#HerStory: My American Dream

I was born in Southern California in 1984. My mom was a single Asian woman in her 30s who moved from her beloved country of Taiwan to the U.S. to give birth to her only daughter (me) and live her American Dream 🇺🇸 Because of her, I got to live her American Dream from our tiny one bedroom apartment in the San Gabriel Valley to her successes in business that allowed me to have the privileges I have today.

Maggie at home, 1985

I share this story today because I grew up learning our country’s history as my own, loving and believing in the democracy of our country and that all men (and women) are created equal in the United States of America. And today, I am so excited and proud that I get to see someone who was raised by a single immigrant mother become the first female VP-elect. There is so much work to be done in our country to love and respect one another. My American Dream is to one day take a road trip across the country without fear of how I’ll be treated based on the color of my skin. I hope we are all one step closer to that dream. ♥️

Congratulations to our new President and Vice President-elect, Joe Biden & Kamala Harris! ✨

#HerStory: Kelly Zhang of Kelly Zhang Studio & Studio K Hair Designory

When I posted my first interview and asked on Instagram who you would all like to be interviewed next, so many of you mentioned Kelly Zhang of Kelly Zhang Studio, Kelly Zhang Makeup, and Studio K Hair Designory. Yes, that’s right, this amazing mama of 2 girls started as a makeup artist in her early 20s, opened a beautiful beauty salon in Pasadena and launched her own makeup line. Little did you all know, Kelly was the next person on my list of amazing women to interview! I’ve been in contact with Kelly since 2017 about meeting up and then life happened (we both had our second kids) and we never got the chance to. Last month, we finally got to sit down for a chat at her studio and we talked about everything from makeup to business to motherhood. I hope hearing her story leaves you feeling inspired because Kelly Zhang is one of those powerhouse women who will make anything possible when she sets her mind to it. I’m so honored to share #herstory.

Hi Kelly, I’m so glad to finally be able to sit down with you for this interview.

Can we start off by you telling me a little bit about your background?  I know you studied at FIDM (Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising) and worked in fashion before getting into makeup.  What did you do in fashion and what led you to makeup?

After I graduated FIDM in merchandising design, I went to work at Forever 21 for a long time as a merchandiser in the international buying department.  Every season we would do outlooks for that season and have models come in to do shoots.  I was so inspired watching the makeup artists transform the looks of these models.  I decided to learn makeup with a makeup artist in Diamond Bar that I’ve known since I was 18 and had just opened up a makeup school.  After learning makeup from that lady, I also went to cosmetology school.  I always wanted to do something on my own and after I got married in 2003, my husband told me, “If you really want to do makeup, just go do it and I will support you.” 

When I got married 16 years ago, it was really hard to find a makeup artist that knows how to do natural makeup for Asian women.  I went back to Asia and became an assistant to a well-known makeup artist in China for about 2 years.  That is where I learned most of my makeup skills.  When I came back to the U.S., my heart was set on just doing bridal makeup.  My husband, who is a background designer for the Simpsons show, designed my logo and website.  He gave me a lot of encouragement and support to start the business.  My very first studio was at our small condo in Pasadena.  My husband and I are both really tall, I’m 5’10” and he is 6’2, but I wanted a bigger space for my studio so we turned our master bedroom into the studio while the two of us shared a twin-sized bed in the smaller bedroom for the first 2 years. 

Back then, there wasn’t a lot of competition in the area, so I felt it was easier to grow my clientele.  In the beginning, I would offer free bridal makeup trails.  My very first client took me SIX hours to complete the trial.  Of course, she didn’t book me, but it was a start, and someone had to be the first.  That first year, I really learned how to communicate with my clients.

I was only 25 when I started my business and there wasn’t a lot of people my age that were entrepreneurs.  Most people were looking for a steady job and steady income.  Most of my family are business owners so that was what really made me want to start my own business. The first year was the hardest but it was also the most rewarding.  Growing a clientele is not easy, but once you establish yourself in the industry, it becomes easier and most of my clients now are referrals from past clients.

It sounds like there was a lot of sacrifice in the beginning, but also a lot of support from your husband and family.  What were some of the challenges over the years that you faced and what kept you going?

One of the biggest challenges I faced as I started getting more clients was being able to build a team.  When I get booked for a wedding that includes the bride and the bridal party, I really needed a team with the right artists who do similar work as me.  It was tough in the beginning because I’ve never managed people or told people what to do before.  However, I’m the type of person that doesn’t give up easily.  In that sense, I’m stubborn and if I start something, I really want to go through with it. 

