We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Christa Holt a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Christa thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s go back in time a bit – can you share a story of a time when you learned an important lesson during your education?

Just recently, in class, we went over the mock interview with our peers. There was this one classmate of mine who I had been in class with for a while. She has been in the same job for quite some time. Which, in my eyes, shows an excellent background in commitment and loyalty. When she speaks about wanting a new career, doing something different, or having a more significant impact, She contently says she doesn’t know or wants to learn. When I hear her speak about her current position, though, I realize that she already has the tool, and she knows more than she can even imagine. So the moral of my story is sometimes we all go through periods of Imposture syndrome. We all know and are capable of so much. What is holding us back is the belief in ourselves to make a change and do better. Through this lesson, I learned that I am the one who has the keys to my success door. I will not be able to hire someone in my business that holds that key. I will not be able to seek a mentor for guidance to hold that key. Buying a building with my name across it does not hold that key. Or whatever else a young entrepreneur thinks will set them free to success. Often we are looking up and reaching for the hand to give up the keys to success. Although doing these things will assist you when the time is right. THE KEY TO THE SUCCESS DOOR IS INSIDE OF YOU! You have to believe in yourself. The whole world can believe in you, but until you believe, you will not see success. The more important lesson here is that you measure your amount of success. You, as a person, hold that bar; you are allowed to move it once you have determined that it should be moved; you can set it as high as you would like.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I am Christa Holt, the Founder of Mermaid Strands LLC; at Mermaid Strands LLC, we have a purpose of serving the community with beautiful hair and making the whole world into their most unique version of being a Mermaid/Mermen/Merfolk that one can imagine. I am a Paul Mitchell graduate with both operator and instructor license in the state of texas. I have strong skills in teaching. I have taught many open-minded Merfolks how to braid, build/style wigs, and anything hair related. As far as serving my Mermaids, I allow them to be their unique selves from the moment they sit in my chair in a non-judgmental space, enabling them to transform into their most authentic version of themself. This could include cutting their hair shorter, braiding their hair in intricate braids, adding extensions( for color, length, density, or all of the above), or creating a custom wig. I enjoy being on set and styling hair creations for music videos, Couture photo shoots, or even everyday shoots for headshots. Through the year 2022, I have traveled to some exhilarating locations and had a hand in being the magic maker for these types of events. I also work on the sales team at APP Adtech Promotional Products, INC. This is a family-owned business that has been sustained solely by my granny for the past two decades. (She is one of the most impressive entrepreneurs I have ever met.) At APP Adtech Promotional Products, INC. We serve our customers by being the distributor of anything you can put your business name on. Hats, shirts, cups, mugs, swag items for important events, anything you can think of. My grandad once got our business name printed on walnut shell just to say we can print on anything you could imagine. We work with most local companies and agencies, providing our skilled customer service.

Can you share one of your favorite marketing or sales stories?

Before I go into this story I would like to start with. Make sure you have contracts. Verbal agreements mean very little when it comes to he said she said. Marketing is one of the most essential but challenging parts of owning a business. You have all these companies trying to sell you their strategies and tell you that they can help you scale your business. The toughest pill to swallow is that it is expensive when you go those routes, and they don’t always work out in your favor. In 2021-22 I spend an incredible amount with a marketing company. While it was working in a way, I was still learning what my image should be. I had so many “heads” in my business telling me, “it should be this or should be that.” When it boiled down to the quicks, and I looked up to see what that marketing had done for me, I realized I had nothing to show for it. It was a good lesson learned about what not to do.
Investing in marketing is a great idea when you have a proven strategy and plan mapped out. When you change your mind midstream, it stops the process, and feelings get hurt. It’s okay to change your mind by all means. Just make sure you have a solid goal in mind and hold yourself accountable don’t let anyone sway your thought process.
The moral of that story is that word of mouth and networking is the most efficient way of building your business. It takes longer, and you must trust the process, but it is a tried and true method. Trust it!

Any advice for managing a team?

The most extensive advice I have for managing a team and maintaining high morale is to pay attention to your employees. People will tell you who they are and their intentions for you and your business/project. If someone or something isn’t working, pay attention and have compassion for them. If they start to change how they show up, it is ok to let them go. Make sure you set boundaries to protect yourself and your business/project. Dealing with people is my favorite part of life. People are beautiful and unique. We do have to remember, though, that life changes, and everyone’s destiny isn’t your destiny. I have noticed when the wind blows; people wake up in a different world every day. As hard as it is to let people and things go, just remember there will not be another like that person, but there will be someone more suited to your business/project needs.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.mermaidstrandsllc.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mermaidstrandsllc/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MermaidStrandsLLC

Image Credits
Ninasarahphina Lillylilova Kendrina Marie Belle Ultimate face make up Cassandra Hierholzer Brieannaimanee Sirens Robery Trailer park studio Tyler Sanders Paul Mitchell Gabriella Tropea Malloryy_s