Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Lesley Ortiz. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Lesley, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Owning a business isn’t always glamorous and so most business owners we’ve connected with have shared that on tough days they sometimes wonder what it would have been like to have just had a regular job instead of all the responsibility of running a business. Have you ever felt that way?

I can truly say I am very happy as a business owner. I know very well what it is like to work for someone else and in other industries. I enjoyed previous jobs, but it is not quite the same as business ownership. To have full creative freedom and the ability to pave a path for oneself with full autonomy is like having a baby and nurturing its growth as you see fit.

There is no feeling quite the same. It is exhilarating for me. It also comes with a greater passion because I get to do what I love.

There was a time, when I was trying new ideas at work that didn’t seem promising or profitable and a few personal crucible moments compounding as well. I did have a moment of considering going back to working a regular job. The idea crossed my mind in a moment of several challenges in both work and my personal life. Then, I took some time to reflect on the pluses and minuses of my business and compared them to working a regular job. Well, it became glaringly obvious that, despite all the challenges at that time, I was still much happier and feeling more fulfilled owning my own business.

Once I established how much better my life was with my own business, there was no looking back. I had built a seat for myself at the table of business entrepreneurship, I had more flexibility for family and friends, I had creative control and answered to a greater purpose than just purely making money, and I found what gave me a sense of freedom in my work life that I’d never had before. I’m truly grateful to be a business owner and wouldn’t trade it for anything.

Lesley, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Hi, I’m Lesley Ortiz. I was born in Berlin, Germany and grew up influenced by my family lineage of generational service in the military and world travel. I lived internationally most of my life and had worked as a model, actress, and in commerce in my young years. I loved the arts and humanities. Once I finished college, I was commissioned in the military as an officer and worked in government for 22 years, while also being managed as an actress and model during my off time.

At some point, in my professional career, people began asking my advice on leadership, mentorship, fashion, and lifestyle. Word of mouth began increasing the people requesting my advice and I had to start scheduling appointments. Eventually, my schedule became increasingly booked to where I had very little blank space between my career and this hobby advising. My friends began imploring I turn my hobby into a career.

I continued to juggle my military career and my hobby as a side hustle for 3 more years, until I could retire from the government and work full time in my consulting business.

The business became L. W. Atelier and I was consulting full time. The primary service is advising and consulting with an emphasis on branches for image consulting, branding, leadership, business mentoring, and personal style. We also curate apparel, luxury items, and gifts for commerce under the brand and our exclusive brand partners we contract with. We also like to showcase designers and brands that are up and coming or exemplify quality and exquisite style.

What most people don’t know is our business and leadership branch provides services for corporate, large and small business organizations, and individuals aspiring to own a business.
We provide independent analysis to help organizations identify best practices, effective solutions for better efficiency, policy, organizational management, and effective leadership and communication. We also provide seminars and workshops for dressing appropriately for the work environment.

I love booking events and guest speaking at conferences, panels, and engagements answering live questions to help audience members solve their unique challenges, whether in personal style, branding, or business and leadership. We cater solutions around the client.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

I actually had a slow month once that prompted me to try a new approach to growing my clientele and it has by far become one of my most effective strategies to date. My strategy has been providing an irresistible promotion periodically. Our promotions pull in clients through word of mouth and social media. Whether that is a giveaway or a limited time offer or discount on services, it has been a huge success for the company. I love giving freebies occasionally or samples to wet the appetite and show people a taste of what our company can provide for them. I believe strongly in our services and our products, so once people see the quality, they are delighted and love the experience, they can’t imagine going back to life without us. We make even the most arduous tasks feel like the ultimate fun, relaxing, and luxurious experience.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I had two examples of lessons I had to unlearn for business. The first was in the military. As I was coming into retirement and transitioning back into the civilian workforce, I had to unlearn some of the lessons that made me successful in the military. I had to adjust from the very controlled conservative style of military presentation and expressions and embrace my more fluid, creative, feminine approach. I could wear nail polish and grow my nails longer, wear my hair down and long, and wear the clothes I had curated for myself over the years without wearing a uniform everyday.

The second lesson was in business. I had always been taught to keep my ideas and business plans a secret. Then, I learned from my business coach and mentor to share my ideas. He taught me the more I shared my ideas, the better my plan would become. You see, most people will never take your ideas, because the majority of people won’t actually have the drive to do anything with the ideas. They may actually give you good ideas and feedback that will be helpful as you grow and scale. The key is execution and always consider your audience. You will know who you can and can’t share with.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://lwatelier.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/l.w.atelier?igsh=aXN3bjZueXZwbjNo&utm_source=qr
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lesley-ortiz-0200a351?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@lwa777?si=qvxyVIuHHTQEnNcg