Tag Archives: Entrepreneur

Growing is Learning to juggle.

February 23, 2016

The past year has been quite a blur for me. I hired my first ever beauty assistant, bought a house, adopted a dog, started dating a great guy, took on a new role as a social media manager with Product Club in addition to teaching nationally, did some TV appearances as a Beauty Expert, all while running both my hair & makeup business and managing Thirteenth and Washington! Phew! I’m exhausted just typing all that!

With all that change there comes a learning curve. I call it “learning how to juggle”. I have had moments where I just wanted to quit everything but also moments of pure gratitude. For me doing hair behind the chair is just a very small piece to my big dream puzzle. I see so many people in all industries not just hair, literally going to “work” and then going “home”. That is honestly a nightmare.

I truly believe in order to live the life you want and have the experiences you want to have you must learn to juggle to keep it interesting. Do a lot of different things that challenge you and put you out of your comfort zone. It’s the only way to grow at a steady pace. Those folks going to work and going home have many plateaus and unfortunately for some their plateau is their whole life.

It’s important to take continuing education no matter what industry you are in. Davines has become one of my favorite brands to work with. They offer amazing classes that inspire as well as contest to push you to be your creative self. This past Fall I entered their Beauty Harvest contest because it looked fun! The idea was to create a look that incorporated the colors of Fall. So this was what I came up with…

“Pumpkin Spice meets the Pink Lady Apple”

ONE: This was SO much fun to do. It forced me to think of color in a different way. It made me better.

TWO: I freaking won 2nd place in a national contest! I literally did not expect to win anything! I was just excited to play around with some color and try something new. My grandpa always says, “You can’t win if you don’t play!” Those are words to live by.

If this past year taught me anything, it would be to keep on learning as much as my brain can handle! Which is a lot since my brain is huge. 😉

HOW TO: Travel the world and meet cool people.

September 13, 2014

So many times I hear “Wow! You get to do work on so many cool projects! I wish I could be like you!” Here’s my BIG secret. You can! The only way I have been able to travel and develop relationships with other successful people has been on my own dime and “Just Do It!” attitude. I will admit there are times when I want to throw up a little when I see the money I’ve spent however, it is money well invested. When you come up with a clear plan and purpose for any trip it is always so worth it!

My most recent trip has been New York Fashion Week for the Spring 2015 collections. I was invited by fellow blogger Lindsay Pattan, Marketing manager for ALIVE magazine, to travel with a group of local fashion bloggers. This made our stay at The Gem Hotel affordable. Not the most comfortable when you consider the amount of luggage fashion/ beauty bloggers travel with and how tiny NY bathrooms really are but the goal isn’t to hang out in the room.

Since my passion is beauty, lifestyle, and wellness attending all the fashion shows wasn’t high priority. Instead I wanted to live day to day life in Manhattan during fashion week and create content for this lovely little blog of mine. I scheduled meetings, interviews, and experiences with some of my favorite beauty professionals so get ready for a series of NYFW related posts!

To begin this series of posts let’s start with HOW TO plan for success…

STEP ONE: REACH OUT TO YOUR CONTACTS

Reach out to people you know that are involved in interesting day to day activities that you’re passionate about.

Jorge Blanco & Joseph DiMaggio (Davines North America) were kind enough to make time to chat with me about all things Davines!

STEP TWO: RESPECT THEIR TIME AND SHOW YOUR PASSION

Nathan Rosenkranz (lead stylist for Deola & Clan, Alterna Haircare) I asked Nate if I could tag along backstage and interview him for my blog and instead he offered me a spot on his styling team for the show! It was a blast!

STEP THREE: SPREAD THE WORD AND GIVE THANKS.

I don’t like to kill trees with silly Thank You notes but showing gratitude is important. I’ve found these awesome note cards at Left Bank Books in St. Louis, MO. The card itself can be planted and it later blossoms into flowers! How cool is that?! That’s definitely one way to leave a lasting impression and be kind to mother nature of course 🙂

Stay tuned for more posts about my NYC trip!

Make your mark

June 20, 2012

Opening a business is not easy. It takes months of planning, meetings, and spending. Anyone will tell you it’s hard and “I hope you know what you’re getting yourself into.” What most people don’t realize or see is the ease of living your passion. I believe that good will come to those who work hard, enjoy every minute, and share their knowledge with the world. There will be problems I’m sure, but how boring would life be if everything was so perfect all the time. You live and you learn. Those who are not learning from their mistakes are obviously sleep walking through life.

