Think big on inspiration, obstacles, and takeaways. Turn difficulties into something creative. Take a look at what you have and make things better with what you got… Paris Hatcher has been motivating others as a style influencer plus travel and lifestyle blogger. Read on through this transcript, or scroll down to listen to our interview linked below for why she does what she does.
Why do you write about travel and fashion?
It inspires them to get out of their comfort zone. Experience different cultures. Just learn more about themselves. See something different. It’s all about inspiration to me. Everything is about inspiration. Travel is about inspiration. Getting dressed. Fashion. Pushing that beyond your comfort zone. You know how sometimes beauty, society ─ society will say, “These are the standards. And you should look like this.” No! I feel like you should look the way you wanna look. You should dress the way you wanna dress. I just feel like I am such a free spirit so I’m like inspiration and travel and self love, and I think all of that reflects with knowing yourself. Getting to know yourself.
How did you begin developing your passion for visuals, style, and design?
You know what? I’ve always been this visual person that can put things together. It can be an accessory, it can be a t shirt. I can put a full on outfit together. And not just one outfit. I can mix and match different ways. I started that by really immersing myself into reading more books, mainly magazines, watching television shows, and just seeing things that celebrities would wear. But I would always like to look at this magazine, People Style watch, and how to get it cheaper. They had this section, I think it was called something like Get the Look or Wear it Cheaper or Budget or something.
I’m not rich yet, but I still wanna look nice. I don’t think it takes that much money. I don’t think you have to put into that. Like today you told me about those seven dollar shoes. Those shoes are fabulous! And they are seven dollars. You get what I am saying? I love that. Just being able to put things together and visualize it. It really comes from researching. It comes from reading. It comes from ─ I am inspired everywhere I go! I am inspired here, being at The Vintage. Everywhere that I go gives me inspiration, especially when I travel. Especially when I travel.
Have you had any major challenges or benefits with taking an aesthetic business approach?
Yes. So moved to LA in about 2015 or ‘16. I must have stayed for like a year and a couple months. I moved back when my dad had cancer. At that time it was stage one so it was removed, but he ended up passing in this past April. April 14. Although that was removed it came back. The challenging part comes from being there, being in the place of my dreams. LA was my dream place to live. And trying to get my business off the ground there… I mean it had its highs and its lows, but I became so creative in LA.
When your back is against the wall, and you have to pay your rent, you will become creative. I would go downtown and pick up accessories. Accessories sell really quickly on my site. So I would go there and pick up some accessories and I would have about one or two. I would post the pictures. It would totally “sell out,” because I only had one or two in stock. But I would get so much money to afford those glasses, but I’ve already profited. So before you know it I was being able to pay my rent. Just being creative. I would have never thought of that. I was able to really survive and do that, because I had to come up with a plan and this is what I had.
One of my friends told me, she said, “If you have product, you have money.” I didn’t think of it like that. She was like if you have inventory, those were her exact words. If you have inventory you have money. And once I started looking at my inventory as not just sitting there in the corner collecting dust. Like this is something you can put together. You’re already a visual person. Put these glasses on. Stand in front of some flowers. Take a picture. Make sure the light is hitting you right, the sun is hitting you right. Take a picture. And sell the shit out of those glasses. And that’s what I did. That’s exactly what I did.
Before you know it, in a couple of days I had rent money. I had the rent money. But like I said back against the wall in LA needing to figure it out. That’s what I did. I had to figure it out. I saw myself in a different light. I saw myself as you can do this. It is about your marketing. It is about being consistent with it. It is about really wanting it! And that’s what I did. I had to pay rent. I had a business instead of waiting to go out and get a job and two weeks later being able to pay rent. I’d have to wait two weeks to get a check. Why don’t I use what I have already and use that money, and still apply for the jobs, but in the meantime what can I do now? So that’s what I did. It’s what I had to, and it got done. Rent got paid.
Do you mind sharing the hardest obstacle you overcame in getting your brand off the ground?
An obstacle itself is consistency. Cause I can be in my head a whole lot. So that is it. I believe in myself. It is something about with business. Especially when you don’t see anyone around you that’s doing it. I mean I have a family member who’s a hair stylist, but I didn’t grow up with entrepreneurs. And not to say that just because I didn’t, I can’t do it. I think that the main obstacle is getting out of my own way. And just pressing forward. Not overthinking, and just doing the work.
What is the biggest takeaway you hope to give others from your work?
Tomorrow isn’t promised. Go out and do it. Anything that you want to do. Write your vision down. Write your goals down. Go forward. Believe in yourself. Be consistent with it. It doesn’t matter if someone else is doing it. You do it. And put your unique touch on it. So I really just want them to come to parismhatcher.com. Get the knowledge that they need to go forward with their business. Whether that’s fashion, beauty, style, fitness, travel, self care, self love, health and wellness, whatever it is. I want you to be able to get that from parismhatcher.com. But not just be in information overload, but also put this to use. Put what you learn from this site to use. How could this better help you? It’s all about inspiring the next person. That’s what I do it for.
Will your upcoming blogging be personally or professionally focused?
It’s gonna be more personal, but professional. It will be both. Because as a mental health professional I am going to be talking about mental health issues. And personal would be things that I have learned along the way as far as money and credit. Things that I am doing, that I have implemented to my lifestyle as far as self care. Things that I am working on in the gym. Places where I am travelling to. So all of that is my personal. But it will be a little bit of both. A little bit of professional, but a whole lot of personal.
When can readers anticipate parismhatcher.com’s makeover?
Coming soon to a screen near you!
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