This is what I really love to do, and I want to do it right.  For example, if a client tells me after a trial that she doesn’t like how her eyebrows look, I will go and buy books (because there wasn’t a lot of YouTube back then) and I would study how I can be better.  I am just persistent when it comes to making it work.

There are so many makeup artists or beauty influencers on YouTube & Instagram.  It’s an industry that is always innovating and trending.  What do you think has made you stand out and be successful in your business? 

When I started, there were maybe only 2 or 3 well-known makeup artists in the Pasadena area, but now there are maybe 10-15 artists.  It is very saturated right now and obviously, we can not compete with someone who is freelance on pricing.  A lot of our clients right now are through referrals.  I think a lot of people know how to do makeup, but makeup is only 50% of the formula.  When a client walks in through our doors, 50% of it is our makeup and the other 50% is how we do our business.  For me, I always feel like it’s a combination of those two. 

We get a lot of our clients through referrals because we are always going beyond what the customer is asking.  Customer service is very important to us.  For example, if a client is not happy with the trial, we don’t just say, “that’s it” and let it go.  We will work with them to find out why they are not happy with it and try to provide a better experience.  You need to have the skills to stand out, but you also need to know how to present your image and how to treat your clients well.  I believe we stand out because our customer service has been really good.

I think it definitely shows that you are providing great customer service when you say most of your clients come from referrals and a testament to the success of your business. 

Yes, a lot of what keeps me going is my clients.  A lot of my brides have turned out to be my very best friends.  Even with 10 makeup artists on my team, I still love being a part of my client’s journey – from when they get married to starting a family – we love seeing our clients come back after their wedding for maternity and family shoots! A lot of clients have become good friends and they continue to refer us more clients.  I just love them!

On your bio, it mentions that your most rewarding experience has been in working with everyday women.  Can you talk a little bit more about that and who the “everyday woman” is to you?

The everyday woman is someone we would teach in our one-to-one makeup class.  These are women who go out and buy makeup for themselves but don’t really know how to use it the right way.  It is the mom who comes in with her teenage daughter who is just learning how to use to makeup, and we get to teach them how to do it the right way.  It is women who want to know how to put makeup on for a job interview or for a new job they are starting to help them boost up their confidence.  When I teach my clients how to use the right makeup and they see how it transforms them, it is so rewarding.  Working with everyday women and seeing how your makeup transforms them and gives them so much confidence, it’s a huge deal.

Talking about the one-on-workshops, can you talk about these workshops a little bit and what it offers?

We have two workshops – the first is a one-on-one workshop that I started 10 years ago and the other is a professional workshop that we just started this year.

The one-on-one workshop is where I have a client bring in their own makeup and I go through it together with them to see what is good and what is not.  Believe it or not, a lot of times you go to the makeup counter at the store, they are matching the wrong color for your skin foundation.  I ask the client what they’re looking for out of the class and most of the time, they want to learn how to do natural makeup for everyday wear.  Then, we go step-by-step from skincare, primer, eyebrows, eyeshadow, blush, and contour and I teach them how to apply each of these.  Because I have a fashion background, I also work with the client to create the whole image.  Even for brides on their wedding day, I don’t just do their makeup, but I ask them what accessories they are wearing so we can create an entire look.  Sometimes women just need that advice to take what they already know to the next level.

Our professional workshops are for people who are already in the beauty industry or looking to get into the industry.  Our courses are 3 days – the first day is a natural look, second day is smoky glam look, and third day is business strategy.  The third day is important because you can be a great artist, but if you don’t know how to talk to your client, understand contracts, or know how to operate your business, then this is not going to be a long-term career for you.

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You also mention in your bio that one of your ambitions is to “educate, empower and enable women to feel and look their best, not only on their wedding day, but every day.”  Was education something that you always planned to go into when you started doing makeup or was it more of a natural progression?

Honestly, when I first started my business, I was just excited to do bridal makeup.  I didn’t imagine it would grow into having a team, opening a studio, and being in this business for 15 to 20 years.  As I started having artists join my team, a lot of them either only knew how to do makeup or only knew how to do hair.  It was a natural progression to educate and guide them on how to do both.  I learned from those experiences and also discovered that I really wanted to share my knowledge with people.  I guess, because this is something that I really love to do, I don’t give up easily, and I am always looking for new ways to grow – including creating a good environment for my clients, building a stronger team, and sharing the knowledge I have with others – that’s why, I think I’m still here! 

What do you think is the biggest challenge facing your industry?

