Now & Center: Entrepreneurial Voices from the Margin

Creating Safe Brave Spaces & Permission to be Liberated with Lauren L.A. Zwicky, Founder of Hair by L.A. Zwicky and Scorpio Palace

July 19, 2022 Karen Bartlett Episode 13
Now & Center: Entrepreneurial Voices from the Margin
Creating Safe Brave Spaces & Permission to be Liberated with Lauren L.A. Zwicky, Founder of Hair by L.A. Zwicky and Scorpio Palace
Show Notes Transcript

Episode Description:  

Karen talks with Lauren L.A. Zwicky, Founder of Hair by L.A. Zwicky and Owner/Operator of Scorpio Palace, about being a multi-hyphenate creative and business owner, including bringing all of the things together and balancing creativity and process with being a longtime perfectionist.  They discuss redefining failure, finding aligned mentorship in a competitive industry, and the challenges of being on the front edge of change.

Links:

Schedule an Exploratory Call with Karen: https://calendly.com/karenbartlett/30min

Learn more about Kite + Dart Group:  www.kiteanddartgroup.com

Register for an upcoming event:  https://www.eventbrite.com/o/the-kite-dart-group-16435043586

Learn more about Hair by LA Zwicky:  www.lazwicky.com 

Learn more about Scorpio Palace:  www.Scorpiopalace.com

Connect with Carin Huebner at Public Good Media:  publicgood.media

Original music credit goes to DJ Ishe:  https://soundcloud.com/ishe

00:00.00

kitedart

Hello everybody and welcome to this week's session of Now & Center. I'm super excited for my guest that I have here today. I am with Lauren L.A. Zwicky, and gosh, I'm not even exactly sure how long we've known each other but I feel like it's probably been like a year and a half for a couple years and have had the opportunity to work with Lauren in quite a few different capacities. So Lauren, thank you so much for being here. Welcome to Now & Center.


00:27.18

Lauren Zwicky

Thank you! It's my pleasure and yeah I can't believe it. It's already been I think almost two years because I was checking the dates on our last session for Kite + Dart and that was may of last year so it's been at least a year and a half


01:19.58

kitedart

Of last year yeah that's so funny. It's time is weird and like since covid hit and I don't it's hard to relate to things somewhat. But um, yeah I'm I really it's it's just been really fun. Um.


01:03.10

Lauren Zwicky

Time flies.


01:58.48

kitedart

To see the different ways sort of I think that that our worlds have like interweaved and overlapped in that kind of thing and and just I feel like we've gotten to do some super fun Things. So I'm excited to have you here I'd love to ask if just to start off with if you would share about your businesses. And share share what it is you do and the difference you make.


02:07.64

Lauren Zwicky

Yeah, totally. So um I am a hairstylist none and foremost so I run my own studio called hair by la's wiki um, and that's been a part of my life for about None ears I've also been in the music and art scene in Denver for about None so that's included deejaying event programming mostly like lots of really fun dance parties and then the art side of things has a lot to do with like installation work. I was a part of a queer art collective called secret love so pretty. Ah multi hyphenate. Um and then currently running my studio out of a warehouse space formerly known as an oceopouuls currently branded as scorpio palace where we do event programming.


04:13.94

kitedart

Cool. Thank you? Um, and I'm just gonna call out that um laur now does my hair. So fabulous. Fabulous work there I unfortunately haven't gotten to come to any of the events at Scorpio Palace yet I will soon it just the timing hasn't worked.


03:55.96

Lauren Zwicky

Um.


04:14.70

Lauren Zwicky

Yeah, totally.


04:53.20

kitedart

Um, so I'd love to like have you because I think that um like you said multi hyphenated right? like what you're doing is is there's there's a lot of diverse things that you're doing and I know from a traditional context a lot of times people would be like like. Oh you're all over the place kind of thing but you know we come from this place of alignment to who we are as individuals. So could you just share a little bit more about um, kind of whatever you'd like to share about Scorpio Palace about your space and how like. All the work that you do kind of comes together.


05:45.12

Lauren Zwicky

Definitely yeah, so just a little little backstory context I'd have been in boulder going to school got my degree in contemplative psychology from neropa and while I was there I met my. Best friend Isaac Linder and they were already ah deeply involved in the music scene in Denver specifically this space that I'm in now. Um, and so we just really connected over that and it became kind of my none introduction to the music and art community in Denver. So right? after graduating I moved to Denver specifically to start deejaying throwing events ah became a booking manager a touring manager so that kind of led me into the music scene and then. Through that it was like okay I was doing that for a while and it was fun but I could already tell pretty quickly I was in my mid 20 s at the time that like I was going to get burnout so fast like I was not able to show up in the way that I wanted in the music scene at the time and I felt like I was just fighting the tide. And so took a little walkabout moment went to ah berlin hung out there and while I was there I was just thinking. Okay, how am I going to bring all of these worlds together I have this deep emphasis on psychology and the reason that was attractive to me was to. Connect with people None on one but I couldn't find the right context for it and while I was in Berlin people kept asking me about my hair because I had been doing it myself and asking me if I was a hairstylist and so the light bulb went off while I was there I was like oh my gosh this would be my opportunity to. Ah, set my own hours my own creativity I get to be myself most authentically like that I just like as a hairstylist you have to show up as you are. That's what attracts people. To you so it kind of brought all of those worlds together. So that's what brought me back to denvers to start doing hair. Um and it was it was a it was a rough journey I was entering the field a little bit later than most like in my later twenty s rather than like right out of high school. But now in retrospect I think that really ah served me in a lot of ways because I was very focused I was like I'm gonna make up for lost time and I kept I kept ah connected to deejing to the music scene while doing that. So.


