Dreaming Big & Manifesting Your Hustle Into Something More

Kat Lane started working at a very young age and she hasn't stopped the hustle since. We caught up with the Miami-based radio host, creative director, and musician to ask about balance, hustle and working with clothing brand QPED Life. 

She's got the right attitude when it comes to achieving your dreams. 

You started working when you were 12. Can you give us a little bit about your background and what compelled you to start so early? 

It all started on the dance floor. As far back as I can remember I was dancing, acting, and on stage, and because I grew up around people who worked hard at what they loved - I got used to working hard for what I wanted to do from early on.  Age 12 was a big year for me in that I booked my first commercial, I wrote my first song, and recorded the song.  I started pursing my love for dancing, singing, and acting on a level where I was actually making money (imagine that!).  It was definitely a progressive build, but since I was 12, I remember equating the whole "if you do what you love, you'll never work a day of your life" perspective to the fact that I loved expressing myself through music and motivation.

From microphone to desk. How have you balanced the line of creative and business woman?

There are a couple factors here, the first is knowing the importance of working hard and having a willingness to expand your boundaries and grow on different levels.  When I study people I consider "great" at what they do (or did), and see the amount of tenacity, persistence, patience, and ingenuity it took for them to achieve their goals, I clearly understand what I'm taking on, and that it requires both a creative and practical approach. My team at Sound Business Recordings and at QPED Life are branding experts, and have always urged me to stay focused on both aspects (creative and business), as one could not exist without the other.  

The second factor is in having an awesome support system between my family and the awesome company I get to work with.  There's nothing better than to have a team that finds importance and value in the same things you yourself do - and also a team that cares for each other and has each others' backs.  

So what is your role with QPED Life?

I started with QPED Life when it was just a concept that Sean Sloan had created.  The original thought was to create something positive and meaningful in entertainment, and digestible for anyone with an ambition to succeed and be the most they can be.  The concept evolved into the song "QPED", which I sang and recorded, and which contains a lot of the sentiment of what has become the brand QPED Life - ambition, heart, focus, forward movement, honesty to oneself.  Once I really understood the mantras and what the brand stood for, and started seeing the initial apparel designs, I was completely on-board.

I currently consult with QPED Life on the creative side, advising on garments/cuts/fabrics as well as current and future fashion trends. I'll be overseeing our upcoming music program, which you'll hear more about in Q2 of next year, and I'm also a Brand Ambassador for the line.  Basically I get to offer my ideas and expertise/vision of what is possible with the brand - from a variety of angles.   

And why was it important for you to take on another role? 

The entertainment industry is kind of like a creative garden - you can keep planting different herbs/plants/varietals, and they all feed off of the same energy and stem from the same roots.  What I've done and continue to do in music - makes the garden more interesting from the outside as well as internally.  For example, when I'm searching for new records to play in my radio mix, I get music from all over the world.  A great artist is like a journalist reporting on the energy of a particular location or a movement, so many times I get reports that help me spot trends way ahead of the curve.  I use this during our QPED Life discussions on new designs, marketing campaigns, social media, and more.  Best of all, I get to bring ME to whatever I get involved with, and being in multiple roles allows me to have different ways to reach & connect with people.  

What is it about the company that’s unique?

QPED Life is a communal brand that's all about bringing people UP, and this translates from the designs down to the people involved with the company.  The owners of QPED Life have a strong belief in the physical aspect of human interaction, which is a fresh take in an era where we're all staring at our phones for a good portion of the day!  I think the overall positive messaging and encouragement of dreaming big and putting thoughts into action - is something I believe is not only healthy, but absolutely necessary.

"Dreaming big and putting thoughts into action - is something I believe is not only healthy, but absolutely necessary."

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There is also a level playing field at QPED Life, so doesn't matter if you're a guy or a girl, young/old, etc - your ideas and your work ethic are what are most valued and critiqued.  I get a lot of hands-on training and no matter what happens, I know the brand will have my back, and that's not something that everyone can always bet on.  