Pricing.  The industry right now is so saturated and there are so many makeup artists.  We get calls from clients all the time a month or two before their wedding saying their makeup artist can’t make it anymore.  For someone to say, “I can charge you $100-200 for bridal makeup” and then not show up on your wedding day – it’s upsetting.  We are offering a reliable service and when you have a lot of people using cheap price to get their business up, it’s tough.  We just need to educate our clients more.  There are new business regulations and laws that we need to adapt to every year and running a business is not cheap. The risk you take on a freelance artist could end up costing you a lot more in the end. 

Do you still do a lot of the weddings?

Right now, we are doing 400 weddings a year, which is a lot!  I still do weddings myself every Saturday.  If I am not doing a wedding, then I am usually doing microblading - http://browbykelly.com/

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How did you get into microblading?

A lot of my clients really liked the brows that I did for them during their bridal makeup.  When microblading became really popular, they asked me, “Can you go learn, Kelly?”  So, I decided to go learn how about 4 years ago.  A lot of microblading clients now are my past Studio K clients.  Doing the right shape for an eyebrow is really important and having the right shape can totally change you. 

I definitely need to come see you for eyebrows one day!

Yes, you should!

On motherhood and entrepreneurship:

• Before having kids, my work was everything.  After having my kids, I see things differently, almost as if it’s through their eyes.  The things I cared about the most before just seem like nothing anymore.  I can’t really give a specific example but kids are so pure and they don’t overthink things too much.  I think that’s something I’ve taken to my work, because before kids, I just couldn’t let go of a lot of things in my business.

• Running a business and having kids is hard, but luckily, I have my husband to help me.  My husband is very involved in the business and he is still working his day job.  He does a lot of the business side of Studio K, while I am more focused on customer service.  It’s a hard balance and I am still learning to make that balance.  My friends always tell me that it’s because I’m working that I can provide this lifestyle for my girls, but I am always having that “mom guilt.”  For example, if the school calls me and I can’t go pick them up because I’m with a client, I need to have grandma go pick them up and it’s so hard.  I’m still trying to balance it out. 

• Starting my business at an earlier age before having kids definitely helped.  When I was pregnant, a lot of the girls at the studio were able to help me out a lot.  I also have the flexibility to be able to take time off or rearrange my schedule if I need to be there for my kids.  I also try to block out my Sunday so I have a day with them to do things together as a family and create memories.

On raising children:

• When I was growing up, my mom was always working, working, working -  so I didn’t get to create a lot of memories with her.  My husband always reminds me that when I’m at home, my girls are my number one priority.  Sometimes, I forget, because I want to make all my clients happy, but my girls will remind me.  One time, I was on my phone and my older daughter said to me, “Mommy, put down your phone!”  I felt really bad and I realized I needed to find a good balance because I want to be there for them when they’re growing up.

• One of the reasons I wanted to have kids is because I was at so many weddings and I just LOVED the flower girls.  I just thought they were the cutest and I wanted to have one of my own.  In a blink of an eye, my older daughter is 5 and y younger one is 2, and there are moments when I’m trying to talk to them and lose my patience – I think, “this isn’t how I sued to talk to those cute flower girls, I was so much nicer”

• For my first one, the adjustment was hard.  I wanted to be perfect for her.  I would try to go to ALL the playdates we were invited to and for a long while I wasn’t focused on anything else but her.  I wasn’t at the studio very much but I still had to run the business and realized I couldn’t always be at home with my baby.  I had to learn how to balance and not put all that pressure on myself to be perfect, because we’re not perfect.  I’m still learning.

• Going from one child to two wasn’t a big change for me because I always wanted my kids to have a sibling.  I was an only child until my teens, so I always wanted to have a sibling close in age when I was younger.  I have younger siblings now that are 18 and 21, so there is a big age gap and I feel like I had a little bit of that parenting experience with them. 

Like you, I have two young girls and they are already so fascinated by makeup.  Are your girls interested in what you do and what advice do you have on building a healthy relationship with beauty and makeup for young girls? 

My girls are definitely girly-girls.  They love playing with makeup and I feel like we should let them be creative.  As long as the product is safe, I think it’s fine for them to play around with makeup.  If they do something ‘wrong’, then that is how they will learn.  If you overprotect them, they will always be curious and want to do it.  My husband and I are both in the creative field so we always say that we will support our girls in whatever they choose to do in their careers.  They don’t have to be a doctor or a lawyer, as long as they both enjoy what they are doing.

