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

Gabriella, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Risking taking is a huge part of most people’s story but too often society overlooks those risks and only focuses on where you are today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – it could be a big risk or a small one – but walk us through the backstory.

Before I started my own business I was working for someone else and doing teeth whitening for her business. She lives out of state so I was the only one running her business for her in Houston. Her other businesses were doing quiet well and she decided to close down the Houston location and have me work from home for her. This was great for a little while, until the job and pay became more inconsistent. I am a single mom of two so this did not work as I was struggling to support myself and my kids. I got a call from my previous boss I worked for to fly out to California to whiten teeth at a fair. The pay was going to be great, but the work days would be 14 hours and I would be gone from home for almost a month, This idea was terrifying to me because I would be away from my daughter and at this time I was pregnant with my son. After a week of going back and forth in my mind I knew in my heart there would never be a better opportunity than this one that was given to me. I packed my bags to be gone for an entire month and said goodbye to my baby girl and flew to LA that would be my home for the next month.
I had no idea what was in store for me or what laid ahead but I knew I was there to work my butt off as much as I could so that when I got back I could start my own business and not have to rely on a 9-5 anymore. Thankfully there was wonderful people that I got to work with and learn amazing things from that would benefit me in my teeth whitening business. I worked hard along side one other girl and I made enough at the end to invest in the equipment I needed.
Sometimes taking risks and being terrified is that drive that you need to push yourself beyond your boundaries. There is no growth in comfort zones. I cried every single day I was at that fair but I gained priceless knowledge that not only helped me financially but also as a person because I found out what I was capable of.

Gabriella, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My passion is helping others feel good about themselves. In their own body, in their own skin and when they smile. I got into teeth whitening when I got hired by someone who was opening up a third location in Houston. She lives in Utah and already had two teeth whitening businesses over there and she decided to expand out to Houston. She hired me and I learned how to run a business through running her business here. After about a year and a half she shut down this location and I began to work from home for her to help her with her Utah businesses. I got a call for an opportunity to go to California for a month to work with the manufacturer of my products and provide teeth whitening services there. I was hesitant to go because ,my daughter was two years old at the time, but I decided this was a once and a life time opportunity that I should not let pass me by. That experience in California was the hardest I’ve had to push myself because the hours were very long from early morning to night plus I missed my daughter tremendously. I owe this wonderful opportunity to how I started my business. That trip gave me the drive and confidence I needed to tell myself I could really do this on my own. So, with the money I made from working there I invested into my business and bought all the equipment I needed to start and began the steps to becoming my own boss.
Gems Teeth Whitening specializes in creating beautiful smiles that our clients love. We provide the best customer service possible with guaranteed results in just one session. We love to help you smile bright and love the person you see in the mirror.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

You have to absolutely LOVE what you do! Having your own small business especially one that you are doing full time and provides for your family is like you have another child to take care of. You need to give it attention and love even on the bad days or when you simply don’t feel like it. This December will be 3 years in business for myself and 5 years total whitening teeth. i have learned the more effort I put into my business the more it rewards me. Take care of your clients and they will also care for you. I try to build relationships with my clients because I truly care about them in real life. I have them for an hour and a half of their time that they chose to spend with me to improve their appearance and many times it is for a huge milestone in their life such as getting married or a graduation or a trip they’ve been planning for years. I want each client to walk away happy and satisfied with their time and money spent with me. Love your clients and your business and they will love you back. Without your clients you don’t have a business.

How did you build your audience on social media?

Post, post, post! Every single day at least once. Social media is such an incredible space to grow your business. Your first reel or TikTok does not have to be perfect or flawless by any means just make one and post it! With time you will learn and get better at it but if you don’t even try then there will be no progress. Get inspiration and post content on your stories. Engage with your audience and followers do not be scared to show your face and talk because your followers like to see the face behind the business and are more likely to trust you if you show yourself. Do it until you are comfortable with it. I use to shy away from ever showing my face on stories because of my voice or how other people would perceive me but the truth is you are your worst critic. Do more of those things that scare you to help your business grow.

Contact Info:

• Website: gemsteethwhitening.as.me
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gemsteethwhitening
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gemsteethwhitening