11:09.86

Lauren Zwicky

For a while there felt like okay I've got this music promotion side of me and then I'm trying to run my hair business There's a lot of crossover especially in my clientele like so many of my clients were already part of my music community. So I was able to lean on that so I was. Having these conversations with people in my chair ah about the music scene you know so it was just everything was kind of overlapping and you know like I say I'm somebody who wants to figure out how to bring all the worlds together. In a more efficient way and then recently summer of last year I was daydreaming one day and I was like okay I need I need this space I just need this space to kind of bring all of my different creative endeavors together under None roof. And I posted on Facebook just daydreaming out loud about this and somebody from the community hit me up and said that the old rhinoceropolis warehouse where I had like come up in the music scene. It was a. Place where I very none deejayed through my none party was deeply involved in that was kind of my origination point in the scene the lease was available for the none time in 17 years so I jumped on that immediately and things moved so quickly. Ah, like breakne speed but in such a beautiful auspicious way and so now ah we have I it's my mullet joke. It's business in the front party in the back. So I have a hair studio in the front and then we have our event space. Ah, in the back portion of the warehouse. Ah yeah, so was but that was my long-winded answer.


15:20.80

kitedart

Yeah, no I love that I love that story and I I just like as you were talking Lauren it just has me kind of thinking like like you said auspicious right? that that when we. Approach business from such an authentic aligned way right? and then we follow that inspiration and we put things out in the world. It's really cool and amazing. What can happen and how quickly right? like that happened really quickly. Um I just think that that's super super cool and I think that it's sort of like. Um, in in my jargon it or my my speak. It's like the universe is like yeah you're on the right track like keep going and I think that's super cool how that all played out.


16:15.44

Lauren Zwicky

Definitely yeah and I felt like it was the fruition of whether consciously or unconsciously planting these little seeds within the community these connections these networks and when I made that call it was like.


17:02.46

kitedart

Um, yeah.


16:50.43

Lauren Zwicky

Oh my gosh. That's it. It's like I can bring people in in multiple capacities. We can all wait now we have a place to gather regather because of the historical like importance of this space in the scene. Um, it felt very meaningful. And yes, like just to resonate back what you said it's just like it's in the last year that I felt like a lot clicked for me in terms of the business side of things that allowed me to do away with ah the internalized list of things. Um, which we could get more specific about. But. Ah, kind of get out of my own way and remember why I'm attracted to all these different modalities of self-expression and be able to connect all the dots and create this I just I feel sometimes like I get a little esoteric because I'm a creative. But visuals of like those those connections throughout the community and being able to be this like physical location that can pull all of those pieces in together.


19:32.74

kitedart

Yeah I love that you just said connection there because earlier you said something about um the bringing people together and bringing all the things together in an effective way and in my brain like the first the the word that came to me was like in a very connected way. Um.


19:35.64

Lauren Zwicky

Um.


20:08.82

kitedart

and and I think that that connection piece is important. Um I'd love to maybe? um, if you don't mind dive into if you're willing dive into. Some of those challenges some of those things that you went through right? like this is this is a quote unquote business podcast right? like it is business and it's also like coming from this this place of values and and alignment and authenticity. But from that business perspective I think so often. People and and I think we've been told that right you start a business and like everything's just going to click and it's going to work really fast and you can all of a sudden have everything working in three months just the way you want it or whatever. So I think there's a lot there would you be willing to share. What some of those challenges were that you went through what you learned how were you able to get out of your own way.


21:25.36

Lauren Zwicky

Totally yeah I mean a lot of it was just this contradiction ah or like internal battle of being a part of this very wild D I y. Chaos reigns kind of seen and loving that. But then the other side of me that was a perfect that is a perfectionist I don't know if we want to put it in past tense Present Tense. We're still working through that but was very yeah.


22:53.86

kitedart

Um, work in progress. My dear me too.


