I was born in Jackson Heights, Queens, which, if you’re Colombian, you know that’s Ellis Island for our people. Spanish was my first language, it’s all we spoke at home. I learned English by watching “Sesame Street.”
My father was a civil engineer who earned his master’s degree at Columbia University. I remember him working all day and then driving a taxi at night during difficult times to make ends meet. He would tell me, “Mija, the only thing I can leave you is an education. Push yourself always to be curious.” My mom sold Avon and Mary Kay to help bring in additional income, and she instilled deep family values in me. From home-cooked meals to being all up in our business to keep us out of trouble, she was very hands-on.
One of the biggest lessons I learned from both my parents was to always have a high work ethic. I remember my dad would say, “Everybody here has a job. Yours might be school today, but you all have to contribute.” The idea was no one’s getting a free ride. Nothing’s too big or too low for any of us.
I also learned a lot from my grandmother (my mom’s mom), who we call ‘la Mami,’ because she was everybody’s mom. La Mami was a trailblazer. She came to this country with four daughters, not knowing the language or anyone. The courage she had to do that is so inspiring to me. She went on to become a talented master seamstress and pattern maker for Gloria Vanderbilt, and through her I discovered a love for beauty and fashion.
For Latinas, generational beauty has always been a thing. It was these simple steps, but so important to us. My grandmother would always say “mija, don’t go to bed without washing your face.” She died a month before her 102nd birthday without a wrinkle.
With this passion for beauty and belief in the power of education, I started working many jobs to put myself through undergrad and earn my MBA without student loans. One of my jobs was behind the Clinique counter, and I loved it. I really enjoyed talking to customers and unlocking their confidence, giving them that feeling that they can conquer anything.
My first corporate job was in the sales division at Elizabeth Arden. Unilever owned them at the time. I took the job over the summer just to save money for my final undergrad semester. So come August, I went in to resign to the VP of Sales. His name was Mark Falzik, and I told him I had to go back to finish school.
He was smoking a cigar, and these big circles of smoke surrounded us, and he said to me that at Elizabeth Arden they were going to be focusing a lot more on the Hispanic customer, and he wanted me on his team. He offered to pay for my last semester of school if I finished it at night and stayed on. It was the first time I felt seen and like I could actually offer something that nobody else could. I will always be grateful to him for that.
Fast forward to today, I’ve been in my current role at Saie for about two and a half years. It’s a small indie brand but so impressive. Whenever I’m walking into a brand like Saie that’s so unique, I just want to quietly learn from the team, and then work with them to see how we can unlock potential, honoring the brand DNA, and finding opportunities to scale. It’s about really listening to each other, and reverse mentoring is a big thing here.
We’ve been able to develop a lot of strategies together. One is staying nimble. Two is optimizing our communities – leveraging our brand aficionados to help create more. We’re also establishing and perfecting product launch cadences and continuing to strengthen our relationship with Sephora.
This year, we are completing our full-year distribution in Sephora North America, and next year we have a very big project rolling out. And there will be some global expansion in our future. So, stay tuned on all of that.
Through all my experiences, I have found that being a Latina in the beauty industry is a superpower. It’s so important to use your Latino heritage as a strength, and as a point of difference. It’s a unique perspective that is very valuable. There are dualities that we are raised in that offer such an authentic perspective. We appeal to a diverse set of shades, shapes, body, and skin types, and the power of that voice really leans into a cultural movement that’s very intimate.
I also think that there’s something called heart share, which Latinas can’t help but do. We are spiritual, we are emotional, and it’s part of how we are wired. This also means sharing when you’re vulnerable, even with your team. And what I’ve seen is that when you do that, they share back. There’s this transparency, this heart share that’s established, and that’s something that’s truly a strength. What we offer the world has been ingrained in us for generations.
At the end of the day, I don’t walk in the room thinking I’m here as a Latina, I just walk in the room thinking I’m here to learn and grow, and because I’ve earned it myself. But the cherry on top is I’ll bring you some flavor.