“Lack of direction, not lack of time, is the problem. We all have twenty-four hour days.”

 Zig Ziglar

Here is the audio version of this post. Thank you so much for listening.

Social listening and healthy stalking does have its privileges. And that is exactly how I discovered and met one of the most passionate and inspirational hairdressers I have ever known, Larisa Love aka @larisadoll on Instagram.

If you read my blog or listened to my Masters Series interview with Winn Claybaugh, then you have heard me speak of this awesomeness creator. I have been watching and listening to her for almost a year now.

One of the most awesome things I get to do at Passion Squared is connect with the best of the best, study them, learn from them, and many times actually meet them offline, then carry that message to my clients and community.

I’m not gonna lie, I am a big fan, and when Larisa and I set our date to meet, I got butterflies in my tummy. Why? Respect. Plain and simple. I knew this girl was special, but I also knew I only knew her online persona. And awesomely enough, she also works in the most beautiful bungalow at Butterfly Loft Salon in Encino. So butterflies were for sure an appropriate emotion.

So what did I learn about what makes Larisa so awesome?

1. Authenticity
Larisa is the real deal. As beautiful inside as out. This is probably the most important thing to learn about her success. Authenticity is everything in today’s world, and you can be Insta famous, have a gazillion followers, but fall flat offline if you are not truly authentic.

2. Focus + Direction
Larisa has such insane clarity of direction and focus for such a young (in years) human. People often ask me what is one of the most common challenges I see working with small businesses in the beauty and wellness worlds. My answer. Focus and direction.

3. She Knows Her Why
Larisa is crystal clear on her why, promise, purpose and target market as a brand. She is consistent in her work, her brand identity, her boundaries, and how she presents her brand and creates stories that matter on Instagram. She knows her brand why. Remember, as the awesome Simon Sinek says, “People don’t buy what you do, they buy WHY you do it.”

4. Instagram Can Build A Business
Larisa learned very early in her short 4-year career as a hairdresser that Instagram would be the platform to engage, connect, build relationships and ultimately grow a business that has her booked until 2016 with 800 people on her waiting list. She chose one platform, she chose to focus intently on it, and she has never wavered. She spends at minimum 2 hours a day creating content, posting and engaging with her followers. You may think 2 hours is a lot of time. My question back to you is are you happy with your marketing plan and how it’s helping you grow your business?

5. Consistency
This could be Larisa’s middle name. Her beautiful work speaks for itself. But what matters even more is her consistency. In branding, in hair, in engagement, in posting, in content creation, and in voice.

Can every stylist have 40K followers and an 800-person waiting list? I don’t really know. But what I do know, is the above traits and actions are just some of the reasons Larisa has been SO successful, and it also happens to be traits and actions I see in many others creating awesome in their business.

As I have said before and I will always say, there is NO secret or magic pill. Creating awesome takes commitment, courage, consistency and most of all caring. And Larisa is all of those things and so much more.

If you are not already, follow @larisadoll and learn. Then go out and create your own kind of awesome.

A big shout out of gratitude and thanks to Larisa, her beautiful, kind and talented BF @dylankelly and David and Alexis, the awesome owners of Butterfly Loft Salon for such a special evening. I am in awe of all of you and so grateful to know you.

(shared with LOVE from Nina)

(awesome photos courtesy of @larisadoll)