“your the boss apple sauce”

#lostgirl

July 12th We are back and with more girls and more drama. Welcome to the edited version of my life.

Here is a perk you get to see Rose Garcia more this season and my girl Dru Baby. #dickpack

www.wakeupcalltees.com

Follow my twin in the video Carla @Camezun on twitter. If you are in West Hollywood and need your hair done. She is the girl for you.

I read the latest issue of Vanity Fair on my flight to NY tonight. Such amazing articles on Marilyn Monroe and Whitney Houston. Two talented, beautiful women who left this earth way too soon. I made my last Casa Por Vida Collection “The Lost Girl” collection. Inspired by women like Marilyn and Whitney. So much love, so much beauty and talent and yet so lost. Lost in their amazing minds. Finding substance to numb the pain.

You are Never Alone.

#lostgirl

weheartit

Love should never be about what gender the person is. It should never be about the color of the person. It should never be forced by religion or parents. Love is something you can’t control. The one thing that we have that is so precious and special. You can’t buy it and you can’t make it happen or even not happen. When you fall in love it takes over your whole body, mind and soul. We are all different and love different. Some of us fall in love with the same sex or the opposite race. I was raised by two Women and I had a Dad. My family raised me to love off nothing else but love. It makes me sad to see that even in the LGBT community we are still judging others the way we have asked others not to judge us. I am bisexual and I refuse to be insulted based on the sex that I love. LGBT stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bi And Transgender. I pray for the day all of us including straight couples can come together as one. Celebrate and live our lives as one big community.

#love

#lgbt

Keep sending us pics of you wearing your www.casaporvida.com gear from www.wakeupcalltees.com 

Thanks for the love )

I will be in NY this week. If you live in NY and are the first 10 people to buy www.casaporvida.com you can join me for an exclusive event this week.

#fashionwithacause

On Sale Now on www.wakeupcalltees.com 

http://www.behindthejourney.com

Read

With Romi’s rise to a high level of entrepreneurial Success, in its first year is something to admire, more than that…Her brand is worldwide. I reached out to do this interview as an inspiration to all the entrepreneurs who deal with the challenges that come with the territory while going down the road less traveled. Nothing worthwhile in life comes easy, however as long as you stay as honest and transparent as possible…you too have the ability to build your brand.

As you read this interview, you will find that Romi’s journey has been far from easy…but she maintains a level head, an honest voice and above all she stays true to herself. I am confident that you will learn a great deal from Romi, which includes her own personal struggles and the decision that has changed her life forever.

1. Can you share with us who you are and a little bit about your past?

Romi: Well, I just turned 30 in the last year, I started my own business which is Casa Por Vida this last year which kinda branch off from Hija Por Vida which I started on Season 2 of The Real L Word. I branched off to doing some T Shirts and getting my hands more in designing everything that comes with it, and I can get my hands on. My background includes working in fashion my whole life whether it was in showroom or as a buyer or styling. I have been a makeup artist for 10 years & I have done hair and just dabbled in everything…in acting & singing. I am from la. I grew up with my step mother who is a music producer, my family worked in music and television. I was born in la, raised in la and have always surrounded myself around fashion and arts. And as I have gotten older and as I have gotten sober and have put my focus into the things that I love, I just have gone all out and not let anything stop me right now!

2. You made a decision that you were going to stop drinking because of the clarity that comes with being sober….Have you noticed that since your sobriety and since you made that decision that things have been happening in your life that has been completely different than they used to be?

Romi: Of course, absolutely! I got a crazy little head of mine…there’s a lot going on in this head, that I think I was trying to numb out for so many years…I just couldn’t really process where I wanted to put my focus and things in my life or where I was supposed to take my energy and creativeness and what to do with it. I found a way to turn my own personal issues with this and share it on the show. I think that when you take away something that’s numbing you, you find a way to really live and co exist with everything and put that energy that you were numbing out into things that you really love, and when you take control of them which is something that I am trying to do, I feel like I am a kid again almost and those things that I loved as a kid again are coming back.

3. When you made the decision to step out and become an entrepreneur, did you encounter some negative self talk that says…”Maybe you shouldn’t do it”?

