Meet Lisa Gutierrez-Martinez | Lark| Founder/Creative Director

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lisa Gutierrez-Martinez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lisa, what makes you happy? Why?
Adventure, creating, and collaboration make me happy. I love to discover new places and things and share my delight with others.. I love to be out in the world, finding beauty in the undefined, and surrounded by inspiring people. I internalize everything, so if something can can spark or stir interest in my heart and mind, I am all in.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Lark is conceptual. We have no overhead or employees. We produce well styled dining experiences while also creating lifestyle content for people, places and brands. Our approach is collaborative and evolving whereas every lark is unique to its location, menu, and guests. It’s a creative cycle where everyone gets a seat at the table. It’s modern, organic, and inspirational.

I’m definitely a late bloomer and an outsider in this industry. Late because I had no idea where I might be most useful and joyful. It took years of various experiences bouncing from corporate to creative jobs. One thing for sure, I didn’t stop looking or dreaming.

When I think about where my business is headed, the ability to create the path on my own shines brighter than anything a company could offer me. I’ve never liked predictability and I’ve learned through my life experiences that persistence pays. The only way to get good at your craft is to keep at it: do, reflect, refine and do again.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I could honestly write five different itineraries, but this one we could do in a day OR spread over a week. Here I am dreaming up a. Venice/Santa Monica/Malibu adventure:

Breakfast at Great White, if we are lucky, we’ll grab a gorgeous bouquet from The Unlikely Florist.

Walk the gorgeous Venice canals and marvel at the architecture.

Stroll through the quaint shops on Abbott & Kinney Boulevard.

Enjoy a late lunch (and possibly celebrity sighting) at Gjelina.

Then guest choice both of which require reservations:

1) A tour & dip at the historical Annenberg Beach House followed by dinner at the swanky Casa Del Mar.

-OR-

2) A drive up to Malibu to dig our toes in sand at Paradise Cove before enjoying dinner and sunset at the Cafe.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Lark happened with I married what I loved professionally to what I love personally. None of this would have come about if I hadn’t heard the words “You are a creative, what are doing here?”, setting me off the corporate path and into the creative world. I was extremely lucky to have landed in a purely collaborative environment. I spent four years immersed in the world of still photography as a support person, wearing many hats. I live to re-create these moments by invest time and energy in others, and demonstrating what I have learned.

I attribute our success to the YES people. The ones who heard about lark and contributed by sharing their talents (Chefs: Kristen Trinh, Kyle Powers, Jim Sullivan, Lena Ksanti, Alex Bolar, Taylor Elam) and opening their doors (Cleobella, Urban Americana, Isles Interiors, Laura Brophy Interiors, Sourced., to name a few) sharing their style (Stylists: Mason Hauck, Christina Peterson & Johanna Pate Wilson), Florals:French Buckets & Cargo Creative), Ceramics (Andrea Luna Reece) and Poems/Illustrations (Nick Banning, Emily Boelsems), Sommeliers (Tyler Rodriguez + Billy O’Connell) and, of course, Photographers (Mitch Maher, Kathryn Colby, Missy Coyle). There are so many, it’s impossible to name them all, but I make a real effort to do my best to acknowledge them in real time and on my social platforms.

Website: https://larkartisanmarket.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/letsgoonalark/?hl=en

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisamartinez1/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/letsgoonalark

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/letsgoonalark

Image Credits
Mitch Maher, Kathryn Colby, Talia Pashey, Kailee Walters, The Delauras