What’s a phrase or image that you really want to put on a shirt? 

Love over Hate.  We actually made a shirt with Love over Hate a few years ago - prior to launching QPED Life.  With the recent political atmosphere, this is a phrase that could really help unite people over what really matters to all of us.  Another phrase I'm drawn to is "Shoot for the Moon", and we actually just made a design with this phrase for Kat Lane fans!  I really love this piece, you can check it out here:  www.katlanemusic.com/merch

How do you see the company growing?

I've seen the company grow from a set of principles, to a song, then designs, and eventually to a real clothing line.  You're going to see a lot of growth from QPED Life over the next 2 years, from expansion of the line/designs to accessories, live events, and one huge surprise that will be revealed around June/July 2017 :)

But on a basic level, the messages of motivation and positivity will continue to be conveyed in many different platforms - anywhere the message could make a difference in someone's life.  The goal is to grow organically to where people understand and support the spirit of the brand and then the actual physical products - because this is the underlying purpose of why we do what we do at QPED Life. 

Do you think it’s important for women to have more than one hustle? 

Whether it's for women or for men, hustling just to have a hustle doesn't work, I really feel like you have to work for something that's important to you - and only then will hustle manifest into something more.  Our belief has always been quality over quantity - so when you put your heart into something, it will grow into things we never could have imagined.  Entertainment in general is important for me - I've always been creative, so having different "hustles" means having different avenues to utilize and share my creativity.

"You have to work for something that's important to you - and only then will hustle manifest into something more."

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"Shoot from the heart,” what does that mean to you?

"Shoot from the Heart" is a message of going for something with honesty for who you are, and giving it all you've got.  It's all about being true to yourself. 

If we were to find you anywhere at 7am, where would it be?

Radio!  I host on weekend mornings on Miami's #1 pop station - the New Hits 97.3

If we were to find you somewhere at midnight, where would that be?

Radio!  I have a mixshow on Friday nights too :D  I spend a lot of time outside of the office with QPED Life - experiencing life, and since the customer is now the real boss with retail as well as with music and so much more - I like to get out and meet people as much as I can!

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Kat Von D on Making it in a Male-Dominated Industry

Most of us got acquainted with tattoo artist, Kat Von D from her appearances on both Miami Ink and LA Ink.  Shortly after her reality debut, the starlet got approached by the big beauty bosses at Sephora, in 2008, to start her own makeup line. The self-proclaimed beauty junkie instantly found herself in another successful business venture with Kat Von D Beauty. Not only did she recently relaunch her entire collection to be a vegan and cruelty-free brand, but Kat has also created cult favorites that have consistently found a place on Sephora’s Bestsellers list. In a recent conversation with James Vincent at The Makeup Show Chicago, Kat candidly talked on how involved she is in building her beauty brand and how she uses creativity to stay inspired in the ever growing industry. 

How did it start for you and what inspired the beauty line?

I think I got lucky in a lot of ways. When I was first on Miami Ink that’s when the people at Sephora were interested in seeing what my perspective was on makeup. I think they were surprised of how much of a beauty junkie I was at the time. I was already a Beauty Insider. I was a card carrying member and everything. They saw the opportunity for something different and unique. We started off with four lipsticks. The idea was to create the four perfect shades of red. Even back then I’m like ‘Oh this is so much. I can’t believe it. I’m the luckiest girl in the world’. I thought I was going to make one lipstick, fast forward to now, and we got 3 million lipsticks. Obviously it’s not that easy there is so much work in it. I think there are different ways to go about creating your own makeup line. For me, I don’t have absolutely any interest in pouring myself into anything if I’m not going to do it 110%. So there are a lot of people who just want to put their name on something, they don’t show up, just collect a paycheck, and hope it does well. As for me, [I’m] somewhat micromanaging but creatively involved in the entire process. 