When a girl is at an age where they are starting to wear makeup more regularly, I think the parent should send them to a private class like our one-on-one makeup workshop to properly learn how to put on makeup.  They can learn basics like skincare and not to over pluck their eyebrows!  I wish my mom took me to a makeup class so I would’ve learned not to overpluck my eyebrows.  If a girl is going to experiment with makeup, they should be given the foundation and tools to do it properly.

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What is one beauty advice you can give to women that they can put into their daily practice?

Sunscreen.  Sunscreen always after moisturizer.  The brand I like is called Chantecaille that you can find at Nordstrom.  It is expensive, but it can last me at least 6 months.  A lot of people don’t like sunscreen because it is very oily, but this sunscreen isn’t oily at all and has a good SPF.  I feel in order to put on good makeup, you need to have a good base, so taking care of your skin is very important.

Thank you Kelly for sitting down with me at your beautiful studio to chat. We talked about so many things from makeup to business to motherhood and I am so inspired by your passion and influence in our community. Check out Kelly at all her IG handles: @kellyzhangstudio | @kellyzhangmakeup | @studiokhairdesignory | @browbykellyzhang

Studio K Designory
Address: 238 South Arroyo Pkwy #130
Website: http://www.studiok.us/ | http://kellyzhang.com/
Phone: (626) 710 - 4266
Email: kelly@kellyzhang.com

Happy Leap Day Birthday To Me!

If you remember from my very first post where I shared 5 facts about me, today is my BIRTHDAY - February 29!  Leap day only comes around every 4 years because (read Wikipedia article here).  Since I finally get a real birthday this year, I wanted to do something special for myself to celebrate my 9th birthday… my last real birthday before I hit double-digits and enter the next decade of my life - the big 4-0!  Enter Nadine of Sachiko Studios!

I met Nadine for the first time at her client appreciation event back in fall of 2015.  She was pregnant with her fourth daughter and I was pregnant with my second!  I won the grand prize raffle for a holiday mini-session with her and she shot some amazing holiday photos of us to announce our second pregnancy.

Lo Family 2015 Holiday/Maternity Shoot with Sachiko Studios

Three months after our photoshoot, Nadine gave birth to her daughter, Callista, on February 29, 2016!  I feel such a kinship to other leap day babies because I’ve always felt it is such a special day to be born on. I knew Nadine, as a mama to a Leap Day baby, would feel the same so I met with her over lunch to see if I could do a fun birthday photoshoot with her and I was thrilled when she said yes!

Photoshoots and taking photos in general is so out of my comfort zone, but it’s something that I’m trying to get more comfortable with.  On the day of the shoot,  Nadine scheduled for me to get my hair done by Tee at Beauty & Bloom, a beautiful hair, makeup & flower studio that is just two doors down from Sachiko Studio.  I did my own makeup and I also brought a few items from my own closet that Nadine helped me style with pieces from her studio.  We chose three different outfits for three different looks and it was game on to get in as many photos as we could before the sun went down.

Nadine & Tee were the perfect team to make me feel beautiful and confident throughout the entire photoshoot.  I joked that I wanted a mini-Nadine on my shoulders all day just whispering uplifting and empowering things to me.  “You look so amazing! You’re such a natural! Yes! You’re doing such a great job!” Nadine is a pro at making her clients feel at ease and comfortable.  I never thought I would have so much fun at a photoshoot and it was just the experience I wanted for my birthday.

Thank you so much Nadine for an amazing afternoon.  I’m so happy we have this Leap Day connection and I love these photos so so much.  The photos captured a moment in time where I stepped outside of my comfort zone and felt empowered, confident, and beautiful - which is exactly where I want to be this year.  Happy 1st real birthday to your baby girl! ♥️

P.S. Here are some amazing Leap Day Freebies that only come once every four years, so you’re welcome! https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/food/2020/02/28/2020-leap-day-deals-freebies-specials-saturday/4882835002/

#HerStory: 5 Lessons I Learned from my CEO Mom

Today is my mom’s birthday and I thought I would share 5 lessons I learned from her growing up. My friends jokingly call her “CEO Mom” because there really isn’t a better way to describe her. My mom immigrated to the U.S. in the 1980s from Taiwan, started a business and had me at age 31. As a single mother and entrepreneur, she created a pretty amazing life for herself and her family. My mom is the original boss lady and tiger mom. It wasn’t easy growing up with a boss for a mom, but I’ve learned so many invaluable lessons from her that I know will undoubtedly carry over to how I raise my own children.

