Meet The Team: Abe Lopez
Lightward is a direction, yes—and it’s also an energy. And rather than talk about that energy, we’d rather introduce you to the people who embody it, here—the people we get to work alongside on a daily basis.
Typically behind the camera—but always ready to work it in front of the lens, too—Abe brings an electric magic wherever he goes. We’re thrilled to give you a glimpse into what moves him and makes his expansive heart come alive.
Preferred pronouns?
he/him
Where are you currently based?
Laguna Beach, California
How long have you been working at Lightward?
~5 years
How would you describe the work you do with Lightward?
I wear a lot of different hats, from being the managing partner to photography to creating epic retreats for our team, to being a resident dreamer for Lightward, to managing finances, to connecting Lightward with fun opportunities. 🙂
What have you learned about yourself and the way you like to work since joining Lightward?
I’ve learned that I love working alongside my best friend and husband, Isaac. Our brains complement each other incredibly well and it’s cool to see that played out in running the business together. I’ve learned that I do not like traditional work schedules, so I’m glad we don’t have them. I’ve also learned that the way we do business is really unique and I’m grateful for that.
How do you express yourself creatively?
I love taking and creating beautiful imagery. I love flirting with the world and creating new pathways to experience this beautiful life.
What’s your favorite way to recharge and relax?
I love recharging at our beach cottage in Laguna Beach, watching the sunsets and taking long walks. I also recharge by being around a bunch of friends, enjoying delicious food and drink together – community is so important to me.
Where do you find inspiration?
I find it wandering new streets while traveling, watching strangers go about their day-to-day in big cities across the world, finding amazing/inspiring content on Youtube, having an insightful conversation, seeing someone be bold in the face of their own fears and insecurities, and taking in how incredible the Spice Girls were—and are.
What’s important to you?
Health, in all the ways.
Being connected to my purpose.
Honesty and integrity.
Creating a life that I’m really excited about.
What’s an essential part of your rhythm that helps you connect to and show up with your most authentic self?
I’d say working out and being connected to friends who inspire me in all the ways!
What’s something people might not know about you right away, but feels important to your own sense of personhood and self-definition?
Great question. I think that I’m not just trying to be positive to be positive, it’s truly a part of who I am. While not always positive, my instinctual response to this world is one of optimism.
What makes “home” feel like home to you?
Home feels like warmth, beauty and safety, surrounded by the ones I love and enjoy being around.
When do you most feel like you?
When I’m with my husband. When I’m working out, when I’m singing karaoke, when I’m in a room full of change-makers and people advancing our world, in high-end fashion boutiques, playing beach volleyball at sunset, screaming and dancing with my friends at 1am for the hell of it, constantly surprising myself, on a plane watching the sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean on the way to Europe, in cities, in the woods … when I feel in my body–bold, tender, confident, grateful.
What’s a question you love being asked?
How is your heart today?
What are you thinking about lately?
What in your life is expanding?
Where are you heading right now?
Have you seen the news that Spice Girls might reunite again?!
A question you love asking?
How is your heart today?
What are you thinking about lately?
What in your life is expanding?
Where are you heading right now?
Have you seen the news that Spice Girls might reunite again?!
Favorite song(s) to listen to during a workout?
Something Just Like This – Coldplay
Spice Up Your Life – Spice Girls
Perfect Day – song from Legally Blonde
Favorite place you’ve ever traveled to, and why?
The country of New Zealand. The landscape is truly inspiring and I feel like anything is possible when I’m there.
You have a wide open day—what’s your dream scenario?
Wake up, work out, brunch with friends, wander and explore a new city with Isaac and friends, get dressed up for a gorgeous dinner with the crew at an amazing restaurant, and enjoy a night either in or out after that – all with the ones I love. 🙂
Films that bring instant nostalgia?
The Sandlot, Ever After, The Princess Diaries 2
Favorite account(s) to follow on Instagram?
@abrahamhickspublications @lightwardinc ;) @melissau @markoayling
@kenfulk @aguynamedpatrick @nabela @whole30
What’s something you’re proud of?
That I follow my heart and mind to beautiful places.
What brings you joy?
Isaac. My friends and family. Singing. Exploring new ideas. Dancing. Watching the sunset. The Spice Girls. Good-smelling candles. Left turn lights. Hydration. Beauty. Dreaming. Romance. Good sleep. Giving to others. Tumi pens. Tiaras. Deadlifting. Creating beautiful images and sharing them with the world. My Apple watch. Changing of the seasons. Leadership camp. Good-smelling fragrances. Flirting with the world. Me, on my best days.
What’s a dream you have?
To have a grand piano in our future home.
That the climate is saved.
To skinny dip in the south of France.
What’s sparking your interest/something you’re curious about right now?
Deepening and expanding my community, especially after the last 2.5 years.
If your current life phase had a chapter title, what would it be?
“Living on the Leading Edge of All That is Good.”
What does “Lightward” mean to you?
Lightward means freedom, to explore one’s freedom and agency …To ask yourself, “what’s possible?” and run in that direction, without reservation. Lightward is a choice, an invitation to be fully here, aware of light all around and in us. What Lightward means to me, right now, is a place to feel safe in, a homebase that is vibrant, safe, and expansive. It means to live.