Rising Stars: Meet Catherine Dickson of Buckeye

Today we’d like to introduce you to Catherine Dickson.

Hi Catherine, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Absolutely! My name is Catherine Dickson, owner and lead jewelry stylist for Lighthouse Styling and Beauty Consulting, LLC. I am an empowerment advocate, not just for women but for individuals. I thoroughly enjoy watching others overcome the obstacles that have prevented them from achieving their goals and watching them soar. I knew empowering others to embrace and reveal their unique inner beauty gave me strength and a great sense of victory long before I understood how my own journey and obstacles were a part of the story. I recently discovered that the sense of victory I had been feeling was actually me recovering little bite-size pieces of the confidence and power that had been stolen from me through mental and financial abuse by those closest to me over many years. Even before I dared to leave my own abusive environment, the victories I watched others achieve through my empowerment efforts were already beginning to “heal” me. Like taking pieces of shattered glass and using them to create a stained glass window, each of their encounters was a “scene” in my window.

My drive to empower others inspired my creation of Lighthouse Styling and Beauty Consultants. I had been a consultant for a direct sales jewelry and beauty company, originally to help others, but found that I could not escape the constant “push” for sales. I would watch women come to my vendor table and fall in love with a quality-made piece that resonated with them. And walk away because they could not “justify” spending the amount of money for the piece on themselves, whether for a one-time event or as an heirloom piece. My heart would break every time I watched this interaction play out because I know how we, as women, associate our values with our experiences with the items we buy. When a piece breaks or tarnishes, the thought is, “It’s ok. It’s only a $__ piece. It’s not like I can afford the nicer stuff. I shouldn’t expect it to last.” I wanted (more needed) the focus to be on giving others access to high-quality accessories to give them confidence in the value of their skin rather than on making a “sale.” Lighthouse has allowed me to rent jewelry to individuals, models, and filmmakers for a fraction of the cost of purchasing the pieces. This allowed me to get the pieces into the hands of those who needed and loved them without prohibitive costs. My styling services allow me to teach and mentor individuals on how to wear specific types of jewelry. Learn which types of pieces are the most flattering for their figures, and assist them in adding the “finishing touches” to the looks they are creating to make it reveal their unique style and beauty. And most recently, designing and creating my pieces has given me the freedom to explore my creative individuality as I highlight the beauty of the individuals I am working with or seeing around me.

I have discovered that my empowerment advocacy draws others to me and my business with an incredible magnetism. Other individuals want to be a part of positive change; we all yearn to succeed and to watch those around us succeed. I found myself not just building a business but creating a team of individuals who rallied behind my business and personal goals. They cheer me on, challenge me, stand shoulder to shoulder with me and my business, and are just as proud of my business and personal accomplishments as I am.

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The last year has been one of quiet growth within my business, filled with silent yet immensely impactful moves and changes. In August of 2021, I walked away from a 21-year marriage riddled with mental and financial abuse, resulting in an immediate re-evaluation of every aspect of my personal and business world. I found myself questioning whether my mission for my business was still applicable to me. Whether my current lines of business were serving the purpose of the task and if there were other methods or lines of business that would better serve the vision of my business. While a large personal change can often stifle a small business or stunt its growth, my situation has strengthened my passion, expanded my lines of business and partnerships, and initiated positive restructuring within my business. My growth and perseverance have led to my pieces being utilized in 3 films this year, establishing new collaborations with stylists and designers, embarking on the journey of designing my own unique pieces, and aligning my business with a collective council of creators and business owners. These incredibly positive business moves and accomplishments would not have been possible without the impeccable team of individuals who had grown alongside my business. Each time I struggled throughout the healing journey, they encouraged me to keep striving toward the goal, inspiring me to continue using my skills and resources to empower others around me.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
Lighthouse Styling and Beauty Consulting works tirelessly to remove the typical obstacles individuals, models, business professionals, and filmmakers encounter with aquiring and utilizing fashion accessories. These obstacles can include cost, locatiion of pieces, storage of items, knowledge of how to use or wear them in the most fashionable ways, and more. We offer jewelry and accessories for rental and purchase, photoshoot or event styling, personal styling, accessory shopping, or jewelry design/consignment. Each of our lines of business is uniquely designed to meet the specific needs of our customers, whether for a single sales interaction, a special event, or an ongoing production.

Any big plans?
The greatest change happening within Lighthouse Styling and Beauty is the addition of our exclusively designed pieces. Previously, we curated our jewelry directly from designers and unique sources. Now, by designing our pieces, we can expand on our current collection to meet the needs of our clients, as well as create exclusively unique styles for filmmakers, models, or clients looking for something not available elsewhere.

Contact Info:

• Website: lighthouse-sbc.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/lighthousestylingandbeauty
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/100064104810648/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3VA0OmtjxcuyMgid6Olk6Q

Image Credits
Credits listed top to bottom, left to right. 1. Model- Zoe Nicholas Photographer- Chriss Lay of Chriss Lay Media. Stylist- Catherine Dickson of Lighthouse Styling and Beauty Consultants Event- Phoenix On Central 2021 2. Model- Nichelle Garnes Photographer- Chriss Lay of Chriss Lay Media Stylist- Catherine Dickson of Lighthouse Styling and Beauty Consultants Event- Phoenix On Central 2021 3. Model- Yanellis Linares Photographer- Chriss Lay of Chriss Lay Media Stylist- Catherine Dickson of Lighthouse Styling and Beauty Consultants Event- Phoenix On Central 2021 4. Earring Tree Photographer- Chriss Lay of Chriss Lay Media Stylist- Catherine Dickson of Lighthouse Styling and Beauty Consultants 5. Model- Gabby Barbosa, Lead Actress in the movie “Rescued” Photographer- Chriss Lay of Chriss Lay Media Stylist- Catherine Dickson of Lighthouse Styling and Beauty Consultants Subject- Continuity shot for behind the scenes on set of “Rescued”. 6. Vendor Table setup Photographer- Catherine Dickson Stylist- Catherine Dickson of Lighthouse Styling and Beauty Consultants. Event- AZ Women’s Expo, April 30th, 2022