ANGELA ROMERO

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@angela_._romero | angela-romero.com

1. Tell me a little bit about you, who is Angela outside of work?

I find this an incredibly challenging question because like most people we are constantly at work and only perceive ourselves as our “work” persona. As of late, I have seen myself as a nurturer. That is not a word I would have ever thought I would have used to describe myself but reflecting on my relationships I have realized that I do this with the people closest to me. I love traveling, studying a city before a visit, hosting dinners, listening to music & podcasts, watching documentaries or anything that helps me be more open and in tune with my surroundings.

From time to time I need a good cry and crying doesn’t have to be for somber reasons it could be from a good dry sarcastic joke. Those happy tears can sometimes be 10 times better than the sad tears. I guess it depends on what your mind needs.

I am someone that likes to take chances. I like to push myself but not in an unhealthy way, just enough to see if I like where I am going and if I should pursue it.

2. What do you do for work?

I am a props/interior stylist. It is creating beautiful visual imagery by collaborating with various artists to realize an idea or concept. I love how a simple idea in someone’s head is shared and all the processes it goes through from concepting, to lighting, to prop selection and becomes what it becomes.

3. How have you been staying creative/inspired during a pandemic?

I cooked a lot. I love the idea of using new ingredients or trying something out of my comfort zone for the first time. It can be peaceful, the prep of the food, the taste and combination of ingredients, the plating. The best part is the reaction on people’s faces and the moment created and shared with loved ones.

I also collaborated on a project with other artists called Art from the Quarantine. My good friend and fellow stylist, Elvis Maynard, started that project and it was a blessing. Every week we have a different topic and we would use our surroundings as inspiration to create beautiful imagery. My husband, who is a photographer, and I collaborated on the shots submitted.

4. As a female, what are some of the biggest obstacles you have faced within your industry / the workplace?

I feel like women feel like they have to overcompensate to prove themselves worthy or capable. I have noticed this in myself and the pressure I put on myself to be perfect and I am trying to bring more awareness of self so that I do not sacrifice my vision/creativity and more importantly myself, my spark, my personality.

5. What women in your life inspire you and why?

These are two groups.

One: There are many women here in New York whom I have assisted that are incredible. They are self made and so hard working. They are talented and have beautiful spirits. They have been incredibly supportive of my career and I am indebted to them.

Two: My mother. She was diagnosed last March, at the beginning of the pandemic, with Acute Myeloid Leukemia. This came as a shock to the family since we have no history of cancer. It has been an incredibly difficult journey but through it all my mother has somehow managed to befriend every nurse and doctor in the oncology unit. Wearing her colorful wigs and a smile across her face. Sending happy selfies during her chemo treatments to loved ones. Bringing us joy and a smile on our face while she is enduring the grueling treatments. I could only wish to have that fighting spirit. She is the strongest woman I know and she fights with a smile on her face. She reminds me that in this workaholic world it is necessary to find inspiration and enjoyment of life.

6. What advice would you give to women who want to pursue a new life direction -- whether that be moving to a new city, pursuing a new career path, starting a side hustle or choosing a new major in school?

Do it. Trust your instinct. Manifest. See yourself where you want to be and believe it. Mistakes happen. Learn from them and keep moving forward. Even tough experiences, see them as part of the growing pains. You will be better and stronger. Be patient. Things don’t happen overnight. Put in the hard work and one day you will realize that you made that one little thing happen and then you can focus on the next thing you want to accomplish. Get out of your head. These are all things I tell myself.

7. How do you balance a job, personal life and passions? Is there such a thing as balance?

There is but it is not easy. Start by not overwhelming yourself. No one is perfect. First thing is give yourself your time because if you are in a good/happy place you’ll be able to share that with others. Self care is crucial. I do not have a set calendar but definitely try to have dinner with my husband unless I have plans with friends or family. Trying to stay connected which is incredibly hard even though now we have SO many tools at our disposal to communicate with anyone and everyone at any time. I try to keep a list of things I want to do and prioritize the project. Some things have been on the list for a while.

8. What are some ways you implement self-care?

Exercise, meditation on a daily basis. That just gives me an hour of “me” time before I go out into the world. It’s a nice feeling doing it in the morning. I feel a little spoiled for starting the day doing something that is good for my body and mind. After work a nice glass of wine and meal followed by a film or researching inspiration for a test shoot. It just depends on what my mind needs at that moment. It’s never the same.

9. What advice would you give to the next generation of female leaders, movers and shakers?

Respect. Respect women for who they are no matter how different that may be from you. We need to stop society's standard of who a woman should be. Society should not dictate who we are. If you enjoy wearing makeup or not shaving your legs or want to be a mother or don’t want children, we should be able to do it with each other's support because it is not easy being a woman and the last thing we need is other women putting us down. We need to lift each other up and be empathetic. We all have our stories. Let’s leave out the judgement.