22:39.40

Lauren Zwicky

I mean I've been of really intense perfectionist for as long as I can remember since I was little and that being such a prevalent part of my life which has like made me really good at things but also created this horrible feel of fear of failure in me. So. It's just been a wild journey personal journey of being attracted to these spaces that are all about process and expression and putting yourself out there. You know and in any creative modality and then being over here being this little like but if it's not perfect. I Can't show anybody and it's been a very self-limiting belief in a lot of regards. Um, and so I think it's just been this process of of learning to let that go because it it is a characteristic of patriarchy and white supremacy. And capitalism and knowing that like I gotta just go for it and that failure does not equal Death. It's not like the worst thing in the world and when I lifted that weight off of my shoulders. It was really beautiful to see what took up that space.


25:38.28

kitedart

Um, ah.


25:13.10

Lauren Zwicky

Afterwards, um, a really a lot more connection to my heart space and what I authentically wanted to express because that gave me the confidence to to put that out there and and and the trust that even if somebody were to view it as quote unquote Failure. So Okay because it it was from me and that's a part of me. So yeah.


26:26.92

kitedart

Yeah, thanks for sharing that can you is there anything more that you can pinpoint around what helped you be able to be okay with failure. Quote unquote like because I'm hearing the the trying to like just let go of the perfectionism work in progress. Um, but be able to be okay with failure I think that that's such a huge I think those 2 things are so huge in business. Um, for folks to to overcome.


27:13.40

Lauren Zwicky

Yeah I think it's a lot of of shifting perspective and kind of re defining what failure even actually is for me. Um, you know I felt like I was.


27:44.76

kitedart

What helped you be able to do that.


28:09.00

kitedart

Oh.


27:50.72

Lauren Zwicky

Labeling a lot of things as failure when they were just part of the learning process. Ah you know it was either or thinking it was right and wrong. You either get it perfect or it's not good at all. Ah, so just.


28:25.20

kitedart

Yeah.


28:22.20

Lauren Zwicky

Giving a lot more breathing room in between and redefining what failure actually is because when I looked at it or tried to grab it. It was pretty. It was actually a pretty slippery concept like what? what who who's telling me I'm failing. No but not no.


29:17.54

kitedart

Right.


28:55.48

Lauren Zwicky

But really, there's not been anybody in my life Fortunately, who has looked at me and said you're a failure that is a failure. Um, so remembering that of like ah no, that's for me to define and if I'm giving myself a new definition Then. Ah, gives me a lot of room to grow.


30:03.98

kitedart

Yeah I Love that I think that's so True. We're the ones who put that on ourselves like we may think it's coming externally but usually it is coming internally. Um and I'd love to call out that you brought up the either or thinking right? and and we've had a lot of conversations around this around you know, just the the trappings of. White supremacist culture and that perfectionism and the either or thinking like those 2 things together are so powerful in a not good way like so destructive in terms of um and you know keeping us small keeping us like.


30:27.64

Lauren Zwicky

Ah, what I.


31:15.12

kitedart

Keeping us quiet keeping us small keeping us afraid of going out and playing that big game. Um, because you know either. We're perfect or we're not and that there is this whole great big gray area in between and and. And that it can be a both and too like I've been playing around with that a lot in my thinking not just all of the gray in between but also like that it can be this and this at the same time and yeah, so I think that's ah, that's great. Um, thank you for sharing that.


31:45.40

Lauren Zwicky

Totally.


32:30.62

kitedart

I'm curious if there's anything else. You'd like to share about just any of the other struggles or challenges that you've had as a business owner and then we'll kind of pull it into today Let's let's none just see if there's any other kind of challenges and struggles that you had. In, you know in the earlier phases or anywhere I guess.


32:43.10

Lauren Zwicky

Yeah, yeah, definitely when it was contemplating that question. The none thing that came up was a lot of the struggles I went through becoming a hairdresser. Um that this I put myself through a four year degree I've traveled I've done all these different endeavors. And when I chose to become a hairdresser. It is one of the most challenging endeavors I have ever taken on. Um, you know so many type blood sweat tears shears. You know all of it is because I was.


34:15.20

kitedart

Um, yeah.


33:57.72

Lauren Zwicky

Trying to make up for lost time like I mentioned earlier so I was putting all this pressure on myself jumping into what is ultimately a really cool apprenticeship program that I went through very unique in that you get to be mentored as a hairdresser while you're getting licensed so you're getting your hours.


34:26.40

kitedart

Yeah.


34:35.26

Lauren Zwicky

You're learning your foundational techniques and you get to be in the salon with Stylus already work on the floor which is unique to most programs. You're usually stuck just working on inanimate objects mannequin heads and not really getting a whole lot of hands on experience and then you're shot out into the industry.


35:26.26

kitedart

Ah, ah.


35:15.10

Lauren Zwicky

With little to no mentorship or experience and our retention rate is terrible for the industry you know which is funky right? You think you can toss a pebble and hit 10 hairstylists. Um, but out of those None how many are actually like keeping their head above water feel confident in their skills. So mentorship was. Was the biggest challenge because even though I was in an apprenticeship program trying to find a mentor that aligned with my values and ah was willing to share their knowledge was so frustrating and difficult and. I went through a couple different salons couple different mentorships and I felt like I was practically begging to be taught and and that's how the industry is situated. It is one of those things where you gotta earn your place and.


