Women in Business Series - Lola

What is the Women in Business Series?

The series is for women who desire to be entrepreneurs or who are entrepreneurs to see into the worlds of other women entrepreneurs.

Who are we featuring this week?

This week, we're talking with Lola. Lola is a jack of all trades, she's a serial entrepreneur (she lists some of her work below), and one of the wisest women I know. Her ability to pivot and adapt has allowed her to survive in the toughest of times (like right now (rolls eyes at COVID)). Lola understands that while we all need to make money to survive that we shouldn't have to hate what we do.

Lola!!! One of my fave ladies, how are you? 

Back atcha! I’m pretty good, how are you?

How did you adapt to the changes you were faced with when COVID started to spread here?

Oh man, I got laid off right at the start of the U.S. infection-- so right around March, and luckily I was working for a really good company who gave me severance and encouraged me to immediately file for unemployment. It definitely felt like a trauma because I loved my company, and I loved my department, we had a lot of fun and worked well together, so I needed a little time to process all of that. But, I have big nervous energy, so I bounced back and started brainstorming about what my next career move is… I’m open! I’ve been trying to be quick on my feet. Unemployment eventually phased out, so I’ve been thrifting clothes and selling them on Depop. 

You’re a very unique kind of entrepreneur, can you tell us a little more about that?

Haha! Well, maybe I am, but maybe not. Entrepreneurship, at the heart, is just about filling in where institutional voids exist-- so basically, being fluid with where your talents and skills lead you, being creative, and seeing everything you’re good at as a money-making opportunity. In that sense, yes, the situations have been very unique over my working career-- I’ve been a shop girl, a stripper, a professional fetishist, a business owner, a marketing specialist, on and on and on...

In your opinion, what are the pros and cons of working for yourself?

Phew. Pros are definitely calling all of the shots and making all of the decisions of your business-- the control is something that I love, being able to rest when I need/want rest, being able to hustle when I’m full of energy. Alternatively, these can also be the cons...when you work for yourself, you never really stop working, separation of work and play is difficult to maintain, and we’re not capable of staying “on” 24/7 so burnout is a THING.

What sparked your interest in entrepreneurship? 

I never wanted a job or a career to control me...I come from really hard-working people, and I’ve seen jobs literally break backs, and I never wanted that to be me. I wanted to work, but I also wanted to really enjoy what I’m doing. What I find that comes down to, is being open and flexible, quick on your feet and accepting of change, noticing trends and predicting how things are going to go, and being able to fill in wherever needed. How can I take what I’m best at, what I like doing, and support myself doing it? Is there a job available for me, or do I need to make my own? 

You went to school for PR, can you tell us how you transferred those skills into your entrepreneurship journey?

Public relations, at the end of the day, is about selling something to someone through the method of being relatable. It’s difficult to explain, but if someone can relate to you, you can pretty much sell them anything-- which is really handy when you’re stripping. Haha. It’s like the magic method. People expect you to be vapid and uninterested, but you have an opportunity to make more money if you’re smart and quirky and empathetic right out the gate. If you want to apply PR to your life, ask yourself first how you can be more relatable to your audience. 

I mentioned before you’re a unique entrepreneur, how do you handle negativity that people throw your way due to your line of work?

In the sage words of Cardi B, “the people who talk the most shit, are the people whose shit not together”. Other people’s opinions don’t have power unless you care, so don’t care. Also, stay in your lane-- mind your business, be good and positive towards others, even when they try to hurt you, and fucking enjoy life. 

What is your favorite way to market yourself?

In quite a few of my muggle careers, no one was aware of the fact that I’ve been a fetish model and entertainer-- I’ve been called “wholesome” and “classic” and “well-spoken” and so on, and I love how covert I can be to certain audiences. It amuses me. I love challenging myself to move through unsuspecting spaces and being able to blend in like a cuttlefish. 

How do you make sure that you are having fun while still making money?

Sitting for a while and thinking about what I really want to do, writing about it, setting my intentions towards the things that I really want and not just accepting anything that presents itself to me-- not everything that runs up in your path is for you. I also think that being relentlessly positive helps, I’m dead set on not doing anything that makes me feel like a drag. 

How do you turn your hobbies into money-making ideas?

That’s the heart of entrepreneurship-- the brainstorming, the creation, the art of making something out of nothing. 

Do you have any advice for anyone who wants to follow in your footsteps and pursue their passions and still make money working for themselves?

Entrepreneurship, working for yourself, charting unknown territories comes with huge risk, it’s important to be fearlessly confident in who you are and what you want-- even on days when you don’t want to be. It’s not a foolproof method, and everyone is different, but believing in yourself in an almost painful way heats you up like a furnace on the inside and drives you forward. Take all of the free classes on the internet that you can get your hands on. Self-evaluate and self-improve often, refine your interests and desires frequently. Manifest, and work hard, and enjoy yourself along the way. You can do it!