As part of the Morning Lazziness series about empowering women who encourage and do incredible things with their ideas in society, I had the pleasure of interviewing Cita Salazar.
Cita Salazar is the CEO and Founder of Organically Kismet, a woman owned wellness company. Cita is of Latin and Native descent, a certified holistic health coach, with a passion for natural healing and supplementation.
Being raised in a holistic household and coming from a lineage of medicine women, she has great knowledge and passion for natural healing. Cita took this passion for health & wellness and created an incredible whole food supplement that is transforming lives one jar at a time! Organically Kismet was founded by a mother daughter duo, in the year of 2020, in Los Angeles, California. Cita strives to be an example to other women, especially those of her BIPOC community that anything is possible through perseverance and consistency.
Here’s what we found out about Cita’s daily routine, followed by an exclusive Q+A.
What inspired you to become an entrepreneur, and what sparked the idea for your business?
My up-bring has always inspired me to become an entrepreneur. I grew up witnessing both my parents create multiple successful businesses that allowed for freedom in multiple aspects of their lives, I have always admired and craved that freedom in my own life. My love and passion for wellness and my desire to help aid others on their healing journey is what initially sparked my idea for Organically Kismet.
As a woman navigating the business world, what challenges have you faced, and how did you overcome them?
I have always looked at being a woman not so much as a challenge but more so as a superpower. One difficulty that I found myself facing continuously would be the limits and glass ceilings others in the industry may have placed on me. I overcame this and still overcome this by first knowing my worth and what I bring to the table as well as being grounded and secure in my abilities to get things done my way.
How do you balance the demands of running a business with maintaining a healthy personal life?
I don’t believe so much in “Balance”, I believe more so in “Balancing”. Being a single mom, I sometimes find it difficult and often find myself feeling guilty for having to pour more into one area of my life than the other. What I believe to be the key in all of this is, being sure to show yourself grace, especially in the times that are more of a difficult balancing act. Also reminding myself that this is just a phase, a moment in time and it too shall pass.
Which networking strategies have most effectively built meaningful connections within your industry?
I have found that networking with like minded, aligned people who see and share similar values is what’s most important and creates the most successful open doors and meaningful connections. I also believe being open to multiple perspectives is also an important strategy.
How do you approach mentorship, and how has it shaped your entrepreneurial path?
Mentorship for me hands down, is non negotiable. Being able to learn from those who have achieved the things that you strive to achieve is so vital. Learning new ways and perspectives is always a plus in my book and at times will help expedite your journey to get you to where you want to be.
What strategies have worked best for selling your products and reaching your ideal customers?
Authenticity and integrity are my top two key strategies in reaching our target customer. I believe when you are leading with these two things within your business you will attract the perfect customers and opportunities. This makes the selling process so seamless and effortless. It also allows for you to build a deeper level of trust and connection with your customer which is important for long term success.
Which marketing techniques have been most successful for your business, and how do you track their performance?
For us, there’s not just one specific technique that works best, but more so multiple techniques that work best at particular times. A mixture of affiliate and influencer marketing has been great, email marketing, as well as running ads on different social media outlets. Any technique that will bring exposure to your brand is great. Be sure you allow time to truly show the effects of the techniques you decide to utilize, you won’t see results overnight. We usually track our performance through google analytics, Shopify analytics as well as a partner provider called Impact.
Can you share a significant setback in your business journey and the steps you took to overcome it?
Whew, I feel as if we have had several, to keep it short and sweet, I would say that it would have been labeling issues and having to redesign our whole label to meet particular FDA standards that were thrown at us. The key to overcoming any setback is learning how to pivot at any given moment. Within that, also allowing for flexibility and trusting that this set back is only going to propel you further ahead so long as you don’t quit!
What’s the most important advice you’d give to women just starting their entrepreneurial journey?
My most important piece of advice to other women would be do things your way no matter how it may look to others. As long as you are leading with passion and authenticity and keep pushing forward even through all the tests, you will succeed. I feel that oftentimes we as women get caught up in comparison mode so much that it will derail us if we let it. Know yourself and who you are at your core, lead with this and your uniqueness and you are bound to find success.
Is there a mantra or quote that guides your actions and decision-making as an entrepreneur?
I am POWERFUL and LOVED! I am POWERFUL and LOVABLE! I am POWERFUL and LOVING IT!
