Beauty of The Week 10.19.22 – Kalika Hastings

How old are you?
31

What’s your zodiac sign?
Pisces

Hometown?
Montreal, Canada

What’s currently on your reading list or podcast?
I recently finished a short book by Maya Angelou called ‘Letters to my Daughter’, a collection of essays with stories and inspirational wisdom. Right now, I’m reading ‘We Should All Be Millionaires’ by Rachel Rodgers. I’m a fan of self improvement books and I’d like to be a millionaire someday! I also like motivational YouTube channels like School of Greatness, Earn Your Leisure podcast and different Ted Talks. I love to watch interviews with industry moguls like Miss Diddy, Emma Grede, Karen Civil, Kris Jenner, and Milano di Rouge, they inspire me.

What got you into PR?
I’m creative by nature and I love to be around creative people. In university, I studied Communications and specialized in PR, I always enjoyed being in the action and on the scene, but at the same time being behind-the-scenes and connecting the dots so this is the perfect career for me. I’ve been blessed to work with incredible artists, athletes, executives, entrepreneurs and entertainers so it’s been great to help bring press and branding opportunities and watch them shine. 

How do you stay in peak shape? What’s your workout and diet regime?
As of right now, I workout twice a week which isn’t much but I do a full-body workout. I also walk my dog, Reggae, twice a day. When I was training for pageants over the past two years, I was going hard with my trainer, Trey, it was a lot of work but the results were great. I’m slowly getting back into training again. As for my diet, I don’t have a strict regime, but I love to cook and I try not to eat too much fast food. I definitely love trying multi-cultural food whenever I get a chance. My favorites are Jamaican, Greek, Japanese and Italian. 

What does self care look like for Kalika? (We love to encourage our readers to take part in self care)
For me, daily self-care is the moment I wake up in the morning and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee while listening to music or something inspirational on YouTube or a podcast before starting work. In the evening, I sometimes take a bubble bath, read or journal while enjoying a glass of wine. Spa days and vacations are the ultimate relaxation and self-care… Definitely need more of those!

What is something you wish you knew before getting into PR? Are There any dos and don’ts you would advise others pursuing it?
In some way, I wish I followed my passion and went straight into the entertainment and lifestyle niche. Even though the industry I started off in was predominantly technology-focused, the years of experience I got working for a PR firm is where I learned the fundamentals and everything I know today. I also had an amazing boss so I definitely wouldn’t change that. There are many ways to end up where you are meant to be, don’t worry about figuring everything out at once. I wish I had a better understanding of pricing models. PR is extremely time consuming and when you undercharge for good quality work you will likely become overwhelmed and end up doing yourself and your clients a disservice. So do your research and price yourself accordingly. 

We are all about black beauty, what does black beauty mean to you?
I think beauty in general, regardless of your nationality, age, weight, height is about embracing your diversity and uniqueness. I’m all for doing whatever makes you feel beautiful and that is different for everyone. With that said, I’m excited about the times we’re living in, to see so much diversity in the media and in fashion. It wasn’t like this when I was growing up and representation is so important especially for young boys and girls to see people that look like them. 

With a growing fan base and platform, what is something you want your followers to take away from following you on your journey?
To embrace the process and stay focused even when you’re uncertain how you’ll achieve your goal. My intention is to continue building a career where I can make a name for myself in this industry and hopefully inspire some people coming up. I also aspire to be an all-rounded woman and someday a wife and mother too. I hope people will take away that it’s ok to be multidimensional. We’re meant to be who we are and that can be a few different things in one. I hope to leave a positive impact for the next generation. 

Lastly, what’s next for Kalika?
I feel like I’m just getting started. But I’m really excited about the clients I’m currently working with and the direction I am heading. I hope to continue growing and building great networks. I’d also like to work on my personal branding and get more involved in social causes that I’m passionate about like mental health awareness, domestic violence and homelessness. Stay tuned! Let’s connect on Instagram @kalikahastings or LinkedIn.