Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Gabriela Chavez. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Gabriela, appreciate you joining us today. What’s something crazy on unexpected that’s happened to you or your business
There have been many times that I questioned myself on being an entrepreneur. With that being said, I would choose the struggles and lessons of being an entrepreneur any day over anything else. One of the lessons that always sticks with me is the time I had a student that signed up for the eyelash extension course. The student that signed up had experience with applying lash extensions. She advised me that she was working in a salon and they were asking for her license, which was the real reason she signed up for the course. In the state of Texas, a license is required in order to apply lash extensions. The student did not want to learn the basics of the course because she felt that there was nothing she could learn since she had already been applying lash extensions for over a year. The student was very difficult to deal with because she was not open minded to learning, she only wanted to clock in hours and not learn the way we teach nor did she want to work on models. She eventually started missing days at school and I knew it was because she was seeing clients instead of coming to school. I was willing to give her a chance to come in and make up the days without dropping her from the course. She was not willing to come in to make up the missing hours and she requested to withdraw from the school and began requesting a refund. She had completed 8 weeks of the course and had 8 weeks remaining. I offered her a partial refund per the contract which upset her. She began to insult me not only on a professional level but also on a personal level. I had never had someone insult me on both professional/personal levels of my life. It was a first for me. As an entrepreneur, I knew I had to handle the situation without letting the insults factor into my reaction. It was hard. I felt the need to defend myself and my business. However, I was aware that if I allowed the personal insults weigh in on my reaction, it would prove that I couldn’t handle my business and, my business is what is most important to me. The lesson I learned from that was, not to let personal things affect my decision making capabilities when it comes to business decisions. It may seem like a simple lesson however, when you are in the situation it is easier said than done especially when you have faced this situation if not similar on more than one occasion.

Gabriela, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Leading OG Dallas lash artist, Gaby, is the founder of Lashes by Gaby and Learn Lash Repeat Training Academy.

Her lash journey began in 2012 as she pursued lash artistry after years of being in the dental field for 10 years. Gaby received her training and certification at LashMaxx, where she was grandfathered in and soon became a Licensed lash artist. She then went on to become an Esthetician and later a Licensed Instructor in the state of Texas. After she mastered her craft, she opened and managed her own studio, Lashes by Gaby. Years later, she wanted to share her passion and knowledge with aspiring lash artists and opened Learn Lash Repeat Training Academy in 2016. Starting a business is not about making money, starting a business should lead you to make a difference. Gaby has never been afraid to ask for help and always find a solution to every situation. She loves continuing education and traveling.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
COVID!! The coronavirus changed so much for everyone in the world. It could have affected business had we not thought of offering online education. It is an ongoing situation that requires spontaneous resolutions which I am beginning to master.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
Having several years under my belt and my commitment to satisfaction has carried me this far and will continue to until I decide to retire.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.learnlashrepeat.com
• Instagram: @learnlashrepeat
• Facebook: Learn.LASH.Repeat Training Academy
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UC35s3XDPD9WVtBCKHUg57WQ

Image Credits
Veronica Cardoza Eder Cruz Maribel Morales