Lesson #1: Work smarter, not harder

My mom used to say this to me ALL the time.. "work smarter, not harder” on repeat. As a kid, I wasn’t really sure what she meant - “I am working hard! I am working smart! What is the difference??! (insert teenage eye roll here 🙄)” Now, I find myself repeating the same thing to M. She’s only 7 and doing homework with her already feels like a battle. I think a part of this mantra we repeat to our children is because we want to relieve them from the stress we’ve been through ourselves. “If you can finish it in 5 minutes, why take an hour” - another thing my mom used to always say to me.

At age 14, I started my very first job cleaning pianos at a piano gallery and I began to understand what my mom was really trying to teach me. It was to take ownership of what I was doing, prioritize and stay focused on my task. Don’t work so hard without results. If you are going to do something, give it all you got and keep getting better at it. Whether it was cleaning pianos, working retail, tutoring kids, working in a kitchen, or working 9-5 at a restaurant company, from my first job until now, I’ve always applied the same work ethic my mom taught me at an early age.

Lesson #2: Take care of yourself first so you can take care of other

I still remember the example my mom would always use to teach me that I should take care of myself first before taking care of others. “When an airplane is going down, what do they tell you to do? Put the oxygen mask over your own mouth and nose before assisting others.” For my mom, a single mom, taking care of herself first meant building her business here in the States while I was in Taiwan with my grandparents for the first 4 years of my life. This allowed her to have a successful career that continues to provide and support her family in so many ways.

As a child, it was difficult to understand the decisions and challenges my mom faced. As a mother now, I am only beginning to understand how important it is to take care of myself so I can be a better parent to my children. Taking care of ourselves can mean different things for different people - for my mom, it was to be financially successful to support herself and her family, and for me, it is to pay attention to my mental and physical health so I can be fully present with my children. I’m grateful that my mom made those choices in her life that allowed her to take care of herself first, which then allowed her to take care of me and the rest of her family.

Lesson #3: If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say it at all

To be honest, my mom usually says this as a retort to something said about her in a less than positive light and could probably take a bit of her own advice on this one. 😂 However, she’s repeated it enough times where it’s ingrained in my head and I’ve bit my tongue on more than a number of occasions because of it. To be clear, my mom is outspoken and unafraid to speak her mind in any setting at any time. Because of it, I’m generally very non-confrontational and often feel empathetic to whoever is on the other end of my mom’s wrath. So, ironically, this saying actually taught me a different lesson than what was originally intended. As I’ve gotten older, and definitely after having kids, I’ve learned to be more outspoken but to speak up with more kindness and empathy. So I guess the lesson to pass on to my children is, “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say it at all… but if you are going to say something, say it with kindness and empathy.” For example, I used to never say anything or send back a food or drink order if the server made a mistake on my order, but I’ve learned that it isn’t to my benefit or to the restaurant’s if I don’t speak up about it. Imagine if someone had a severe food allergy and the restaurant makes a mistake and it ends up sending someone to the hospital. This doesn’t mean I need to be rude about it, because mistakes can happen, but giving constructive feedback to a restaurant about their operations can be a win for both the customer and the food establishment.

Lesson #4: Always ask a question

My mom told me when she was learning English in Taiwan, she would visit tourist areas to approach American tourists to practice her English. It pushed her out of her comfort zone and it was free tutoring. Getting out of her comfort zone seems to be where my mom thrives and this was a lesson she tried to teach me early on. “Always ask a question in class” My mom never hesitates to ask a question in meetings, whether it’s with 10 people or 100 people. She used to always tell me that it was a free way to practice your public speaking. “There aren’t many opportunities for you to speak and have 100 people listen to you, so raise your hand and ask a question”. Questions also show that you have been listening, so pay attention and ask thoughtful questions. This is something I tried to teach my girls early on, to always speak up and ask questions. If you’ve ever met M, you’ll know that girl is never shy to ask questions… some might say she asks TOO many questions… 🙊

Lesson #5: Be involved

It’s a running joke that my mom is like the energizer bunny and doesn’t seem to run out of energy. When she wasn’t being CFO at the company she built for close to 20 years, she was volunteering at my school and various other community organizations throughout my childhood. When she retired from her company in 2005, she propelled herself into community service. As an Asian American citizen, she wanted to make sure that her voice was being heard and she wanted to give back to the community that gave her so much. In 2012, when I was pregnant with M, my mom was honored by our hometown’s chamber of commerce as the citizen of the year for her active volunteerism in eight different organizations. In 2016, she was one of 14 women in the San Gabriel Valley to receive the Congressional Women of the Year Award from Congresswoman Judy Chu.