37:19.20

kitedart

Then one.


37:09.36

Lauren Zwicky

Why would I share my knowledge with you I've taken years to build my knowledge you you gotta learn it yourself and I'm like but why and it's competition. You know it's competition. Everybody's viewed as competition. We're all vying for the same clients. So then that didn't feel good. Ah, authentic is like treating people as if they were commodities my clients these people belonged to me so none of that was resonating with me so I was getting really frustrated like None not even being able to access the technical side of the knowledge and then once I had.


38:17.60

kitedart

Oh.


38:21.48

Lauren Zwicky

Gained a little bit of experience in that really not being able to find anybody who was emulating a business model that I felt like was truly authentic and and ethical in a lot of ways. So um, you know and our industry is structured in pretty much 2 2


39:09.12

kitedart

Ah.


39:00.92

Lauren Zwicky

Paths You're either a commission stylist which is usually the path that new stylists take where you're technically an employee of ah of a salon or of the salon owner and you're getting a certain percentage of commission on off of every service. Um and it rarely goes above 50% So after a while if you're getting busy behind the chair and you've got enough clients that margin closes and you get it caps you know you can't really make more than 50% whereas then you kind of move into a booth renter and. Then you are an independent contractor working within a salon or as I am now completely Independently. So Then you're your own business so that has its whole set of challenges and there's not I Mean. Of course, there's resources. But there's not anything particularly concise and I really got shot out into the world of being independent. It really wasn't a choice. It was kind of an ultimatum given to me by the owner of the salon I was at and it was under very poor circumstances but it happened.


41:29.64

kitedart

Ah.


41:22.64

Lauren Zwicky

And it allowed me to have a lot more freedom in some regards there was pros and cons but I was just like ah you what do I do I don't even know how to like book keep myself who who do I talk to about this.


42:17.16

kitedart

Ah.


41:59.32

Lauren Zwicky

Um, and pair pair that with again, my perfectionism and fear that like if I didn't pay my taxes right or didn't book keep right that my whole business was going to be seized and just all these fears just had me so locked up. That I could barely even focus on what I was doing in the chair. Why I was even there to begin with yeah I It was a lot of you know it was just years and years of being driven by fear rather than being able to focus on my passion.


43:15.96

kitedart

Yeah.


43:29.30

kitedart

Um, yeah, so.


43:14.40

Lauren Zwicky

And connection with people.


43:53.18

kitedart

Some of the things I heard in there right? like None is the fear again right in perfectionism and how those None like work really nicely together to like be paralyzing and and then I also just wanted to bring out the just the competition right? and this capitalist world and. I know that you have had such a deep commitment to like yes you want and deserve to make money and how can you do it? Um, in a way that feels ethical in a way that isn't just about competition isn't about making people a commodity and I really appreciate that. And and I think you've done some cool things to bridge that gap or and and gap's probably not the right word but to kind of bridge. Both sides of yes, you have a business and capitalism is the system we have and. Being ethical and treating people. Well so I think that if that's one thing I'd love to just kind of call out from what I know of you I don't know if you want to share any examples. The none thing that came to mind for me even is just like your pricing model is super cool.


45:38.60

Lauren Zwicky

Right? Yeah, So I mean it wasn't all bad and like the the wonderful beautiful thing about my industry in particular is because you're independent you you can kind of make your own rules right? It's like I once I switched my thinking on that of like no. But he's telling me what I should do and then I was like oh nobody's telling me which I should do Oh I get to tell myself what to do oh cool and then like then it's like oh I have to trust myself to know what is best for my business and my clients. So Then the empowerment piece came in of like.


46:48.20

kitedart

Yeah.


47:05.98

kitedart

1


46:50.40

Lauren Zwicky

Do have these skills I do have this knowledge. How do I want to create the structure in my business so that people know when they come to me. They're getting a particular experience. So from the jump to step it back a little bit. From the moment I started doing hair I made a commitment that my pricing my so or my service excuse me were going to be gender free services I was like 1 of the none None people in Denver to even offer that and and it's and that was a struggle in and of itself like trying to exist in the industry as it was. I was not getting clients because I wasn't showing up on as even as an option when people were going to click a service online to book they default to you know men's or women's haircut and then it would filter people to stylists that were available for those but since mine weren't gender free unless they saw to go click.


48:48.68

kitedart

Ah.


48:39.86

Lauren Zwicky

Ah, length based price I wouldn't even come up as an option so fighting that battle is very challenging but I am so glad I stuck with it because finally people started to catch up and they're like oh right? yeah like it's a None century


49:18.88

kitedart

Yeah, um.


