Rising Stars: Meet Lisa Voigt of Santa Monica

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lisa Voigt

Hi Lisa, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Hi, my name is Lisa. I am from Germany but moved to Los Angeles like four months ago to pursue my dream of starting my own business. Where does my story begin? Well, probably 31 years ago in a small town named Herzberg, somewhere in the middle of nowhere in East Germany.

As long as I can remember, I’ve always been drawing. I was always more of a quiet, shy person who preferred to spend the whole day alone in my room, drawing. Yes, you could say I was an outsider. But drawing meant everything to me. Drawing was kind of my safe space – it made me feel secure and allowed me to build my own universe. I really enjoyed it. After school, I left my home town and moved to the big city – Berlin. I decided to train as a graphic designer and then studied communication design.

After that, I actually wanted to start working in an advertising agency, a classic graphic design job. But due to a few coincidences, I ended up at a radio station (music is my second great passion besides art). The next five years I worked for various radio stations as an editor and morning show producer. It was a great job and the pay was good, but I still wasn’t satisfied. It just felt like a job and I was always relieved when the workday was over. I had a strong desire for something more creative. I felt like this wasn’t where I was meant to be. This isn’t the end of the road for me.

In October 2022, my boyfriend and I traveled to the USA for the first time together. We had been together for almost 12 years at that point and decided to get married in Las Vegas. During a road trip through Nevada and California, we fell in love with the country and its people. We couldn’t quite explain why, it was more of a gut feeling, but we just had this feeling that we belonged here. It felt like home right away. It was like: this is it. So we decided to sell everything and leave our old life in Germany behind. I decided to quit my 9-5 job and become self-employed. I’ve always dreamed of making a living from my art. I thought, okay, now is the right time and I felt like Los Angeles is the right place to do that. The city’s energy is infectious. It’s so colorful, vibrant, and creative, it’s impossible not to feel inspired.

In September 2023, I founded my company in California: LOLALA (named after my dog Lola and my favorite city in the world: LA). LOLALA is a gift shop business. I design California-themed gifts and souvenirs, such as mugs, bags, dog hoodies and towels. I draw and print everything myself.

After we got our visa in May, we immediately jumped on a plane and moved from Berlin to Los Angeles. Here I sell my products at markets, online and am already represented in over 10 gift and souvenir shops (from Santa Barbara, to Malibu, Santa Monica, Hermosa Beach, San Clemente, and Las Vegas).

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Extreme uncertainty, existential dread and the constant question of ‘What the hell am I doing here?’ – the last 1.5 years, since I decided to completely abandon my old life, leave my secure job and safe environment and venture into the unknown, have been a rollercoaster of emotions.

If you have everything – a great, well-paying job, the dream apartment you’ve always wanted, family and friends right around the corner – why would you give it all up? For what? I didn’t know. But I knew I had to.

I had never been self-employed before and starting my own business while moving to another country pushed me far outside my comfort zone. I started the company and my online shop while still in Germany. So I began building a business on another continent and I had no idea what I was doing. I fought my way through all the paperwork – from company formation, bank account opening, getting business licenses, tax registration, etc. – all thousands of miles away, in a language other than my mother tongue.

But somehow, everything worked out and it progressed step by step. I’ve pushed my limits and achieved things I never thought possible. I’ve grown so much and overcome obstacles that have helped me become a stronger person. Living in LA and running my own business has been an absolute dream, but it’s also been a wild ride. The workload can be intense and there are days when I feel completely overwhelmed. But that’s all part of the process, right?

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’ve been drawing my whole life, but I always dismissed it as just a hobby. I never really thought I would turn my passion into a profession. I graduated with honors and even gave a presentation in front of all the students. My family even came to watch. I was very proud, but I still never thought I was particularly good. There are many artists who are very good. Today I am proud that I have followed my own path and have not let these beliefs limit me. When I told people I wanted to start my own business and design mugs, many laughed at me. Mugs? You can’t make money with that. Well, you can! And I’m very proud that I can now prove that to those people who didn’t believe in me.

Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
Just do it! Listen to your heart! Don’t let others hold you back! You’ll find your way if you follow your gut feeling. I didn’t do that for many years. I just struggled through my whole 20s. The result was dissatisfaction, eating disorders, I just didn’t feel grounded. I didn’t know who I was. But now that I’m 31 I’ve finally found my place. I believe everyone can do that. If you listen to your heart. Don’t do something because it brings you a lot of money, offers security or other people approve of it. Do what makes YOU happy!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://lolalamarket.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lolala_market/

Image Credits
Lisa Voigt