I always knew I wanted to be an entrepreneur. In fact, I started my first business in the 7th grade. (The long story is for another time. The short version? I cut up my jeans and made them into handbags and sold them to my classmates. I called it The Status/Post Jeans Co.) That venture was short-lived, but because I grew up with two self-employed parents I knew that I, too, wanted to be my own boss one day.
The creative side of my business is the part that I love to share with you: the outfits, fashion shows, perfectly styled photos, exciting parties and glam sessions; but back in my office there are a lot of “business” things that happen behind closed doors that are not so fun: contracts, pitching, paying bills, accounting, and taxes. Unfortunately those not-so-fun activities aren’t optional. In fact, they’re integral to my business.
Once I decided to take my passion project full-time and officially file my LLC, I quickly realized that there’s a big learning curve when you don’t have a business degree. Lucky for me, Eric is a numbers guy. His expertise in business finance has been invaluable… and I get his consulting for cheap. Ha. He taught me to get my finances in order, and how to keep track of it all myself using tools like Quickbooks by Intuit. There’s nothing more empowering than knowing I run my own business using the same technology that Fortune 500 companies are built on!
I often joke that over the past eight years in this industry I’ve not only worked as a blogger and wardrobe stylist, but also as my own PR, editor, writer, photographer, attorney, manager and accountant. Aside from the occasional intern, I’m a one woman show. On tough days I can often feel exhausted, but on days when everything clicks into place or I land a major campaign I feel like a Girl on Fire!
Photos by Karla Garcia
