We had the good fortune of connecting with Lisa Hsieh and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lisa, what is the most important factor behind your success?
Any success I have with the brand I’ve built, I wouldn’t have achieved it without the support of my family. I believe in the work that I do and I know where I am going, but without their support and encouragement I would be without a safety net to fall back on. Without their trust in me, I would have felt hesitant and reluctant to take necessary risks and make bold decisions that would potentially benefit my business. My family looked out for me in my personal life, helped with things big and small, so I can have peace of mind to move forward with my career and business.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I was born and raised in Taiwan and my parents moved to the U.S. when I was 16. Having to assimilate to a new culture and environment, make new friends, get into university – they were all big challenges but I adapted. I’m not perfect, but I am proud of my tenacity. I wanted to be a fashion designer since I was a child so after I graduated with a fine art degree, I made my way into the fashion industry by interning at an apparel show room taking lunch and coffee orders, fixing printers. Then I began assisting at a high end apparel brand and worked my way up to assistant designer, designer, then creative director. I’ve met great people in my career, but also terrible ones. I’ve seen people show their true colors to get ahead, act toxic to others out of insecurity or jealousy. Some justify it that it’s just business, and the message was that the ones who bulldoze through others will get ahead. I wasn’t raised that way and this also part of the reason I wanted to start my own business and build a creative, competitive, but friendly brand culture. I believe the sustainability movement is about empathy and kindness – and that is where I see myself, where I am happiest in my work.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
In my city of Long Beach, nothing is better than a morning walk at the expansive and lush El Dorado Nature Center. For a snack afterwards, we have to swing by Simone’s because I’ve never tasted better old fashioned donuts. I’d take them to Belmont Shore for a stroll by the small shops, then we’d have lunch at Open Sesame, my family’s favorite Lebanese restaurant. Afternoons will be spent laying on the quiet, white sand beaches there. Some days we can go for a boat ride with some wine and cheese or paddle board along the Naples Canals. Dinner can be any of the small eateries on 4th street, we could even do some vintage shopping and pick up some treasure for the closet or home. The evenings will end with a drive down the old neighborhoods with interesting houses or Downtown Long Beach for people watching or perhaps a visit to Queen Mary.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Amelia Castellano, Rebekkah Cefai (@rebekkahcefai), Theresa Anderson (Petals & Pop)

Website: https://mienstudios.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mienstudios/

Image Credits
Rebekkah Cefai

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.