49:18.36

Lauren Zwicky

Hair has no gender. So I was really I was really happy when the tide started to shift people were getting on board with that so that was kind of the first first unique thing that I was able to ah situate in my business and then yeah in the last year I decided to go gratuity free pricing. Um, which paired very well with my gender-free services. So now I was able to set an hourly price which was felt very empowering like now I know my worth I can be able to confidently say this is my skills is worth my time. You know this is what my time is worth um. And because I had curated such a rad progressive open-minded clientele they bear they I had to trust them too right? Then it's like it's not just me as a business I have to have patrons I have to have clients and putting trust in them that they're going to be down with the decisions I make. Um, and the boundaries they create around my business and so yeah, they barely bad an eye and they were like oh my god that's so cool because I was noticing already. There's like I'm always trying to tune into what's coming next and kind of get in a little beforehand of like all right? How do we subvert the norm. In these little or big ways and it was through our session with Kite + Dart last year. Um with my business cohort that that idea kind of bubbled up and I'd been hearing about it through Instagram through other. Ah, hairstylists and salons switching to a gratuity-free pricing structure. So it prompted me to do a little more research and it was just like oh yeah I mean tipping is inherently racist sexist capitalist like we all know this. It's a. Gnarly exchange of power where somebody gets to ah punish you or benefit you depending on how they feel about you. So it's a really passivearesive gesture I've noticed that the younger generation is just like a tipping. Why.


53:47.72

kitedart

Yeah.


53:33.48

Lauren Zwicky

What are you talking about? Why is it not just the price. You said it was online so just making the exchange more straightforward and ah yeah, it was just I was surprised by the ease around introducing that and then that it actually felt like it.


54:12.68

kitedart

Writes.


54:12.64

Lauren Zwicky

Bolstered the trust between myself and my clients.


54:46.22

kitedart

Yeah,, that's really cool and I do I know that that was that that was challenging to to take that on and I Love how you talked about you know in business right? There's this synergy between between you and your clients. And that there's it's a relationship and there is this trust and there is this Um, just that it goes both ways and that when you have the clients that are aligned to you. They trust you you can trust them right? that it just really is about that relationship and. Of that transactionalized idea of a business right? and and it it sounds like it was super empowering and and again it's just to me. It just comes down to that alignment right? and that when things are aligned and you do things you don't have to. As Entrepreneurs. We don't have to follow the rules and they really love that right? And so you're able to come up with something that works for you and works for your clients and because everything is so well aligned it just continued to work you know So I'm wondering you brought up. Um you brought up.


56:19.68

Lauren Zwicky

Yeah.


56:36.60

Lauren Zwicky

Have.


57:22.74

kitedart

The idea of like sexism racism ah in terms of tipping which has me wondering are there any other challenges that you think you faced as a business owner specifically because of any of your identities.


57:23.70

Lauren Zwicky

I Yeah I mean we'll just take it back to the like being being openly queer and immediately baking that into how I was going to approach hair and hair services. Um. In some regards it was not a challenge. It attracted a really wonderful clientele that had been with me for years now. Um, because I was able to show that I was someone who was safe. To be in the chair with that I wasn't going to approach it of like I needed to tell you how your hair needs to look in order to align with your identity. Um, so honestly, it's It's really felt good to connect with people in that. But the challenge was um people I worked for not understanding me. A lot of labeling a lot of erasure like I say you know because I was doing Gender-free pricing. There was not a lot of visibility there and I was really having to fight extra hard to find my clientele and it felt like a lot of convincing. Um.


01:00:10.56

kitedart

No.


59:47.16

Lauren Zwicky

Like yeah, no, it's still the same I still have the same talents. They're just labeled differently or access access differently. Ah yeah, and then more recently thinking thinking that I had found a space.


01:00:28.22

kitedart

Ah, have.


01:00:25.66

Lauren Zwicky

To be safely queer and then it was the opposite of that and it was actually used against me and weaponized against me um, used as a tool of manipulation so it was just like okay well I can't find a home for myself in this city. You know I mean I say it often like perceived as too too straight for the queer crowd too too queer for the straight crowd and again it's just that either or of like you have to be None or the other and it just it didn't it didn't feel authentic to me so I was like you know what? I'm gonna I'm gonna go. To go do my own thing not have anybody getting on my case about who I am or how I express myself or trying to box that in and tell me if I'm queer enough. So yeah, that was a wild one at None


01:02:07.58

kitedart

Yeah, yeah.


01:02:33.58

kitedart

Yeah.


01:02:14.30

Lauren Zwicky

Have my identity challenged in that way I didn't know that that I didn't know we were out here trying to tell each other what each other's identities and sexualities were I thought that was something that was for you yourself to decide.


01:03:03.90

kitedart

Um, yeah, yeah, well and I mean it it. But it yeah it goes back to Like. An oppressive culture a dominantul a dominating culture is about putting people in boxes and labeling things in it back to either or like either you're queer or you're not either. You're right like I've had that with myself as a multiracial person right? like.


01:03:27.28

Lauren Zwicky

Right.


01:03:58.54

kitedart

I'm part white I'm part black and people are always like what are you and it's like a human like I'm me like so I think that that one is to your point of our society is is. It's important to.


01:03:39.70

Lauren Zwicky

Yeah.