St. Louis is now the official home of Thirteenth and Washington, a beauty-fashion- wellness co op. My dream was to create an inspiring environment for professionals in the creative industry to live their dreams of running their own business. I wanted to work with people who had the same entrepreneurial passion!

It’s almost insane to think that these amazing business or should I say Fashion icons are all under one roof! We are the total package equipped to create celebrities, business moguls, and inspire hip trendsetters…

THE SALON.

There is Moi…Kristen Linares Hair & Makeup artist

My career goal is to cater to a handful of awesome celebs, educate other stylist in the industry, and change the way the world views beauty/ wellness. Check out my salon services at http://www.kristenlinares.com

Then we have the fabulous Valerie Brown Hair stylist

Valerie is extremely talented when it comes to any type of styling! Check her out at http://www.thevaleriebrown.com

Our newest addition Tiffany Roberts hair & makeup artist

Tiffany specializes in extensions, styling, and makeup!

THE BOUTIQUE.

Thirteenth + Washington (Featuring Miss Ohio Vintage) Opens Downtown.

Downtown’s fashion district is getting a much needed boost. Kristen Linares, stylist and educator, has opened Thirteenth + Washington – a beauty, fashion, and wellness co-op – directly across from the Lucas Park Grille patio in the Knickerbocker loft building. Linares is joined by well-known beauty maven Valerie Brown and wardrobe stylist Amanda Humbolt, with local boutique Miss Ohio Vintage rounding out the lineup.

Thirteenth + Washington proudly carries beauty products like Original Minerals, while Miss Ohio Vintage boasts Saint Louis brands BelleStyle Bijoux and Blue Bird Apparel. The co-op features a locally stocked bar, open to customers on any given day. Thirteenth + Washington plans to host events frequently, with an emphasis on local tastings, live music and an exclusive shopping experience. Owner Kristen Linares plans to make charitable endeavors a focal point. 10% off all Linares’ retail sales benefit the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation.

Thirteenth + Washington will be officially open for business on Saturday, June 30^th. Miss Ohio Vintage opened on June 1^st. The boutique is currently open 12-5pm, with regular hours of 11-7 daily beginning June 14^th. For more information, visit ThirteenthAndWashington.com.

http://www.missohiovintage.com

http://www.bellestyle.com

http://static.issuu.com/webembed/viewers/style1/v2/IssuuReader.swf

http://www.bluebirdapparel.com

THE STUDIO.

We have space for commercial/ editorial photographers. Like I said, we are the total package for creating ones professional image!

And so it begins world…more to come.

Time to have a life

May 21, 2012

I’ve ended a chapter in my life and started a new one. The past 6 years as a stylist in the salon have been great! I’ve learned so much from all the amazing people I’ve worked with. From exclusive high-end to chain salons, everyone has taught me something valuable and different. I can’t believe the time has come for me to branch off on my own! I guess I always thought this would happen later in life but I’m sooo glad it’s happening right now instead!

I would like to take you all on a little journey of how, who, and what has inspired me to become the beauty professional I am today…

It starts with the family…

My mom, grandma, and aunts all do hair. We have a salon in Albrightsville, PA that has been in our family for almost 25 years! This is my aunt Darlene : ) she currently owns the family business.

Since I was old enough to walk I swept floors, took rollers out of all the little old ladies’ hair, and provided entertainment by styling my oversized Barbie head. I always knew I wanted to be the boss and call the shots just like my family.

The Mentors

As soon as I finished beauty school I knew I wanted “The Best” training possible before calling myself a real stylist. Lucky me. I met global colorist Patrick McIvor. The man is a color genius and has opened more doors than I ever imagined. He taught me to, “Always be a yes or a no.” People who never ask questions don’t get very far. I would rather know the answer is no rather than never asking at all.

Jayson Morgan

The coolest guy you’ll ever have the pleasure of meeting. He taught me everything I know about cutting and celeb worthy Blow Outs!

Melissa Johnson

This girl knows her stuff and is by far the funniest person I’ve ever met. Love her!

The What…

Growing up I loved watching people like Carmindy on TLC’s What Not to Wear. I loved her down to earth approach and ability to make anyone look amazing.

Music videos and anything Tim Burton. I am fascinated by the characters that are created with hair and makeup!

The last piece to my Entrepreneur puzzle is “The Four Hour Work Week” This book filled in the blanks and made it an easy decision to move on with my ultimate dream.

My NEW CHAPTER: I am now a Freelance artist who has created the ultimate co-op working environment for people just like me! Check it out! http://www.ThirteenthandWashington.com