Karma’s May Spotlight: Freydel Bushala, Member
In order to obtain a Karma membership, one must be an established business executive, who enjoys the good life and a thought leader throughout the industry with strong ties to philanthropy and a commitment to overall greater good. The ideal Karma Member personifies our organization’s goals through their character and not just at our socials, dinners and other networking events, but in their own everyday business environment.
In our first edition of our new Karma Monthly Spotlight series, we introduce you to Freydel Bushala, a Karma Member who embodies our mission to a T. In light of Mother’s Day, we wanted to feature one of our many established female members. Freydel is the owner of Bushala Insurance Agency, a Farmers Insurance agent. She is a volunteer at various charity events, the winner of the state of California’s ‘Woman of the Year’ award, a sports car enthusiast, and the proud mother of three sons Dylan, Kalil, and George.
Freydel’s remarkable journey, as most success stories do, includes overcoming tremendous challenges by turning them into life inspirations. For all of her past conquered obstacles and business successes, we proudly present Freydel Bushala as May’s honorable Karma Member spotlight.
Karma International (KI): How have your past experiences influenced your life today?
Freydel Bushala (FB): I immigrated to the US from Nicaragua when I was nine years old, and I was always taught by my grandparents to work hard and never give up. With this mindset, I was motivated to learn the English language, progress in school, and attend college in hopes of a better future. Even though school was difficult at first, I learned the language very quickly and never gave up on the challenge – getting me to where I am today.
KI: Can you tell us more about your business and volunteer work?
FB: After school, I entered the business field as a filing clerk for Farmers Insurance. I worked with some incredible people who served as my mentors, and in turn, created the foundation for my business, Bushala Insurance Agency. I always knew I didn’t want a standard office job, and if I have time to complain about it, then I have time to do something about it. From there, I’ve been an insurance agent for almost 13 years. Out of 34 agents in my district, I was ranked fifth in most profitable deriving from a new business. I think the motivation came from the way my grandparents raised me – which I now try to teach my three sons, ages 17, 19 and 21.
I always try to spend my free time volunteering. Just recently, I participated in an autism awareness event with Carlos Mencia, where together we raised nearly $20,000. In 2010, my volunteerism was recognized by the state of California, when they named me their ‘Woman of the Year’. It was an extraordinary feeling, and really reiterated the motto I had always grown up with – hard work pays off.
KI: You were in a dangerous car accident. How has that changed your life?
FB: Four years ago, at 4pm in the afternoon, I was heading home from work when another car ran a red light and hit my Escalade hard. I suffered from severe headaches for the following three months, and the doctors informed me that I had two subdural hematomas (or blood clots in my brain). They had to drain the blood from my head – I escaped death.
Personally, this was the biggest wakeup call that life could have ever offered. From there, I took more time to myself – the business was still running smoothly, but I took personal time to build my social life. That was when I became a Karma Member, and not only has it helped me to network and grow, but it also kept me distracted from remembering the accident and worrying about my health and business. It was the perfect recharge and I can now say I have a great balance in my life.
KI: What advice would you give to other female entrepreneurs?
FB: Always raise your thinking ceiling – never stop learning. Every day, strive to learn something new as it will become very useful when formulating your business. Never idle in life; always keep moving forward
KI: In this special Mother’s Day edition for Karma’s Member Spotlight, what message do you have for all the mothers out there?
FB: Just by accepting the responsibility to raise children, to be good citizens, and care about the world – you are all winners. You can accomplish anything you want, and be anybody you want to be, in addition to creating a family. On Mother’s Day embrace the idea that there is a day just for us, to show us that the world appreciates everything we do. Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers everywhere and I wish you more good karma!
If you’d like to learn more about Freydel and her insurance expertise, please go to www.farmersagent.com/fbushala. For more information on becoming a Karma Member, please visit our website today.
Karma’s May Spotlight: Leann La, Ambassador
Karma’s Ambassador Program gives aspiring young females the chance to support Karma’s philanthropic initiatives and social events, while meeting some of our successful Members. In order to become a Karma Ambassador, one must be classy, personable, responsible, entrepreneurial and business-savvy. One Ambassador that embodies such definitions and more is Leann La, co-owner of Spa Fuzion, guest speaker at last month’s Entrepreneur Society panel, and three-year supporter of Project MotiVATe, a Vietnamese-American youth mentorship program.
In this Q&A session, Karma got the chance to sit down with Leann and hear more of her business achievements, obstacles, and life-changing experiences as a Karma Ambassador. It is with great pride that we kick off our Karma Monthly Spotlight series by highlighting Leann as May’s distinguished Karma Ambassador.
Karma International: Tell us more about your business, Spa Fuzion.
Leann La: After gaining a college degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing, I ventured into the corporate world for nearly 15 years before getting tired of the rigmarole 10-12 hour days sitting at a cubicle. From there, I knew that I wanted to venture into an area that my family and I are passionate about, beauty. After all, as the saying goes, if you do what you love, you never have to work a day in your life.
Now, my three sisters and I own and operate Spa Fuzion – a state-of-the-art beauty and wellness facility. At Spa Fuzion, not only do I manage the business, but I also work as an experienced esthetician, makeup artist, and a true connoisseur of beauty. My passion and expertise as a beauty consultant allows me to advise some of the largest medical spas and beauty spas in California.
KI: What were some of the obstacles that you’ve had to overcome to get where you are today?
LL: I was originally born in Vietnam, and my family came over to the United States in the 1980s. I never came from an entrepreneurial background, and had to instinctively learn the ropes of managing a business on my own. My siblings and I were taught all our lives to make the most out of the opportunity given to us, and this motto led us to excel in school, business and in our personal lives, as well.
KI: What led you to become a Karma Ambassador, and what has your experience been like ever since?
LL: I first encountered Karma when one of its Members brought me to a recruiting event. I was immediately impressed by the outgoing, respectful, business-minded people that were present and could see myself really growing both personally and professionally by joining Karma. I officially became an Ambassador in October of 2012, and the experience has been incredible ever since! Not only have I met fellow Ambassadors with whom I share a lot in common, but I’ve also gotten the chance to network and have meaningful conversations with entrepreneurial Members, and hear their stories of hardships, successes and business advice.
Along with the great connections that Karma offers, their events are amazing both in style and the high caliber of people. I also appreciate the fact that all of its events benefit a worthy cause. In fact, one of my favorite charitable events was the Oscars After Party, where not only did I have the time of my life, but I also had the chance to contribute a donation to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
KI: Why should a young aspiring female become a Karma Ambassador?
LL: As a young female entrepreneur, growing your business can be intimidating, especially in today’s male-dominated entrepreneurial landscape. The Karma Ambassador Program helps you feel confident and comfortable in a business environment and it facilitates lifelong friendships, both personally and professionally. Your social skills and networking tactics will immediately improve, and you will have the time of your life at Karma’s parties, workshops, socials and more. I like to think of Karma’s benefits as the following – if you surround yourself with good, successful people, it influences who you become.
If you’d like to learn more about Leann and Spa Fuzion, please go to http://www.spafuzion.com/. If you mention Karma during your next visit to Spa Fuzion, Leann will provide you with exlcusive spa specials.
If you think you have what it takes to become an Ambassador, please request an application by emailing Ambassador@KarmaInternational.com. For more information on our new Karma Monthly Spotlight series, and to possibly be featured in future posts, please contact Marvin Epstein, Karma’s Executive Vice President.
