack of education on brunette blonde transformations so I chose to become an educator as well. Eventually educating my audience got the attention of a handful of hair care brands and that is when I began working alongside hair care brands to create content on social media.
While I love doing hair, I always knew the importance of investing and creating more streams of income which you see happening a lot more in today’s times. There is a common misconception that you cannot create a healthy and comfortable lifestyle as a hairstylist and I didn’t want that for myself. A PRO of being a hairstylist is that you meet people coming from different backgrounds. I had a hand full of clients who were financial advisors, lawyers and real estate investors themselves which assist me in making the decisions necessary to begin my investing journey. Little by little I began investing into real estate and small businesses in addition to my career as a hairstylist.
Being the boss can be difficult and stressful however I have managed to figure out the proper schedule to cater to every piece of business that needs my attention. I travel between New York and Arizona to work as a hairstylist and consistently network to meet other real estate investors and small business owners who are interested in doing business together.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Every business is different so you will treat each one different from the other. However, there are a few qualities and skills you need to assure you successfully meet your goals in business
1. Be resilient, adaptable and optimistic: The only way to be successful in business is to continue showing up. Even when the odds make look like they are against you, the cards can always flip.
2. Management & Technical skills: MANAGE YOUR BUSINESS. Learn the ins and outs of your field. As the owner, everyone looks at you for answers and the best business will always be the one being ran by an owner who knows how to problem solve.
3. Education: Times change and you want to keep up with what’s going on in the moment. Know your field of work, take business classes yearly and educate yourself before making any decisions.
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
Due to the different fields I have put myself in, I am looking to collaborate with anyone who can further mentor me in the beauty industry and real estate. One thing I love is learning more from those who have more experience than I do.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brunettesbycatherine/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Brunettesbycatherine
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