Twenty-five years ago Mark Lash was working in his parents' basement making pieces of jewelry for his family and friends. Today he is dressing celebrities all around the world. What happened in between,however, will show us how there is definitely a design for our own lives. All we have to do is embrace it.
Talking with Mark Lash on Conversations LIVE recently I got the impression that he had learned what it meant to live his life on purpose, knowing that he been given something special.
"I started in my teens," he told me. "I have always been great at design. At first it was just my making small pieces for friends and family." Though his parents had plans for him outside of being a designer, Mark knew that those plans would not give him the satisfaction that he wanted out of life. He had to make a choice. "I decided to go with my heart," he explained. "If you have a passion for something you have to go for it. There is no fun in doing something you don't love.
Creating things with his hands fulfilled something for him that nothing else could match. "It was exciting for me," he said. "This is where I see myself being able to make a difference. I saw a niche in the market for my custom work. I kept moving forward, and here I am today. I never looked back."
And why should he? Creations of Mark Lash have been on the red carpet of the Grammys, Oscars, Juno and SAG Awards. Celebrities like Celine Dion, Susan Graham, Sherri E. Shepherd, Cee-Lo Green, Ricky J and Eva La Rue have all been spotted wearing his pieces but it's not just about the celebrities. At his store in Canada he is able to provide a service to his clients that create memories which are sure to last a lifetime. His is not just a name anymore. It's a brand, representing something special. "I have some people who come into the shop just to see if there is a real Mark Lash," he says with a smile. "I like to come out and meet the people and know about them. They are all important to me."
Living a life designed for a purpose, Mark Lash is reminded all the time about the importance of being true to yourself and your gift. "One of the first pieces I designed for a celebrity was for Drake," he told me. It was at a time before Drake was who he is today, but Mark says that it reinforces the value in going with your heart. "Drake did it and look at where it has gotten him," he says.
Mark says the lesson for all of us is to follow your passion. "If you do something daily that you enjoy you're going to be better at it," he says. "If you have a passion and something that you really think is meant for you, then hold on to it. See where it takes you. Believe me: passion and going with your heart is going to make it successful."
Discover more about the Mark Lash collection and the man behind it at www.marklash.com.
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