Today we’d like to introduce you to Lorena Hibbard.
Hi Lorena , can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I’m originally from Colombia, I’m 38 years old, and most people who know me call me Lolo. I’ve lived in Houston, Texas, for the past 13 years. My journey to Houston began with something as simple and powerful as falling in love. I met my husband, we got married, and that brought me to a completely new country and a completely new chapter of my life.
Back in Colombia, I studied Fashion Design, so creativity, fashion, and art have always been a big part of who I am. But moving to the United States was an entirely different experience. In many ways, it felt like being born again. I had to learn a new language, understand a different culture, adapt to a different way of life, and find my place in a city I barely knew.
My husband worked in the oil industry, which meant he traveled frequently. That pushed me to become independent very quickly. I had to learn how to navigate Houston on my own, build a life here, and become comfortable being far away from everything that was familiar to me.
A few years after moving to Houston, I also had the opportunity to experience entrepreneurship. A friend and I created our own activewear brand. We were proud of what we created, and the business did well, but we eventually realized that we didn’t fully understand the U.S. market or how to navigate the business side of the fashion industry here. It was a valuable experience, even though it didn’t become the success we had originally imagined. Looking back, I see it as one of the experiences that taught me the most.
Then my life changed again when I became a mother.
My friend and I decided to close the brand, and I chose to dedicate myself to motherhood. For the next several years, being a mom became my main focus. I loved that chapter of my life, but I never stopped being the creative person I had always been.
I’ve always been drawn to art, fashion, and anything that allows me to create. One of my particular passions is theatrical costume design. I love the process of imagining a character and then bringing that character to life through clothing, details, textures, and creativity. There is something magical about creating something that tells a story without saying a word.
Over the past year, I’ve also discovered another side of myself through fitness. I’ve become much more disciplined about exercise, and what started as a way to take care of my body has become something much deeper for me. Working out has become therapeutic. It gives me time to disconnect, clear my mind, challenge myself, and reconnect with myself.
I’ve realized that the discipline I’ve developed through exercise doesn’t stay at the gym. It has taught me to be more consistent and focused in other areas of my life as well. It reminds me that small, intentional choices, repeated consistently, can create meaningful changes over time. In many ways, fitness has become another form of self-expression and a way of caring for myself.
Today, I’m finding new ways to reconnect with my creative side. I love creating content, fashion, discovering new restaurants and food, exploring events around Houston, and simply experiencing the city. One of my favorite things is being able to share those experiences with my daughter. Whether we are discovering a new place, attending an event, dressing up, or simply enjoying a new experience together, I love creating memories with her.
Today, I feel like I’m in a stage of rediscovering different parts of who I am—the designer, the creative, the woman who loves fashion and art, the mother, and now also someone who has found a new sense of strength and discipline through fitness.
I think one of the biggest lessons my journey has taught me is that life doesn’t always follow the path you imagine for yourself. Sometimes you have to start over. Sometimes you have to pause one dream to make room for another. And sometimes, years later, you realize that the person you were before is still there—you just have to give yourself permission to rediscover her.
After 13 years in Houston, this city feels like home. It’s where I built my family, learned to become independent, experienced the challenges of starting over, tried entrepreneurship, became a mother, and continue to discover new versions of myself.
I’m still figuring out what the next chapter looks like, but I know it will continue to involve the things I’ve always loved: creativity, fashion, art, fitness, experiences, and inspiring other women to embrace who they are and never be afraid to reinvent themselves.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It definitely hasn’t always been a smooth journey. One of the hardest parts of building a life in Houston has been being far away from my family. Coming from Colombia, family is such an important part of our lives, and being away from the people I grew up with has been something I’ve had to learn to navigate over the years.
There were also the challenges of adapting to a new culture and a completely different way of life. Even though Houston has become home, there were moments when I felt like an outsider because everything—from the language to social customs and the way people connect—was different from what I was used to.
Another challenge has been putting my career and some of my creative passions on hold to build my family and become a mother. Fashion and creativity have always been such an important part of my identity, so stepping away from that side of myself was not always easy. Becoming a mom was a beautiful and incredibly meaningful choice, but like any major life decision, it came with sacrifices. There were moments when I missed creating, working, and pursuing that part of who I was.
At the same time, I have absolutely no regrets about choosing to be present for my family during those years. Motherhood gave me experiences and memories that I wouldn’t trade for anything. I’ve learned that sometimes putting a dream on pause doesn’t mean giving it up forever. Some passions simply wait for you until you’re ready to rediscover them.
Over time, I also realized that creating a new sense of family was just as important as maintaining the connection with the family I left behind. I’ve been incredibly fortunate to build a beautiful community here. I have some very close friends who have become my family in Houston—my own little tribe. They have been there for me through different stages of my life, and having that support system has made such a difference.
I think that has been one of the biggest lessons of my journey: sometimes home isn’t just a place or the people you were born around. Home can also be the community you build, the friendships you nurture, and the people who choose to walk alongside you. And sometimes, the parts of yourself that you put on hold are simply waiting for the right moment to come back to life.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’ve always had an artistic way of seeing the world. My mind naturally looks at things and asks, “How can I create something from this?” and, more importantly, “How can I use that creation to communicate an idea, a feeling, or a story?” For me, creativity has never been limited to fashion. It is simply the way I see and experience the world.
One of the things I believe I’ve always been good at is paying attention to the details. I’m very detail-oriented, organized, disciplined, and intentional about what I do. I can be a perfectionist at times, which I’ve learned can be both a strength and a challenge, but it also pushes me to care deeply about the quality of what I create.
I also believe that the values I have as a person are reflected in my creative work. I value being respectful of people’s time, keeping my word, being responsible, and following through on what I commit to. Those qualities may not necessarily sound like “creative skills,” but I believe they are a big part of what makes someone successful in any creative career.
What differentiates me is probably the way I approach the little things. I believe details can completely transform an idea. They can communicate personality, intention, and emotion without saying anything. I’ve always been fascinated by that—the idea that something as simple as a fabric, a texture, a color, a silhouette, or a small finishing touch can tell a story.
What I’m most proud of is not one particular project or accomplishment, but the fact that creativity has always remained a part of me. Even during the years when I stepped away from my professional career to focus on my family, that creative side of me never disappeared. It was simply waiting for the right time to come back. And now, as I rediscover that part of myself, I’m excited to see where it takes me next.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
To me, success is a much deeper concept than simply achieving a goal or getting the outcome you hoped for.
I believe something can be successful even when it doesn’t turn out the way you originally imagined it would. If you walk away from an experience having learned something, grown as a person, gained a new perspective, or discovered something about yourself, then I consider that a success.
I’ve experienced this in different areas of my own life. There have been things I’ve started that didn’t turn out exactly as I had planned, including my experience as an entrepreneur. But those experiences taught me lessons that I could never have learned by simply succeeding on the first try. They taught me about business, resilience, patience, and, perhaps most importantly, about myself.
I also believe success looks different at different stages of our lives. There was a time when success might have meant building a career or creating a successful business. Then, for me, success became being present for my family and being the mother I wanted to be. Today, success feels more like finding a balance between the people I love, the life I’ve built, and the parts of myself that I’m continuing to rediscover.
So, for me, success isn’t always about winning. It’s about becoming. If an experience makes you wiser, stronger, more self-aware, or simply teaches you something you didn’t know before, then it wasn’t a failure. It was part of your success.
I think as long as you continue learning, growing, and moving forward, you are succeeding.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lorena.hibbard
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/18JZhX8hRV/?mibextid=wwXIfr
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@lolohibbard
