Alina Guzman shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Good morning Alina, it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? Have any recent moments made you laugh or feel proud?
As a woman, I am proud of never giving up in the face of life’s adversities, facing every situation with courage and bravery. That makes me feel proud of myself and laugh of every situation, after all.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Alina Guzman, I was born in Tijuana and immigrated to the San Diego area in 2009 with my two young children. As a single mother, I worked during the day and at night I went to adult school to study for the GED, something I could never do in my country due to the responsibilities I had. In 2018 I had a car accident that prevented me from returning to work for a year, which I took as an opportunity to study a career. At 45 years old, I graduated as a Professional Cosmetologist, feeling very proud to have achieved at this age something that I had pending for many years ago, before becoming a mother. Over time, this career allowed me to have my own business.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
I was raised in a traditional family, with a traditional education. You know, Hispanic culture teaches you from a young age that women get married to be homewives, have children, and wait for their husbands to come home. But life teaches me in different ways. In my case, I learned to fly solo, to be the provider for my home, to take care of and value myself, and to seek out opportunities to get ahead, to overcome difficulties to move forward in life, sometimes with a tear or sometimes with a smile, but overcoming everything no matter what.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
I don’t like the term “suffering.” For me, it’s been a learning process. You keep learning, and God molds you at His pace with what He wants to teach you, whether you understand it at the time or not. When you have God in your heart, there’s no suffering. You face everything with a smile, because you understand that if it comes from Him, it’s for a reason.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What’s a cultural value you protect at all costs?
Mexican culture has many great values, one of them being the hard work we do in this country or any other.
We love to earn a living for our families with our hard work. No one can take that value away from us, and it’s the legacy our culture leaves for future generations, we are brave, we are stronger, we are mexicans!
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I would like my family, my friends, and the people who know me to remember me as a hardworking woman who surrendered only to God.
That no difficulty could stop me from achieving my life goals, that I always spoke out, never kept quiet, that I defended my value as a woman, my ideals, and that far from complaining about any situation, I always looked for a solution to the problem.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://Instagram.com/elefanteandco
- Facebook: Alina Guzman Cosmetologisy