01:04:37.48

kitedart

People maintaining power to be able to put people in boxes and to be able to limit them and to force that either or and I think so much of what I'm hearing in your story is just how being on the front edge of that wave of change. It can just be hard right? It's hard and people aren't.


01:04:40.36

Lauren Zwicky

Yeah.


01:05:17.22

kitedart

They're with you yet and I mean I even feel like to your point right? like with with um, non-gender haircuts right? that it's that it's it's catching up So the pricing it's catching up like all of these things are catching up but being on the front wave of that can be really hard in business. Ah, we we fill that at Kite + Dart all the time you know of like who are these business coaches who are talking about um anti-capitalism and anti-white supremacy and anti-ransactionalism and like what is that like I just want my business to work and I want to make a lot of money you know and and.


01:05:59.88

Lauren Zwicky

Sure, Yeah, definitely.


01:06:34.28

kitedart

You know? So I appreciate that So I'd love to if you don't mind switch over to having a ah short coaching conversation I'd love for you to share something that you're grappling with now. And we can see if we can come up with a couple of ideas to help you move forward.


01:06:55.22

Lauren Zwicky

Yeah, so you know coming into this endeavor of the space. Um, it's like I've got 4 walls now count on None None 3 4 yeah None rooms all this square footage. So exciting. And it's been wild already. You know or like post pandemic. So there's that we'll call that out like we're post pandemic or not some people are calling post pandemic. We're still very much in it. So we're living in this pandemic world which has its its challenges Its restrictions its limitations its considerations, especially when it comes to gatherings being doing things in person again. Um so my challenge has been oh my gosh. We've got this great opportunity. How can we? best.


01:08:47.26

kitedart

Ah.


01:08:47.24

Lauren Zwicky

Server Community Well staying in alignment with our commitment to safe brave spaces. Um that are accessible to folks but understanding that there's boundaries around that. So. Kind of alluding to a lot of specific issues in a vague way and a hone in on it. It's like so we're trying to figure out and when I say we my my partner in life. My business partner. Um, what kind of event programming. Can we do that feel that feels in alignment with our vision and is not compromising our safety our health our well-being but is still fun and creative and uplifting and empowering.


01:10:58.48

kitedart

Um, yeah, such a good question and and I mean one of the things that I think I'd first call out right? is just how I feel like what is safe is a constant moving Target particularly. I Guess referring to Covid and what's happening there right? like it. It is a constantly moving target and there isn't an either or of what constitutes safe because it depends on what variant do we have and are people vaccinated and how contagious is it and what are the numbers and the little La. So So I I feel like part of your answer is it has to do with responsiveness right? and and and I think that that goes I think that goes back to it being your community. It being.


01:12:04.32

Lauren Zwicky

Um, that's a.


01:12:49.54

kitedart

Um, what's accessible to your community. What's healthy to your community. Um, So there's part of me that wonders like I'm thinking about like the learnings that you've shared already that you've already talked about in terms of like. Leaning into what's authentic to you leaning into those values um throwing away the labels and the boxes and the shoulds like what might be the most. Creative way to just be with what's so at any given time.


01:13:32.14

Lauren Zwicky

Um, yeah, and I think just gosh even in the last week I've been leaning into that a little bit more um well and and letting it be okay that I that we. Space I can't be everything to everybody all at once because that perfectionism was coming back in but in this different way of like I I can't Ah how do I say this I can't disappoint. Anybody.


01:14:40.72

kitedart

Of the.


01:15:03.48

kitedart

Ah.


01:14:39.66

Lauren Zwicky

And if I just if I disappoint anybody or this space isn't exactly what they want it to be. They can't access it in the exact way that they want that I'm somehow the one in the way of that or inherently wrong or gatekeeping. Or something like that you know so yeah and then like trying to figure out how our messaging around the space can invite and show people what is possible in this space that really, we're here to be. Ah, conduit for other folks in the community to come to us and bring their ideas to us. Um, and the reason behind that being ah calling it out like I'm a Cis white woman. Um. And that can be I don't need to be out here telling everybody the best ways to create community I have the privilege of of having this space and now I'd like it to just be open to folks. Particularly marginalized folks to be able to come and utilize it in the ways that would best serve them. So right now I'm we're grappling with like how best to message that and and allow people to know that they are allowed to access us in that way.


01:18:00.30

kitedart

And great I Love that. Okay, so here's here's what I'm taking taking out of that one is so I hear that the perfectionism around this question that Perfectionism has been coming back up and feels like it can you know potentially be getting in the way. As it so often does I've been calling myself a recovered a recovering perfectionist and I finally have come to this like ah space of realizing that it is always going to pop up like I was conditioned with it for None before I decided to start questioning it and not like wearing it like a badge of honor. And so if it takes me another 45 years to undo that then I'm just a work in progress. But it's going to come up and so one is just the recognizing when it comes up but that you know part of what I'm hearing is that. There's It's like this desire to have an answer and that there may not right from a perfectionist or an either or standpoint that this is the answer. It's this or it's this. But again, it's much more messy than that and so being with that messiness and I think even when you talk about the.