When M entered elementary school, I was reminded of how much effort my mom put in to be present and active in my school all while running a business, so I dutifully signed up to do my part in volunteering at her school. I know my commitment and passion for volunteering may never match my mom’s, but the lesson she taught me is to always be involved in whatever way I can.

Happy Birthday, Mom! Thank you for being you and for all these lessons you taught me. You probably don’t remember or realize the impact they’ve made on me, but rest assured, your voice is always in my head! I love you!

#HerStory: Melanie Porter of Lavender & Honey Espresso Bar

I am so excited to bring you my first PasadenaMom Highlight. This will be an ongoing feature on the blog where I share the story behind the influential women in our community. I really believe every woman’s story is so powerful and with the start of this new decade, I’m on a journey to listen, learn, and share the stories of as many women as I can - women of all backgrounds and walks of life. If you have an amazing story to share or know of someone in your community who has a powerful story, please send them my way!

For my first highlight, I am so honored to introduce you to Melanie Porter, owner of Lavender and Honey Espresso Bar in Pasadena, CA. I’ve been a fan of L&H since they first opened their doors in 2014. If you follow my Instagram stories, you’ll know I am there at least once a week to get my coffee fix because there’s just something about L&H that makes me feel like I’m part of the community. In the past 5 years, Melanie has not only grown this little coffee shop into a thriving business, but she has also grown her family. She is now the mother of two beautiful girls, and I sat down with her to talk about coffee, Pasadena, and how life as an entrepreneur has changed for her since becoming a mother.

Let’s start with the first question: How do you drink your coffee?

What am I not drinking? I love the taste of coffee so usually a cortado, cappuccino, cold brew, or black coffee.

What brought you to Pasadena?

I’m originally from the Bay Area and my husband, Charlie, is from La Canada.  After dating for a few months long distance, I moved from the Bay Area to LA - I would’ve never thought I would live in LA.  We lived in South Bay (Manhattan Beach) and both worked corporate jobs.  Every time we visited the La Canada/Pasadena area where Charlie’s mom still lived, we could never find a coffee shop to our liking.

We talked about opening coffee shop on our 2nd date and after we got married, we decided it was now or never.  We found this great spot, and with the support of our family and friends and financial support to start the business, we made the move to start Lavender and Honey in Pasadena.

What do you think makes Lavender & Honey stand out among all the coffee shops in and around LA and Pasadena?

Our focus has always been to provide a community experience with great coffee.  Back when we started, there were not a lot of third wave coffee shops in greater LA. 

We really strive to be the tastemakers and not just follow what is trending.  There are so many coffee shops now that seem to emulate our concept or try to follow this cookie cutter formula for success.  A lot of what makes our shop successful and stand out in a crowd of competitors is our authenticity, originality and our menu, which really resonates with people.

When we first opened, there weren’t a lot of cafes with a food component like ours. Now, you see a lot of menus with lavender lattes and our signature lavender and honey toast.  It’s hard to be like “But, we were the first ones!” so we want to continue delivering that positive experience to our customers, keep trying new ideas for the shop, and testing to find what works.

I still have a lot of ideas running through my head and that is the great thing about being a small business owner - I can test the ideas right away and see if they work or not.

I’ve seen this little pocket of Pasadena thrive after the opening of Lavender & Honey.  Why do you think L&H has affected this part of the community and was that your vision when you started?

Yes, that was what we hoped for when we started.  We visited the area many times before and talked to the neighbors in the area.  We saw that this was an area in Pasadena that could benefit from having a local coffee shop.  Finding the space and building a great relationship with our first landlords really helped us create our vision. 

If you saw our first business plan, you would laugh because we had very modest expectations for the shop.  We knew we could succeed in the area with our concept, but it has wildly exceeded what we had initially imagined.

We’ve had great neighbors in our building too, which is something that’s really important to us. Neighborhoods and local businesses thrive when complimentary businesses work together to build up and develop a specific area. And, when you shop at a local business, you know that your tax dollars go right back into making your community better. We want this to be a place in the neighborhood where you can get coffee, shop, work out, and have lunch.

What has been the biggest challenge?

Cost Control - managing costs to lower expenses, increase revenue and profits. It is currently the most expensive time to own and operate a restaurant. Costs in the last few years are getting higher— raw materials and labor, for instance.  A lot of this ends up being pushed onto the consumer which isn’t ideal, but it’s just the way things are.

