We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Grecia (GEE) Beuses. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Grecia (GEE) below.
Grecia (GEE), thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Are you happier as a creative? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job? Can you talk to us about how you think through these emotions?
It is definitely a roller coaster but i am very happy that i am able to pursue my passion of creating and making people feel beautiful. The thought of having a “regular job” has crossed my mind several times, specially when times are hard or im having a “low” moment as an artist; but i know deep down i would be so unhappy. I support people that love having 9 to 5s or just working monday through fridays in an office, everyone is entitled to their own choices but personally it is not for me. It is no secret that after 2020 things have been harder on everyone financially, which is why the thought of getting a corporate job or going back to a w2 type job has been present, but i keep telling myself not to give up and keep creating and learning skills in my line of work. Prior to pursuing my career in the beauty industry and social media content creator i worked retail for several years, i even had opportunities to work in other lines of work in an office but i turned them down. Each time i felt like giving up, i got back up and tried even harder. Feeling like im in a box, being told exactly what to do, how to think, or how creative i can be does not inspire me to wake up everyday and go to work. I think is very important to feel motivated and excited about your day, the things that you will get to accomplish, and i am very fortunate to also have a team of people that back me up and remind me how great i am at what i do.
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?
Growing up in Venezuela i always knew i was different than my friends, i was interested in things they weren’t and i liked being different and trying different things. I always had a passion for changing the way things looked, making them stand out more, i hated seeing how everyone looked the same or wanted the same things. I would grab my barbies and give them make overs (which my mom hated because they were collectibles haha), i would get into my grandmothers make up and give myself dramatic looks as a kid and then ask all the women around me if i could do their makeup well. Moving to the US when i was 12 i feel like it gave me the freedom i needed to expand my interests, specially because i felt like there are way more open minded people here. When i graduated high school i was kind of forced/told to go to college, which i did but i knew this was not going to take me anywhere, i wanted to go to beauty school. After i got my associates degree of arts in psychology, i drove myself to Paul Mitchel the School in Houston and enrolled myself with only the support of my mom. I also had a 5 month old baby which was my main inspiration to follow my dreams, which was creating beautiful things. The feeling you get whenever your client takes a look in the mirror and they are in love with how they look really has no price, and its so rewarding knowing i can give someone the little push they needed for their confidence.
I currently offer hair services (cuts, coloring and hair treatments), lash services (lash extensions and lash perming), needleless lip fillers. I work at a Salon and i am also able to travel for certain services. These can help you make your day to day activities easier, less time getting ready, and also enhance the beauty they already had.
Recently i have gotten more into photography, social media managing and content creating, which is a work in progress but this has helped me take my creative passion to the next level. Not only do i apply this to my own projects but i also help others understand social media and i get to teach them how they can take their work to the next level.
I am very proud of how far I’ve come and the knowledge that I’ve gained over the past years. I want people to know they are not just another “check” in my life, i care about my clients, i have developed great relationships with a lot of them. I want them to believe in themselves and if i can help motivate them its a plus.
We are our own biggest critics, and i want people to know that self sabotage is real. I try to provide a safe place for all my clients, i listen to them and if they are struggling with something i want them to know they are not alone. If they want to pursue their own business i want them to know IT IS POSSIBLE but they need to work in order to get it, things aren’t just handed to you; My skills didn’t just developed from one day to another, it took time, but just like i did it they can to. My new services provide that help they need for content creating and organizing themselves a little more for their businesses as well. As i create content for them i can teach them how they can do it themselves as well.
Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?
Yes, i like to listen to motivational speakers or business millionaires on YouTube, although they have nothing to do with the beauty industry they really make you think and see things from a better perspective. They talk about the type of mentality you should have, to think outside the box, to let go of things that don’t serve you or things that don’t matter but always get in the way of becoming a successful person. It really all starts with the way you think, your daily routines, what you put in your mind and body. What you are doing on your spare time. It is very hard to let go of negative habits that don’t serve you or you didn’t even know you had. Also attending events/seminars that are about personal growth have become a must. Getting more in touch with your spiritual self has been key to let myself blossom more. I highly encourage people that before they start a big project or business to really look deep within themselves and do a lot of inner work; that really affects the energy that you put out into the world and your business.
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
I think the main thing that a lot of artists would appreciate is for others to stop treating us like our work isn’t real work; that our careers aren’t real careers just because we aren’t lawyers, or doctors or engineers; does not mean we cant be successful. This isn’t the times our grandparents grew up in, you don’t need a college degree to be successful, its not for everyone. Just like we support our friend that graduated from med school, support the friend that just graduated from beauty school, dance, arts, etc. Support the friend that just started their cleaning business or landscaping business. Share their work online, refer others, most of the time its just one click away whenever we are navigating through facebook, tiktok, etc. Encourage your kids to try new things, encourage them to think outside the box. Stop telling your kids if you don’t go to college you’re going to end up cleaning up after people. Every job is a job and everyone should be respected and treated equally. An advice id love to give other entrepreneurs is not to compare yourself to others, not everything is a competition, support and learn from each other.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/geeandrea369
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/glammedbygee/
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@_geeandrea https://www.instagram.com/_geeandrea/
Image Credits
Grecia Beuses RAD Salons