We were lucky to catch up with Dora Gabriela Espino recently and have shared our conversation below.

Dora Gabriela , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Are you happier as a business owner? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job?

Being a business owner has its ups and downs. Being a business owner in an artistic industry is even more of a roller coaster. Earlier this year my family was experiencing what felt like set back after set back. My daughter became ill and was in and out of the hospital for a couple weeks. Shortly after that my husband was taken into surgery that required someone to take care of him for a couple weeks after. In moments like that there’s pros and cons. I have the flexibility to make my own schedule, so I moved some things around to cater to the unexpected moments life was throwing. But in return, it affected me financially. I sometimes wonder what it would be like to have PTO, or sick pay. But as a creative, being put in a box is exhausting. I would rather navigate through the hurdles life throws at me and still pursue my artistry than conform to someone else’s schedule and work on making THEIR dreams come true.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is Gabby Espino and I like to call myself a Nail Artisan. I started in this industry really young, at 14 yrs old. My family relocated to Mexico after my father’s deportation and I needed a creative outlet to help me deal with the huge change. Nails has always been a constant in my life, my earliest memory of my mother is her getting long red claws done at a local nail salon. The whole process fascinated me. Through high school and later on in college, I did nails as a side job. On my last leg of law school I had an accident where I needed surgery and physical therapy after so I dropped out of school and focused on my health. I ended up moving back to California to pursue cosmetology. Since being licensed, I’ve worked as a cosmetology instructor as well as a salon suite owner. I’ve been a brand ambassador and currently an Educator with the brand Kupa Inc. This career has given me the opportunity to work not just with clients, but in the other side of the nail industry with brands, magazines, radio and even TV. It has been an absolute journey, with highs and lows, but overall I am very proud of how far my art has taken me and how much I’ve been able to achieve in the past 12 yrs of being licensed.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

In 2015, my mother passed away unexpectedly. She and the rest of my family still lived in Mexico. My first instinct was to bring my brothers and sister with me. I’m the oldest of four and have always felt a certain responsibility towards them. I was able to put the two youngest through school with my career. For two years after my mother’s death, I worked 7 days a week in salons and teaching to be able to provide for our small family. That period of my life taught me what I could be capable of. It taught me that even though this might not be a 9-5 I could be SOMEONE and provide.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

There’s always ups and downs in business. When I got pregnant with my youngest daughter, I was in what felt like the highest point in my career. I had my own salon suite, I was working with brands and even got to do content for NailPro magazine. My pregnancy was complicated so I made the very hard decision to step away from the industry to focus on my health. It was a huge blow to my ego, and our finances. But in the long wrong it was a blessing. After I had my daughter I returned focused and with a plan. I wasn’t starting from scratch again. Since then I’ve had to make adjustments here and there, but always choosing to see adversity as an opportunity for positive change.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @__esmalte
• Other: Tik tok @__esmalte

Image Credits

Myself Gabby Espino