Heather Zara is CEO & Owner of Zara Creative, a full-service boutique video production studio focused on partnering with like minded brands whose products/services spark joy. Heather is a values driven leader committed to creating an environment that gives extraordinary creators the opportunity to live extraordinarily fulfilling lives of purpose.
Before launching Zara Creative in January of 2012, Heather was a television reporter and anchor for nearly a decade. She was mostly recognized for her on-air work with WDIV-TV Local 4 – the NBC station in Detroit – but also reported for Michigan State University Athletics, The Detroit Pistons on Fox Sports Detroit and delivered sports updates on WWJ and 97.1 The Ticket. Heather earned her Bachelor’s Degree from Michigan State University, where she received honors in Journalism and won an Emmy award before graduating. In 2015, Heather was recognized by DBusiness Magazine as one of Detroit’s 30 in Their Thirties. She has also been featured in Crain’s Detroit, for her insight on tackling the challenges of fast growth in business.
Heather’s philanthropic efforts are a driving force in her life and work, which is why ZC works with more than 30 nonprofits in the Detroit-area. Zara Creative participates in the adopt-a-family program through the Volunteers of America and serves as a name sponsor of the Ronald McDonald House at the Detroit Medical Center.
What you’ll learn about in this episode:
- What it was like growing up as a first generation American and how Heather took on what she describes as a “chameleon” personality
- How Heather has always been intentional in her life – even from an early age
- What drives Heather to succeed, why she is so driven, and how she deals with setbacks
- The meaning of 5-4-3-2-1 to Heather. (Hint. It means “Go!” For her, it’s a reminder to be a woman of action)
- The importance of thinking big, how Heather has always been a big thinker, and the unique connection she made with a mentor who passed away in January of 2018
- How attending The Small Giants Summit in May of 2018 became a game changer for Heather
- What happened when Heather realized she lacked a vision for the future of Zara Creative – six years into the business – and what she did to develop the vision she has today
- The incredible energy that keeps Heather going and how she channels that energy into progress for her business
- How she’s accomplished more at the age of 34 than most people accomplish within their lifetimes
- How Heather uses tools to remind her to “be present” and how being present helped her do well in school and beyond
- Heather’s morning routine and how her days always feel a bit “off” if she doesn’t use that time to get in the right headspace
- How Heather’s desire to find her place between two cultures really forced her parents far outside their comfort zones and why Heather believes that was a really good thing
- How, over time, Heather transitioned from trying to hide the fact that she was a first generation American and now sees it as a point of pride and how she correlates the risks involved in moving to a new country and beginning a new life, as her parents did, with being an entrepreneur
- How Heather spent her childhood dreaming up the life she wanted to create and decided at an early age, that you can’t let anything prevent you from achieving the things you want to achieve
- Heather’s belief that being a methodical, intentional person from an early age shaped her into becoming successful.
- The importance of having your own tribe and where Heather found hers
Ways to contact Heather:
