Meet Katie Lam former Miss Asian California, Entrepreneur and Positive Body Image Influencer
Katie Melanie Lam is fashionista, lifestyle taste maker, and entrepreneur whose goal is to reshape how the world perceives and celebrates beauty. She has competed and won 5 beauty pageant titles, including Miss Asian California in 2017. She also the founder of Kalon SF: an e-commerce platform offering affordable luxury and formal wear for modern women
Q: What inspired you to get started in running in pageants?
Q: What is your ultimate Dream for Yourself? for the World?
Q: What is your definition of being authentic?
This is such an excellent (and hard) question to put into words! But I love it.
Everyone wants to be authentic, but living and breathing authenticity is not something to take lightly because it’s a challenging process to get there and stay there. To me, authenticity starts in the heart – it requires vulnerability, transparency, and integrity. Adam Grant sums it up pretty nicely: "Authenticity means erasing the gap between what you firmly believe inside and what you reveal to the outside world."
Authentic people are high-character individuals that walk the walk: they back up their positive, empowering words with actions that benefit themselves and others. Being authentic means coming from a real place within - listening to your intuition, doing what your heart tells you to do, and having the courage to stay true to yourself despite negativity, baggage, fear, etc. Because when our actions and words are congruent with our beliefs and values, we can start finding our authentic selves. Living with authenticity is when you feel most alive, free, and unburdened. It takes courage to live from this place happily and accept the things you can’t control in your life.
As Scott Stabile said: "Let them judge you. Let them misunderstand you. Let them gossip about you. Their opinions aren't your problems. You stay kind, committed to love and free in your authenticity. No matter what they do or say, don't doubt your worth or the beauty of your truth. Just keep shining like you always do."
Q: How do you think our outward appearance plays a role in how we feel internally? Any tips on how to feel good inside and out?
This is literally the vision of my company Kalon SF! In my opinion, how we feel on the outside directly affects how we feel internally. What you wear makes a statement about who you are and how you present yourself to the world, so it’s important to make a positive and lasting impression. When you gain the confidence to express your individual beauty, amazing things happen. In particular, I believe that a woman’s outer beauty should be an expression of her inner grace and character in any setting – formal, business, romantic evening, or day-to-day look. I’m all about helping people achieve the confidence and poise to reveal the beauty that is uniquely yours.
Tips to feel good inside and out:
- Give yourself the gift of fitness! Exercise is a great way to feel more attractive. You release endorphins and balance work, play, and self-care.
- Give some love to others through compliments and smiles.
- Don’t take yourself so seriously! Laugh and joke, always be positive!
- Be unapologetic about your looks and wear your power colors. For me, I feel bold and confident when I wear my favorite color red. How you see yourself can be determined by how you feel about your appearance and wardrobe choices. Go get that rush of empowerment for yourself!
- Take better care of your health. Health is Wealth! Get your beauty sleep. Take your vitamins. Fill your body with nutritious foods and lots of water!
Q: What are qualities that you look for in a truly sustainable brand?
Transparency & Minimal Packaging: Love when the products I buy are made with organic and natural ingredients, whenever possible. After all, sustainable brands should prioritize safeguarding health and protecting the planet, whether that’s minimizing energy, water, and waste footprints and/or investing in green building initiatives. It’s ideal when a company goes to lengths to embrace a zero-waste philosophy too.
Authentic Story: It’s always powerful and inspiring when a company is born out of a human story. Understanding the brand’s “why” opens the door to authentic conversations and partnerships.
Philanthropic Heart: This is a bonus, though not a necessity. When a sustainable brand has a philanthropic initiative that aligns with their company values and vision, it’s inspiring. Even more impactful is when a quality product(s) marries a strong social impact mission that resonates with the target audience and demographic.
Q: Can you share a time you failed and what you learned from it?
Q: Can you share your proudest moment to-date?
Q: What's our typical Sunday like?
My idea of a solid Sunday consists of sleeping in and having brunch! Love relaxing with a good book or lounging in my bed with my More Sunday Silk Pajamas, a good Netflix movie, and a glass of wine. I might also be planning my social media calendar, catching up on emails, and organizing my room to prepare for a new week ahead! Preparation is so key to success!
Q: What's your go to way to unwind and relax?
Unwinding and relaxing to me is watching a movie and just doing nothing. It’s important to give yourself a well deserved break once in a while. I also love to treat myself and practice self-care, whether that means putting a mask on my face or shopping online for a new piece to add to my fashion wardrobe.
Flash Round Answers:
- Current book you're reading: Marie Forleo’s Everything is Figureoutable
- Favorite Time saving App: RetailMeNot
- 1 thing you need when travelling: My 15” MacBook Pro
- Song you're listening to on repeat: Light On by Maggie Rogers
- Favorite Vacation Destination: New York - the city of dreams!
Be sure to checkout https://katiemelanielam.com/ and follow @katiemelanielam
You can shop Katie's More Sunday look by clicking here.