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

Hi Vanessa, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Life is meant to be lived with some risks, you can not grow as a person either professionally or personally without pushing yourself to live outside your comfort zone . It’s really important that the risk will be worth the sacrifice, and when it is the reward is that much better because you chose to believe and persevere even without knowing what the outcome would be. I’ve had to take risks numerous times both professionally and in my personal life, it can be scary to have the possibility of your ideas being rejected, your vision does not align with somebody else’s. Then there are times when everything just comes together just as you had imagined it. Either way I try to take something from each experience and turn it into a positive.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
What sets me apart is my talent of connecting with people on a deeper level. I can build report with people pretty quickly and its afforded me opportunities to expand my client base and work on different creative projects. One thing I’m really excited about is to start working on my website and see what creative ideas can be brought to life. This is going to be new territory for me, and I can’t wait to show the world more of me.

Any great local spots you’d like to shoutout?
Well a few of my favorite spots around Los Angeles are for breakfast I love Blu Jam cafe, lunch I would hit up Tatsu On Melrose for their Ramen Wagyu Burger, last but not least dinner at Prospect Gourmand in Beverly Hills. They have amazing food with delicious combinations of flavors and down home comfort. Then for the best part which is dessert of course, some of the best organic ice cream ever at Bumsan Organic Milk Bar. They are located in Koreatown in Los Angeles, all of the flavors are delicious you can not go wrong!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I have two people in my life that have really pushed me to be better and have supported my creative ideas. One of them is no longer here with me. He passed away several years ago, his name was Ari. He was an amazing human being, and he always let me know I could always count on him. He always stressed the importance of having a kind heart. The second person who has greatly influenced me is my dear friend Amelia. Amelia always opens her home to me. From the first day I met her, she treated me like family. She has been a mother figure to me, always supportive of my dreams and creative ideas. Without these two individuals, I wouldn’t be where I am today. I am forever grateful they came into my life.

Website: www.heldbyathread.com
Instagram: @heldbyathread

Image Credits
Horizontal Picture of me selfie taken by Vanessa Contreras Male Modelpictures Martelle Hiagareda: @through_martells_eyes www.hookemmedia.com Ellements Magazine Editorial Emily Volles Me (black dress and red shirt) Martelle Hiagareda

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