01:19:45.20

Lauren Zwicky

Um.


01:20:28.52

kitedart

Like you don't have to have the answer. You can be with the messiness. It has to work for you and it has to work for your partners and Collaborators. So How can you even in some of the when you think about the messaging is calling out the values. Folly calling out the commitments but that that's not an answer. That's that's a point of entering into the conversation and so if you're talking about what's important to you is that you have these safe spaces that that people can be.


01:20:53.50

Lauren Zwicky

Her.


01:21:44.46

kitedart

Authentic and brave and safe and included and accessible and people who may want to work with you. Um, or enter you know collaborate with you in the space. You don't have to have the answer but that the. The entering the conversation is that they're committed to the same things you're committed to and then you work together to see if you can come up with something that's workable on both sides and if you can't a well like just like you said before with the hairs styling. Not everybody is your client with Scorpio Palace not everybody is it's going to be the right space for them.


01:22:18.38

Lauren Zwicky

Right. Right.


01:23:00.26

kitedart

Um, but that you don't have to have the answers like it's just about what are you committed to.


01:22:38.56

Lauren Zwicky

Totally yeah I love that that that is so concise and wonderful and like I feel like that gives me a lot of permission to allow for that space to unfold because yeah I like to have a tight grip and and. Think that oh I should have everything already all figured out six months into taking over an endeavor that I've never done this before there's no playbook for it and and I I heard in what you said it was a nice reminder of what I even articulated earlier of like.


01:24:04.72

kitedart

Yes.


01:23:55.88

Lauren Zwicky

Oh there's all this freedom which is a good thing like it's okay that there's no set rules. So we get to work within that and like allow people to come to us and and yeah, the the collaboration is ah is what was resonating the most for me because that's just that's.


01:24:34.92

kitedart

Yeah.


01:24:35.74

Lauren Zwicky

That's the stuff I Love collaboration.


01:25:03.84

kitedart

Yeah, yeah, and it does go back to the connection and it maybe can take more time to to figure it out right? If you just had a rule and you're like here's the hard and fast rule take it or leave it folks right? Fine. But. That's not what you're about you are committed to the relationship to the connection to the collaboration. Um, and I and I feel like it is even just like like you said just like the the other challenges that you've had around you know are you going to identify your services as gendered. Are you going to? you know, straying away from the norm of tipping for services right? like that as we're doing things differently. There isn't that playbook we're writing the playbook but the playbook isn't even like we're trying to escape. Ah, world where everything's about the random rules and conforming to them so creating. The new thing is not creating different rules. It's creating a space for that creativity and collaboration.


01:26:51.60

Lauren Zwicky

Yeah, yeah, this is just a random thought that was coming up and I just wanted to say it before I lost it I This phrases get like permission to be liberated is is like feels really up in this and like up for the context I'm creating within the space of like the.


01:27:31.98

kitedart

Um, yeah, yeah.


01:27:31.46

Lauren Zwicky

Moments I get the most frustrated is so when I'm like I'm giving you the opportunity to do whatever you want people like are but is that okay like are you sure is that all right I'm like yeah, totally go for it and it's and I have to remind myself of that too of like no like where you have permission to like. Figure this out. Try it out. Try out something New. Try out something different. Do a party That's never been done before or a concept or a theme or an event and if nobody comes how good whatever. It's totally Fine. Rent's already paid. It's all Good. So It's like yeah, just permission to explore.


01:29:00.88

kitedart

Yeah.


01:28:44.36

Lauren Zwicky

Which I realized that I guess what I'm saying is that like it's easy to get in our own way and be like am I even allowed to do This is this? Okay, it's like well yeah I'm not. There's no rules or restrictions.


01:29:33.96

kitedart

Yeah, yeah, and then on the other side of that The boundaries are also super important and I know that those are conversations you and I've had in the past around boundaries and how important that is and so I love that that again, it's not the either or there's permission to be liberated I Love that and that also.


01:29:15.84

Lauren Zwicky

Totally.


01:30:13.18

kitedart

When you're entering into collaborations. You're giving them that permission to be liberated and to be with the messiness and to try new things and that they're also it it has to work on both sides and so you're going to have some boundaries and that's okay and you have every right to have that at the same time.


01:30:13.66

Lauren Zwicky

Right? Yeah and accountability comes up and that's like that's a big thing or a big theme specifically within my industries, especially the music and dance community is like accountability.


01:30:51.18

kitedart

Um, yeah.


01:30:46.98

Lauren Zwicky

For oneself for 1 ne's attendees you know it's like it can be messy up to a point and then at the end of the day like the space has to be cleaned up everybody you know has to be kind and respectful to each other stuff like that you know housekeeping stuff.


01:31:43.58

kitedart

Totally Yeah, yeah, yeah, well and again, it's the both and you know it's it's it's all of those things right? All of those things so that's cool I will be super curious to hear.


