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

Hi Colleen, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking.
Risk has always been a factor within my life and career that I have learned to embrace. After graduating college in 2015, I knew that the only way to excel and be successful within my career was to take necessary risks to get me to the next level. In contrast to many of my fellow graduates, I did not take the easy route career choice out of college and decided to work for a small start-up company in Phoenix. The office was literally out of a house but that was exactly the type of environment I wanted to be in! I knew, even 5 years ago, that I was meant to be an entrepreneur and that is why I chose to work for the small start up, to learn the ins and outs and the dos and don’ts. My career in corporate America has been anything but ordinary and that is directly correlated with the amount of risks I’ve taken to get to the next level. My life would not be what it is today without the risks I’ve taken and the benefits and success that has stemmed from it!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Each day, I am most proud of the impact I have had on clients I have worked with on a deeper level. Being a Designer/ Stylist, I am so proud of the way I can light up a clients eyes when they see themselves before a photoshoot. It isn’t just about putting together a look and giving it to them. I bring an experience with every person I work with. My experience includes a 1:1 style consultation where we talk about their style, what they want to achieve in the look and our plan of execution for the look. I have had clients where I take them from point A to point Z. Including developing the creative concept, hiring / booking the creative team (MUA, Photographer, etc.) and being apart of the execution (final product results). There is nothing more special to me than seeing my clients face light up because they feel absolutely stunning, inside and out. It is more than clothes and putting together looks for me, I want to leave an impact with my clients. I want them to come out of the photoshoot feeling incredible not only on the outside but inside as well. This is so much bigger than me, this is about helping people feel beautiful in a way they never thought they could before. What sets me apart is much of what I stated above. I bring an experience with me. I have had clients after our 1:1 sessions tell me that they feel so inspired and excited. That is the goal! I want to leave impact each and every time. With that being said, I will soon be including other services not directly related to styling including: Confidence w/ CQ, Career Coaching w/ CQ, Resume Refresh w/ CQ, etc to help more people reach their full potential! That is what got me started on my Instagram filming Chats w/ CQ on IGTV, where I talk about real life ways you can enhance / improve your life! The way I got to where I am now was far from easy. To be honest, more than anything, I feel I held myself back for way too long, convincing myself that I wasn’t good enough to live out my dreams. What a lie that was! I began working in collaboration with Goodwill AZ back in fall of 2019, where I filmed styling videos with them and explained how to choose your next outfit from Goodwill. Soon, people began asking if I was available to style them. I thought to myself, me? Style? I had never considered myself a ‘Stylist’ but then it hit me, I had already been doing it for so long! I began growing and reading and starting putting my talents to work! That is how it all started. I think the hardest part for me was believing in myself the most when no one else did, I promise this is the hardest thing to do but has the most pay off in the end! My brand / mission is to leave positive impact on every single client I have. I want them to leave their photoshoot feeling like a million dollars, because we all deserve to feel that way! My goal is to inspire others to live out their full potential in this life as I am currently doing. I want my clients to know how much I love and support them for love and supporting me and my brand! It will only grow bigger and bigger from here and I cannot wait for what the future holds!

Any great local spots you’d like to shoutout?
I love this question! Well, as we all know, it definitely depends on the time of year here in Arizona! Since it is summer, I will answer the question that way! I would start off by taking them to my favorite restaurant spots around the area. Some of my favorites include: -Doughbird (their Margarita pizza = incredible) -Delflaco’s Italian Eatery (the best pasta you’ll have in Arizona, thank me later) -Green Restaurant (their soynamis are amazing!) -Ruze Cakehouse (I love macaroons!). -Blanco Tacos + Tequila (if you want a good margarita + a good atmosphere) -The Melting Pot (one of my all time favorites!) -Creamistry ( dessert = amazing) -Sauce (can you tell I am Italian?) As far as itinerary goes, I think the first couple days I would have us eat and relax at the pool! Also, taking them to get their nails + toes done or a nice relaxing massage! Every year for my birthday I go to the Phoenician Resort for a massage (my birthday gift to myself) and they have an amazing spa that includes a relaxation room, steam room, pool and jacuzzi and much more. As the week came to an end, I would have us take a trip to Sedona! Road trips can be fun and we are lucky enough to have great places all around us in Arizona. Whether that is taking a trip to Sedona or escaping the heat a bit in Flagstaff, it’s all beautiful! If she wanted, we could even take a longer road trip to CA and visit the beach! Only about a 5 hour drive from Phoenix. That is something that I love about Arizona is how many options you have for day trips or just relaxing around town. Plus, it’s almost always sunny which helps! Depending on my friends interests, since I am a Designer/ Stylist, I would love to pull a creative team together and do a best friend photoshoot where we have our hair and makeup done! Even on vacation I love what I do and I would love to bring this experience to her too!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I love this! I definitely have to shoutout my parents. Through all of my crazy ideas, career choices and decisions, failures and laughs, they have always been my #1 support system. I am a firm believer that you have to be your biggest fan in order to be successful in what you do, but it is important to surround yourself with a support system that has your back! Through all of my ups and downs, my parents have been there for it. Whether I am a guest speaker on a speaking panel for Goodwill or crying my eyes out over a downfall, they’re by my side cheering me on! They have always told me that I can do whatever I put my mind and heart to and I have carried that with me through my business and throughout my career. My dad still is asking when I am going to be ‘famous’ and I told him don’t worry I’m on my way! Success to me has always been defined as doing what you love, working hard and helping people in the process (it’s bigger than me, I want to change the people I work with on a deeper level, interact with and inspire them to be their best selves). When people meet my parents, they laugh, because I am a direct combination of them both! I am so blessed to have such supportive people in my life and my parents are definitely to thank for that.

Website: Currently getting developed. Will be available soon.
Instagram: @smilelikecolleen, @styledbyCQ
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colleenquinn1/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/smilelikecolleen
Other: Designer page – CQ Petites- @cqpetites

Image Credits
@jeffottocreative @eli_visions @phirexavierphotography