Romi: You know what…I don’t ever have that “maybe you shouldn’t do it” feeling unfortunately. There are times that I wish I had that because I just take on too much. And this may sound cliché and so stupid but life is really short, and if you want to do something and your heart is behind it and your thinking about it then do it. And people are going to love it or hate it, but you don’t do it for that reason…. you do it because you believe in it and it’s because it’s a part of you.

4. You touched on your life being out there for the world to see…Do you believe that being transparent and honest on the show has been your Catalyst to your Success?

Romi: I do, I do…So often going into a reality show where people can control their own personality, some people start to edit themselves and that’s respectful because each person does it their way. For myself, I don’t know how to do that. I have never really known how to not be any other way but me. So when they offered me a chance to share my story, I decided to just give it my all because there is so much to my life and so much more than the World got to see. You are not going to get all of it, but I can try my best to give it my all because I hope somebody out there can connect to what my family has gone through, certain things that I have been diagnosed with, what desires I want, dreams I want and even my insecurities. I want it out there and if they are not going through it, I hope people can at least understand it.

5. What has been some of the biggest challenges you have faced on this journey of entrepreneurship?

Romi: Oh man, everything under the sun! Rose Garcia from Season 1 has helped me and has been pretty hands on with guiding me in a lot of business 101. I am more of the creator and she has been a huge help. As a creator you think…”I have this pretty brand that I want to put out there and it’s mine and its jewelry”, but then there is an entire business behind it that you sometimes don’t think about and that you have to learn. So learning how to deal with multitasking and putting your brand out there and contract and numbers…it’s a lot and also a lot to learn.

6. So, you have people around you that inspire you and are pulling you to where you desire to go?

Romi: I would honestly say…I have been put down within my peers and then built up by people that watch the show…People don’t like to see somebody putting themselves out there as much I do, it at times makes people feel uncomfortable. I have definitely gone through losing a lot of friends and people that I loved by putting myself into my work and it has been a difficult 2 years. But at the end of the day, I put my time and energy into my work now and it changed the dynamics of my life for the better and has left quality people in my life and has helped me grow as a woman.

7. What inspires you?

Romi: My family, my dad. My line is called Casa Por Vida/Hija Por Vida which means “Daughter for life”, my father is Mexican and he passed away and his family and his side and the whole gypsy going through life, as the Spanish lost girl finding her way and gathering pieces while finding her way on the journey. That’s who I am.

8. Everyone has a why that is the drive behind their Success…What is your why?

Romi: My family is my entire why! There is nothing that I don’t do right now that isn’t for them. I have 2 special needs brothers and my father passed away so it’s me, my mom and my brothers.

9. Looking back over the past few years, what has been your greatest Success thus far?

Romi: MY SOBRIETY! I can’t do any of this without it. It made every single thing around my life change for the better. I watched everything in my life change in the way that it was supposed to be and it was weird to think that my years were so drowned out before.

10. In three words or less, describe Romi?

Romi: Creative, Strong & Crazy!

11. Where is Romi three years from now?

Romi: I hope traveling the world, getting to sing my ass off and designing clothes! I am still in my first year of business, so as much as everything has been really great and I appreciate the support it is still very baby and brand new. I will never be where I want to be, I will always want to be growing and moving ahead and my work is my heart.

Here are 7 things that I learned from Romi Klinger…

1. Always stay true to what you believe in and who you are. It’s best to be a first rate version of yourself than a second rate version of someone else.

2. Making a decision to stop a bad habit can become life changing in ways that you can never imagine. And it’s more than making a decision…Replacing that bad habit with a good habit can not only enhance your life…but your business as well.

3. Know exactly what drives you. For Romi it is her family and for me the same. Find out what/who drives you and leverage that inspiration while pursuing your passions.

4. Find something that you love and with all your heart and drive, go after it, even if others don’t like it.

5. Be prepared to lose friends along the way. You can’t please everyone and as long as you know what you want…those who are meant to be with you on your journey will show themselves.

6. Just do it! Life is too short!

7. Stay connected to those who make your brand possible and this includes your followers, fans and your mastermind circle.

Romi is a true inspiration to so many entrepreneurs and Behind the Journey appreciates her!

http://www.tenderomi.com & http://www.wakeupcalltees.com

Elle France May 2012