Coffee and food will be much more expensive for the consumer in a couple of years, so it’s especially important that restaurants deliver on the customer experience part of things if we’re going to ask our customers to pay above what they have normally paid in the past for a cup of coffee. 

What has been your greatest learning curve of becoming a business owner, especially in the hospitality and coffee industry?

You learn a lot on your first venture with all of the hoops you have to jump through just to open a physical location. There are so many approvals, permits, regulations etc. and it’s important that you rely on professionals in the areas of commercial real estate, planning, construction, architecture to build out your space. In addition, small businesses are held to the same standard as corporations, which is burdensome when you don’t have a robust HR, legal and IT department at your disposal.

You mentioned in your Voyage LA interview that when you were researching and fine tuning the concept for L&H, you noticed the world of coffee was very masculine, hyper-masculine, do you find that to still be true or has it shifted since you’ve been in the business? 

Yes and no. There are definitely lighter touches within cafes to make them more inviting and not as masculine as before (mustaches and dark wood seemed to be everywhere), but there is still room to create more inviting and inclusive spaces in the coffee world. It is still quite uncommon to see women owners in the coffee industry, but not quite as rare as when we opened in 2014.

How was it first entering that space as a female entrepreneur?

I left my corporate job during the build-out phase while, Charlie still worked at his corporate job the first few years of opening L&H.  I was in my mid-20s starting my first business and usually the only female in a room filled with men.  Nobody took me seriously at first, and if Charlie was at a meeting with me, they wouldn’t even talk to me.  Charlie would have to say, “I don’t know, don’t ask me, I’m not the one in charge.”  I had to find my own voice and once everyone saw how I not only talked the talk, but had the best business plan for the space and would roll up my sleeves to do the work, they took me seriously and were all in to help me succeed.  My contractor has also become like family and is on my speed dial.  He is always willing to fix or take care of anything that needs to be done at the shop. 

Congratulations on your second baby!  What are some adjustments you have had to make as entrepreneurs since becoming a parent?

We got married in 2011 and started Lavender & Honey in 2014.   After we got married, we had to make the decision if we would start a family first or start the business.  We were fortunate to have the support of our family, so we decided to start our business first.  After Lavender and Honey was open, we started trying for a baby and went through two miscarriages.  It was so difficult because six hours after suffering a miscarriage, I was back in the store spending hours doing inventory.  This is part of being a business owner that people don’t often see.

We must make it look easy from the outside, because I get a lot of emails from people, and often moms, who have this romanticized vision of owning a coffee shop that runs itself so they can have free time for the family. This is far from the truth.  My mind is constantly on the business and there is always something that needs my attention - whether it’s a machine breaking down, an employee not showing up for a shift, plumbing issues, hiring & training employees, finding good management, ordering & managing inventory, accounting & payroll - those are all roles that I have to play daily on top of being a parent to my two girls.

After having my second baby, my husband left his corporate job to be at the store full time with me because I needed the support.  As an entrepreneur, I’m a go-getter, but I’ve also learned to ask for help when I need it and find my support network.  I’ve definitely made my share of mistakes, but I’ve learned how to fight for myself, my family, and my business.

On motherhood & owning a business:  

• As a new mother and business owner, there really isn’t any time off or maternity leave.  A lot of turnover at the store seems to happen when I’m on leave, so it’s always a challenge to find good management and employees to be in place when I’m not at the store.

• I moved the administrative office home to spend more time with the kids, but I don’t bring the kids to the coffee shop very much.  I like to keep a level of professionalism at the shop and it’s a challenge to bring kids into that environment.  There are a lot of safety concerns in a busy kitchen and kids can be very unpredictable!  As much as possible, I prefer to keep work and home life separate.  However, there are also times I will need to bring my baby to a meeting and people will have to understand.

• I feel like a lot changed when I became a mom.  There was a little bit of confidence that was lost. “Can I still grow and expand my business?”  I had a lot of goals and dreams before becoming a mom and it’s finding that ability within me to still strive for those goals and dreams.  It’s telling myself, “Yes, I’m a mom now, but I am still that go-getter and person I’ve always been.”

If you’re not at the shop or at home, where would you be?

In an ideal world, I would be traveling. My two favorite travel destinations would be Amsterdam and London.  Realistically though, I would be at the beach.  Any time there is a long weekend, we are usually in the South Bay.

As a coffee lover, what is one travel destination (anywhere in the world) I have to go to explore coffee? 

Australia, they are years ahead of the trend in coffee. The shops there are so beautifully designed, and they also have really good coffee.

Ok, last question: Do you have any plans to open a second location for L&H?

