Leah Garcia’s career path has never been a straight line. It’s been more like a rodeo loop. She grew up as the daughter of ranchers, went to college on a rodeo scholarship and became a pro mountain biker. All that happened, then she had a career as a TV sports reporter, and now, the founder of Nulastin, a cult beauty brand she launched with zero investors, no pitch deck, and plenty of grit. Today, Leah shares how she connected the dots between all of these seemingly separate careers – and how she had fun while doing it.
In this episode of 9 to 5ish, Leah also shares:
Why she loved the extreme nature of rodeoing and mountain biking
How she built Nulastin with zero investors and zero clue of how to pitch
The backstory of starting Nulastin in her 50s
Where boundaries end and burnout begins – and how she decides that
How she became comfortable with her lack of knowledge in business
On Her Most Memorable Pitch
Leah: The best pitch I ever did was with the North Bay Angels in Sonoma. I flew out there and I showed up at a hotel and I forgot my underwear 'cause I was so nervous. So I went commando and then I pitched. And because I was in television, I could write a decent speech. And I think that my pitch was so compelling. It was such a good presentation that people were applauding and they loved my speaking, but no one wanted to give me any money.
On Why She Started Nulastin
Leah: So my TV career lasted 20 years and you can only imagine how I must have aged in 20 years. When you are a sideline reporter, they don't give you pretty camera lights. They don't make your skin look glowy and dewy. And so when I would see the TV footage, I would cringe and say, boy, I better start paying attention to my face, my hair, my everything. So it was born out of necessity. Once I was introduced to elastin and the elastin replenishment, I immediately connected the dots and said, this is what I need to extend my career. And it's also what I need to just feel like the best version of myself.
On the Secret to Her Lifelong Confidence
Leah: I'm a damn happy person. I'm a jokester. I love to have fun. I love to poke fun at myself. So for me, a lot of my confidence is, . Having fun with the things that aren't going right as well as the things that are going right. But I'm the first person, if I wake up in the morning, I look in the mirror and if I look good, I will say to myself, damn, you look good…then the flip side is if I'm not feeling good, I'm not afraid to look in the mirror and go, damn, you look like sh*t. And then it kind of forces me to do something about it or not.
These quotes have been edited for clarity.
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