01:31:21.52

Lauren Zwicky

It's like the not fun. Not so fun side of things. But.


01:32:22.80

kitedart

Ah, next time I'm in your chair or sometime in the future when I'm in your chair How that how you're continuing to to grapple with that and what that may open up for you to not have to have that answer.


01:32:10.16

Lauren Zwicky

Yeah, yeah, well and so far I mean it's been a really really fun six months in a lot of regard challenging in a lot of respects that I was gonna lose my mind there for a minute. Um, but it was just get just rapid fire getting through.


01:32:56.38

kitedart

Um, yeah.


01:32:47.68

Lauren Zwicky

Really intense moments to get to this point and it's been really beautiful and wonderful to see what people are bringing to us and the ideas that they're having and it's just like it just sparks so much. Joy and creativity for me and like getting to connect with folks because this space has such a strong history in the dance and music or the art and music community getting to reconnect with folks who I haven't seen in Years but who I met through this space and to like see them still working.


01:33:55.58

kitedart

Um, yeah.


01:34:14.50

kitedart

I.


01:33:56.82

Lauren Zwicky

Creativity living their truth and coming up with cool stuff to do. It's just ah, lights me up.


01:34:37.48

kitedart

I Love that I Love that well and kind of to bring it full circle right? when you talk about when you talked about some of those challenges that you had early on with your hair styling career. Um, that things were hard and it's like.. There's just no way to.. There's no way to get there other than to just go through whatever's happening right? like it's you know I in and as if there's a place to get too right? like I always have this idea of like arriving somewhere and it's like.


01:34:56.62

Lauren Zwicky

My class.


01:35:12.68

Lauren Zwicky

Are her.


01:35:46.50

kitedart

Life is not about arriving somewhere. It's about the Journey. It's about what's happening and some of those intense times or hard times like those show up and and back to your point earlier. Those are those opportunities for learning and then it's like okay that brings you to the next place and and. Wherever you get to? Next, you've got all of that in your back pocket in your toolkit in terms of learning and understanding and growing in order to be wherever you are next like there's it's just there's no other way for it to be so.


01:36:21.80

Lauren Zwicky

Right? And like the opportunity to show yourself and others but mostly for yourself that you're capable that like you are capable and able that you can navigate through those moments that's been the most fortifying for me of like oh my God I did get through that I handled that.


01:37:02.38

kitedart

Yeah.


01:37:22.56

kitedart

Yeah, yeah, Jack.


01:37:01.00

Lauren Zwicky

In a new or different way or like I or I just handled that like I went down to the city and I showed them my blueprints and I've never had to do that before and I don't understand anything about zoning or permits but I figured it out and I'm very proud of myself.


01:37:55.22

kitedart

Yeah, yeah, totally like I'm a badass check me out. Okay have 2 more questions that are super quick. The None one is just kind of a rapid fire question that I like to ask everybody.


01:37:37.42

Lauren Zwicky

Ah, yeah, look what I did.


01:38:31.74

kitedart

At Kite + Dart. You know one of my businesses. We always talk about entrepreneurial activism so what does entrepreneurial activism mean to you.


01:38:18.46

Lauren Zwicky

Yes, so I I often describe this to my clients. So I should have something just locked and loaded right? You would think I would entrepreneurial ah now entrepreneurial activism means to me that like.


01:39:01.52

kitedart

I know I'm totally putting you on the spot here. But.


01:38:53.60

Lauren Zwicky

Your your business is your platform to amplify some new and different way of doing things that subverts these paradigms of Capitalism Sexism racism all the isms white supremacy and is really trying to. Utilize the system that we have to work in but building upon that for future, empowerment liberation and vocalization. Yeah.


01:40:15.28

kitedart

I Love that Thank you and then the last one is will you just quickly I'll put this in the show notes but will you share the best wases for that wasn't a word share waes.


01:40:10.86

Lauren Zwicky

Um, this.


01:40:47.72

kitedart

Share the best ways for people to connect with you.


01:40:23.44

Lauren Zwicky

Yes, so I have my hair business kind of deejay I like my little tagline is doing hair-making party and I'm on Instagram pretty much everything is at La Zowiki if you're trying to look me up. It's at l a z w i. CKY not an easy last name. But once it's in your brain. It's not going anywhere. Um, so yeah at Laswiki Http://laswiki.com and then ah scorppiion palace scorppio dot palace is our Instagram and then http://scorppiopal.com our website and you know if anybody were interested in booking an appointment with me or keeping up with all the random wild events that I do and stuff I like to promote Instagram is the best way for my las wiki and then if anybody is interested in exploring more about the space. Or has an idea and wants to bring it to us. We have an event inquiry on a form on our website that you can access and we will follow up with you.


01:43:06.40

kitedart

Great well Lauren thank you so much for being here as always. It's a pleasure to talk with you.


01:42:48.82

Lauren Zwicky

Thank you! That was so fun.