It’s in the works…TBD! 😉

Thank you Melanie for taking the time to sit down with me and share your story! You are such an inspiration to me and I’m so thankful fort his opportunity. Check out L&H on their IG @lh_espresso and Melanie on her IG @coffee_mel.

Lavender & Honey Espresso Bar
Address: 1383 East Washington Blvd.
Website: http://lavenderandhoneyespresso.com
Phone: (626) 529-5571
Email: info@lavenderandhoneyespresso.com

Welcome To The Process

How many of you struggle with being patient & present during the process? I know I do. I was the kid who couldn't wait to get out of high school to go to college, and then once in college, I couldn't wait to get out of college to go into my "real life"...only to look back and wish I enjoyed the process more. Growing up, getting married, going through career changes, having children, watching your children grow up... how quickly that sobers you up to the fact that this is it! We really only have this moment.

I often hear parents wish they could speed up time and get over the newborn phase, the toddler phase, the diaper-changing phase.. and don't get me wrong, I often wish I had the remote control in Adam Sandler's not-so-great but wonderfully enlightening movie "Click" and just fast forward through the homework/dinner/bath-time battles so the kids can be asleep and I can finally listen to my true crime podcast in peace (while doing the dishes, of course). But if I learned anything from that movie… it’s to not mess around with that cursed remote control!

“One of the most important ways I’ve learned this lesson is through my fitness journey.”

One of the most important ways I’ve learned this lesson is through my fitness journey. Once upon a time, I wished I could speed through time and reach my “ideal body” - whatever that is.. I grew up with no examples of how to be active and take care of my body. Despite comments from my mom and my family about my weight as a child, nobody seemed to be able to give me the tools to be healthier. Since I was already overweight, I figured it gave me permission to be less active and eat more since that was the expectation anyway.

As a teenager and adult, I would try different diets, diet pills, diet teas - one time, I took a cheap over-the-counter diet pill that made my heart race so fast I thought it was going to pop out of my chest and instantly regretted it because I would rather be alive than be society’s definition of “skinny”. Throughout the years, my weight yo-yoed from drastic weight-loss to drastic weight-gain. I could never seem to reach that unachievable “ideal weight” and would give up and gain back 25 pounds instantly. I hated the process and I hated not reaching my goal even more.

Three years ago, I was ready to try losing weight again. I signed up for a six week 20lb challenge at The Camp Transformation and it spearheaded me to where I am in my journey today. To tell you that I started that first challenge with a different mindset than all the years before would be a lie. I went into the program at the time not looking to build a habit but just to lose 20lbs. I know this because the second I stepped off the scale after successfully finishing my first 20lb challenge, I went to buy a box of donuts and ate it immediately!

“It isn’t the weight loss and physical change that pushes me to keep going, but rather, it’s the work I continue to put into my mental health.”

So what was the shift? It isn’t the weight loss and physical change that pushes me to keep going, but rather, it’s the work I continue to put into my mental health. I had to unravel a lifetime of trying to reach an unattainable goal, and reward myself every day I was in the process of building this habit. And by reward, I mean something as simple as a mental high-five to myself on the easier days or promising myself a good “cheat” meal on the days I need some extra motivation to get my butt to the gym. Being in the process of carving out time each day for myself, five times a week, and making it a top priority is what helps me build this habit - present tense, because I know how easily it can all go away if I’m not mindful of it.

A few days ago, I came across a photo of myself with the girls three years ago, right before I started my first camp challenge. I shared the photo with a few people who were all shook by how different I looked then. It’s funny, because when I see the photo, I just see ME. When you’re in the process every day, the change is slow and gradual, like a child who can’t tell how tall they’ve grown from one year to the next. Sure, the physical changes are obvious when I put the pictures side by side, but the mental changes are what continues to drive me forward. If you ask me what is my end goal - I will tell you there isn’t an end to this journey. It is a process and one that I welcome every day because it makes me feel good about myself.

Learning to be in the process with my fitness journey has also spilled into other areas of my life and I am constantly reminded of needing to slow down to the present moment. Yes, it would be nice to skip through the struggles of trying to understand 2nd grade common core math, getting my kids to stay in their seats during dinner time, and asking them for the 15th time NOT to make any more soap bubbles with the overpriced Young Living kids bath gel….. (whew, let’s take a breath here)…. but these moments are fleeting. They can often be overwhelming and all-consuming, but I’m here with open arms because I know three, five, ten years down the line when I put those photos side-by-side… I’ll know that I did my best to enjoy the process with no regrets.