When you enter the multimillion dollar home of Lucinda Loya, right away you notice her one-of-a kind style. This interior designer's own home is filled with art, whimsy, and the unexpected mix of old and new. It's a calling card that has convinced clients to put their home décor plans in her hands.
But Loya isn't just a story of glamour, it's also a story of grit.
"I remember sleeping in a car with only my car coat. We called it a car coat back then and it was a coat. I had no blanket, no pillow," she said.
Loya grew up in Indiana with a single mom and two brothers, and started working at age 10. She moved to Houston in middle school then to Tennessee. By 16, she was on her own, dreaming of being a movie star because that's the only path to prosperity she could imagine.
"I just made sure all my bills were paid before I ate," she said.
Now she's married to Javier Loya and they have two daughters; she met him just as the energy executive was starting his own company.
"I got more than I dreamed of. I had no idea." she said. "It's great to know that I have a successful I husband to fall back on, but at the same time I need to do it for me."
Loya's days are packed, managing her growing staff, meetings with contractors and clients. She hopes her children will take note of her work ethic. And for those kids who fear maybe their lives will never blossom into a fairytale...
"I think the most important thing anyone can do, girl or boy, man or woman, is just do it if its in your mind or in your heart just go forward," she said.
Loya is chairing fundraisers for two charities in the next two months -- the Latin Women'S Initiative and Children at Risk, using her talents and resources to improve the potential of success for people in both of these communities.
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