I get asked a lot by people ‘How do I start my own makeup line?’ I think that I am the worst at giving advice but I do think that we’re in a day and age where it’s important to go back to handmade. That’s why I love Etsy. Anybody who has a small business that means you can do it out of your garage or your living room. And I think that’s something to be celebrated.  I connect with something that’s made with love versus mass produced or computer generated. Not to knock computers. Because computers are cool too, but there is this certain magic that happens when it has the human fingerprint on it. 

"I connect with something that’s made with love versus mass produced."

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I just always tell people: figure it out. If you really want, you can do it. There are a ton of great independent brands out there that don’t get enough love, that are vegan and cruelty free, that are producing things that are really pushing the envelope as far as artistry goes. When you get into the corporate world it’s a lot easier to play it safe, but what’s the fucking fun in that? So I celebrate all the indie brands as much as possible. 

Tell us about your artistry and what you think defines an artist.

I don’t feel worthy enough to answer that. I do like to make things with my hands and with my mind, and heart so I guess that can be called an artist or a creator. I think art is one of humanity’s most redeeming qualities in this world where we are so selfish. We shit on everything and never really give anything back, and I’m talking about Mother Nature.  It’s constantly taking and not producing. When you’re an artist its one of the most selfless acts you can do. You are giving whether you inspire somebody or make something beautiful. That’s so crucial and so important. And if we do want to be remembered by something let’s hope that it is art in a world like today where you have an orange person telling us bull shit things.

How do you come up with some of your product ideas?

We do treat every product like a snowflake in a sense that the creative process may come in a different way. Sometimes it’s the idea [first]. For example when I had the Butterfly Effect collection I figured out the art direction first. Then there are other times where it’s like the Alchemist Palette where I had this specific vision for the formula first and then you know the component and everything else came later. As far as shade names, that’s the fun part, that’s like the dessert. I get to name shades after my best friends [or] my exes. It’s almost like a little tiny love letter. Also I’m inspired by music so you guys will find that the majority of the shade names are like songs or lyrics or band names, just overall muses. 

As a female in a male-dominated industry what is the piece of advice to finding your own success?

We live in a male-dominated world with an exception of very few fields out there, actually makeup artistry being one of them. Makeup artistry is made up with the majority of female. As a tattooer I remember before the TV shows I didn’t have any girlfriends that were tattoo artist. I feel that the best representation of feminism is not making your gender an issue because that’s the problem in the beginning. I don’t want people getting tattooed by me because I am a girl. That would be the opposite of feminism. I want them to get tattooed by me because of my work. You want that to speak for itself. I don’t care if you are a girl or boy or chimpanzee. If you’re good, you’re on my team. 

"I don’t care if you are a girl or boy or chimpanzee. If you’re good, you’re on my team."

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What are some tips for artists for keeping themselves inspired?

I don’t know what it’s like to be bored. If I have any downtime I’m looking at trees. I’m going to sound like a hippie right now, but trying to understand and label what it is when light shines through a leaf. I think these things are really inspiring. Also people, if we practiced looking at each and find this special beautiful thing about them, oh my God, you are going to fall in love everyday like I do. I think inspiration is all around us. You can ask my team I drag them to so many museums. I’m like a total art nerd about it. I think that is something worship worthy.

There are times where I am completely depressed. I don’t need makeup to be happy but then I get a new palette and I look at it and its like ‘Oooh I like this color combination!’ It’s just that little tiny thing [that] gets us excited about tomorrow.

Is there one thing you love the most about your beauty line?

It’s not a product. I love all the products. I use everything that I make. I think it’s mainly the interaction. This makeup line has introduced me to such an amazing new world that I really wasn’t apart of before, especially after being made fun of as a kid at school for using black eyeliner as lipstick and shaving my head into a Mohawk. It’s nice to celebrate unconventional beauty together. I would say 40%, because 60% of the screenshots in my phone are my cat, but 40% of my screenshots are of you guys. I try my best to repost it or reproduce it and give credit. I think my favorite part of being involved in the makeup world is you guys. 

Adrienne Gadling reported this from The Makeup Show Chicago. She is the editor-in-chief of IAMSADIDDY.com 

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