We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Gabriella Colon-Morris a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Gabriella, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’re complete cheeseballs and so we love asking folks to share the most heartwarming moment from their career – do you have a touching moment you can share with us?

In the months leading up to the grand opening of my spa, I was amazed by the effort of my community in supporting me. When I told my dad this dream I was trying to achieve, he immediately went through his contacts and connected me with a friend of his that owns several hair salons; this small act created a ripple effect of support and help in making my dream come true. This conversation gave me the confidence to believe in myself, to believe that my fears were the only thing standing in my way, to believe that this lost feeling I had of ideas and aspirations swirling around in my head could become something tangible. From my dad connecting me with my first networking opportunity, the word began spreading around my friends and family. They always say “it takes a village,” and I am forever grateful that my village came through for me. My mom, who owns her own business as well, connected me with financial planners, other business owners, and helped me research everything I would need to prepare for the Grand Opening. My sister invited all of her friends, several that also own businesses to give me advice and network; my parents invited all their friends and still have the biggest, most proud smile when they give out my business cards; and my wife was constantly running around all over the city to pick up supplies, bring them back to the spa, get everyone food, help me pick paint colors, write down every thought in my head (which were endless), and bring me back to Earth when my anxiety got the better of me. When we started getting my spa ready, we all chipped in on painting, building, and setting up; my dad hand-painted two beautiful murals and my mom cooked an entire spread of food for my guests. There were many nights throughout the process that we stayed up far later than we should have, everyone in my circle listened to me cry and worry, we ate pizza and Chinese food endlessly, we would make a 90’s sitcom look underwhelming. The day of my Grand Opening I was a nervous wreck, but when I finished my makeup, got my outfit on, and looked around me I saw that I had so many people in my corner who wanted nothing, but to see me succeed – it filled my heart with warmth and joy. The effort put in to see me succeed has been voracious. From feeling lost in my life and unfilled in my career to feeling hopeful and uplifted in every way.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I am a wife, dog mom to a tiny rat terrier/chihuahua mix, and spa owner. As the child of an army vet who was active duty most of my life, and a lawyer who owns her own practice, I’ve had a lot of big aspirations in my life. For many years, I wanted to be a surgeon, but in college, I learned that a lot of practicing medicine is practicing politics and being restricted by insurance companies, which I had no desire to do, but I always knew I wanted to help people. I am, at my core, an empath and I have always believed in the healing power of touch. While working at a salon in South Tampa, I discovered all the things I loved doing could be combined in one career – helping people, healing people, connecting with people, being creative. I went to the American Institute of Beauty to learn how I could combine all my passions and refine my skills in skincare. In January of 2023, I opened Honey Beauty Spa & Wellness where my goal is to help incorporate self-care into the lives of my clients. I want everyone who walks into my space to feel accepted and to accept themselves. As a queer business owner, I believe in this mission with every part of my soul. My greatest pride is in how I connect with my clients; knowing my clients trust me with their health, their skin, and their troubles in life is something I hold very near and dear to my heart. At Honey Beauty Spa & Wellness, I provide facials, lash & brow enhancements, and makeup services. All of my products are cruelty-free, ethically-sourced, and all-natural because in order to care for ourselves, we must care for our planet. My services are completely customizable and tailored to each client’s individual needs. As someone with mobility problems, I make sure my services are accessible to all, so I also offer house calls to clients who are unable to make it into my service room.

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

In my life, I have been through traumas and tribulations that have truly shaped who I am and how I view the world around me. One of which was a decline in my health; after high school and ignoring my body to achieve the highest grades possible, I had time and space in my life to begin to understand that “no pain is the normal amount of pain.” I was sitting with a friend and asked, “you know that feeling of your lungs rubbing together when you breathe?” To which they answered, “no Gab, I don’t think that is normal.” It was so simple, yet it turned my world upside down. Again I tried to shove that worry as far back in my mind as possible, but every time I felt that sensation I wondered, “why do I feel this?” When I asked my doctor about that, the heart palpitations, and the constant chest pain, I had no idea the Pandora’s box I was opening. Years of tests, scans, doctors believing me, doctors not believing me, and worsening symptoms went by and I still had no answer. Finally, I found a doctor that believed me, no more “it’s your weight,” “we can’t find anything in your blood work,” or “we just don’t know, we have to refer you out.” That doctor changed everything for me – she ordered the right tests, suggested the right doctors, and finally, I was diagnosed with several disorders, all of which stemming from an autoimmune connective tissue disorder. Suddenly, everything made sense and I was able to get the right treatments. After my diagnosis, I needed to restructure my life to accommodate my needs (now that I knew what they were), which is a big reason I started my own business. I still have good days and bad, but now I know how to handle them and I know how to help my clients with similar struggles.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I come from a family of go-getters, so I had to unlearn that stillness is the enemy of progress. I learned through pushing myself too far that moments of stillness are necessary for the human spirit. It is in those moments you truly learn, and in order to progress in life, you must be a constant student. The most successful people I have known in my life always seemed to be moving at warp speed; when my physical and mental health forced me to take time to stand still and breathe, I looked to those same people for advice and I learned that the road to success in every area of life comes with many plateaus. I always saw plateaus as something to be ashamed of but from that point on, I’ve taken those plateaus to reconnect with myself, my loved ones, and the world around me. The world around me started to become a much less scary place, I started to see the beauty in things I hadn’t noticed since I was a child – the smell of the air before it rains, the dew on the grass in the morning, the way people’s eyes catch the sunlight. I learned that constant motion is the enemy of peace.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.honeybeautybygab.com/
• Instagram: http://instagram.com/honeybeauty.tampa?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Honey-Beauty-by-Gab/100083375980359/?viewas&show_switched_toast=false&show_switched_tooltip=false&is_tour_dismissed=false&is_tour_completed=false&show_podcast_settings=false&show_community_transition=false&show_community_re
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@honeybeauty.tampa?_t=8gfqEfTKL9S&_r=1 https://www.vagaro.com/honeybeautyspaandwellness

Image Credits
Rich Colon @rrdigital.media