Latina Entrepreneur Driving Style & Aesthetics for Businesspeople

My day to day is about leveraging my expertise for client results.

Editor’s note: This is part two of a two part series. Part 1 kicked off the series with the article entitled: The Making of a Successful Latina Empowerment Style Entrepreneur.

Mara Kolesas, Ph.D. a successful fashion professional was born and raised in Argentina, She is a “style with substance” expert.

Mara styles sophisticated and engaged professionals and entrepreneurs “inside out” by identifying their values, goals, and beauty, and helping them bring their substance to their style, so they look and feel genuine and empowered to achieve their aspirations.

This is part two of two of her story…

Mentors 

I have never had a formal mentor but I connected with wonderful and generous business people who gave me advice and helped me set up and grow my business.When you need and ask for help, people respond in amazing ways. Only recently have I started to work with a business coach, a talented woman who works with female entrepreneurs. She deepened my understanding of how to grow a business, and inspired me. I also came across a great branding webminar for small businesses, which helped me enormously.

Motivation behind establishing business

I am so glad you are asking this question. The motivation underlying my business is what kept me going during my setback. I love bringing together the different parts of my background the creative, the social, the aesthetic, the analytical, the cosmopolitan, the multicultural, the human.

I love empowering people, helping them be genuine inside and out, to connect with their beauty and inner power, and feel confident to pursue their dreams. And for the Latino community, the way we show up is crucial.

Setting goals

Define as concretely and simply as possible what you do, for whom, with what expertise, and with what results for clients. Emphasize the value you bring to them. Set goals that you want to achieve by the end of the year, and then work backwards to visualize what you would need to achieve them.

Financing a business

The foundation is to have a wealth mentality – that means investing, because investing is what generates returns. If you do not have much money to invest, think strategically about what will generate the best return for your business and who you are. And very important for “sola-preneurs” in service industries: separate business finances from personal ones by getting a business bank account (I have to thank my coach for this).

Influences on the growth of my business.

Finding my niche. Once I found the clients to whom I connect with heart and soul, my business started to grow. Finding my “tribe.” These are the people who support and inspire me, with whom I like to collaborate, work, and learn  (Latin Business Today! My business coach, community of business entrepreneurs, friends). My husband has been my greatest support: he has accompanied me through the process, including difficult moments, with encouragement, comfort, and insights as well as constructive criticism when needed. I wouldn’t be here without him.

 What I would have done differently

It is easy to say things in retrospect. But making mistakes was part of getting to where I am now. I did my best with what I knew at the time. It’s important to allow yourself to make mistakes and learn from them.

 Future business objectives 

For individual clients, the plan is to continue offering in-depth and comprehensive styling for engaged and sophisticated professionals and entrepreneurs who want to feel genuine and look great.

I am also taking my business to corporations with a training workshop on “Cultural Corp-Couture” in collaboration with a cultural intelligence consultant. The training addresses the elephant in the diversity room room: style. Because style is not neutral. The “dress for success” imperatives disregard the fact that what clothes communicate and mean is different for  different groups in the workplace. Success according to whom?

The training provides conceptual, inspirational and actionable tools to enable employees to enhance their professional image with regard to their cultural and individual identities. I’m very excited about this, because it benefits both individuals and corporations.

Balancing professional and personal lives is a continual challenge.  

It definitely is, and it is fluid – more a movie than a portrait. The most important thing for me is to be able to set clear boundaries, and be fully present, both in my business and my personal life. My time with my family is priceless.

Latino organizations

Yes, I am a member of the San Francisco Latina Giving Circle at the Latino Community Foundation. I am also a virtual member of the Latinas Think Big Facebook community. I work out of my home in North Berkeley and offer services throughout the Bay Area.

Takeaway for those who might want to start a business

Find your tribe. Find a mentor. Clarify what you want to do. Learn. Focus. Invest in yourself. And then, there are many resources out there to help you. If you are reading this article you have what it takes.

My favorite quotes:

“The biggest fashion faux pas is looking at the mirror and seeing someone else.” Iris Apfel  and “Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken.” Oscar Wilde

Related articles:

Part 1: The Making of a Successful Latina Empowerment Style Entrepreneur

Join Me on a Jr Contemporary Fashion Shoot

Latinas and the Business of Fashion

Is There Really an Essential Business Wardrobe for Every Woman?