Life and Work with Kayla Paul

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kayla Paul.

Kayla, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My story begins with a young girl who fell in love with people. This girl knew that she wanted to give back to the world and help people. She saw brokenness in the world and decided that she wanted to be a part of healing it. She didn’t really know what that looked like, but she did know that she would make a difference in the world no matter how small it seemed. As she grew older, she realized that she had a passion for so many different things: art, fashion, music, psychology, business, and serving people. Taking all of these into consideration, she went to university to get her degree in Psychology. During this time, she moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in modeling, writing and creating art. This girl is me. My story doesn’t end there: I am still working to achieve my goals and I am never completely satisfied with where I am because I am always aware of new things that I can be doing.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road to getting to where I am today was anything but easy: I was actually homeless last year for a little while and I found life to be a struggle filled with pain. I was homeless at the age of 20, which not too many people can say. From this, I learned to work hard and that, when life comes at you, it doesn’t hold back: it comes all at once in a tsunami. Hard work does pay off in the end. I would work 14-hour days just to pay the bills and keep my head above the swirling waters of life.

I learned that things get the hardest right before you reach a pinnacle of success. If you are just starting your journey, it is imperative that you know who you are and that you surround yourself with those who believe in you. Knowing what sets your soul on fire and what you’re passionate about helps make the road less rocky along the way.

Another thing I learned is that it’s okay to ask for help if you need it. If you work on creating a network of people who believe in you and who want to see you succeed, you will have an easier time when you need help the most.

Please tell us about your business.
In regards to what I do, I am currently working as an independent model as well as a freelance writer. The thing that really sets me apart as an artist is that I incorporate my life stories into my work. I take the painful things of the past and find a way to see the beauty in them. I am always looking for ways as an artist to help others, specifically, girls, find their own way.

There’s a wealth of academic research that suggests that lack of mentors and networking opportunities for women has materially affected the number of women in leadership roles. Smart organizations and industry leaders are working to change this, but in the meantime, do you have any advice for finding a mentor and building a network?
If there’s one form of advice I could give to young girls wanting to pursue their dreams, it would be to find a mentor or at least to surround themselves with people who are supportive of the journey. Networking is also a great way to get the support you need in terms of pursuing your dreams and goals. This looks like putting yourself in situations that make it easier to meet those who are either where you would like to be or those who are on the same journey and have similar mindsets and aspirations. I started networking when I met my best friend. I told her my goals and dreams and she knew a lot of people who had similar goals and she was able to get me in contact with girls who could help me out. Sometimes, all it takes is being open with people and letting them know what you need help with.

One thing I had to realize was that, although the world can be a bleak place filled with people who want to come against you, there really are people out there who want to see you succeed. I have been hurt by people and have definitely encountered those who want to see me fail because of their own jealousy. You must be wise in any industry you go into, but you must also be open to making and maintaining new connections. These days, you must always be aware that people are always watching and observing you. This being said, be mindful of how you interact with people since you never know who they could put you into contact with or what they could have to offer you.

Contact Info:

• Phone: 9099571504
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: Instagram.com/Kayla.and.coffee

Image Credit:
Spencer Selover, Joel Hudson

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