"You are all over the place!" I have to hear that phrase at least twice a day. People find it difficult to absorb the idea that when they first met me I was a manicurist, and now I am writing, branding, marketing, project managing and doing many things other than just polishing nails.
I'm not sure why I allow this to bother me so much. It is not my problem they feel this way, nor can I do anything to change it.
Does anyone else out there remember that perfume commercial from the '80s for Enjoli for Charles of the Ritz? And the uproar that rang out afterward, including the boisterous laughs from women across the nation? I love this commercial! It emphasizes that women can dream, live and no longer get sucked into a box and told to stay there.
After attending the Sofia Vergara Kmart Fall Collection release party, a sort of realization washed over me. I really don't care how these people felt about what I do. Vergara's resume extends to things across the board and I'm sure no one will tell her just to stick to modeling, or acting, or to choose just one thing to specialize in.
Nor would they say that to Rosie Perez, who started as a Fly Girl dancer on Fox 5's In living Color, when she made the transition to acting, then activism, now to directing.
How about Daisy Fuentes, who started her career as a VJ and entertainment personality and has since branched out to have her clothing and accessories line at Kohl's?
This leads me to a modern dynamo, Victoria Flores, who is going to take her place among the Latina powerhouses. With parents both hailing from Mexico and having spent her youth in Texas, she is very in touch with her roots. And, with a bachelor's of science in political science as well as a master of business administration (MBA), Flores is no stranger to finding pride in hard work; in fact, she is the first on her maternal side of the family to complete a college degree.
This "Tex-Mex," as her friends loving refer to her as, is no different than the above-mentioned icons who used their fame and notoriety to further their passion. The only difference might be that Flores did the reverse. She is making a name for herself through promotion of her products and hard work as she, too, lives and dreams.
Business and finance in the hedge fund world were her claims to financial freedom, and it is the skills she learned on Wall Street that enabled her to make the transition into the entrepreneurial beauty arena.
Partnering with her best friend, in 2010 Flores introduced to the market her affordable collection of hair extensions that will put a cap on our spending at the salon, Sobe Organics. No longer will we have to spend a fortune on our ever-ending hair transformations. The simple answer is in a product that allows locks to be taped in for easy removal at a later time. Brilliant!
She must have seen Chris Rock's documentary "Good Hair," and saw how lucrative the hair business is for women, particularly women of color! No dummy here... Victoria Flores is claiming her ownership and is currently speaking to a long list of national hair care and salon chain companies.
Flores isn't going to stop at hair. She is currently shopping around to publish her book The Menhatten Project, a Sex in the City meets Bridget Jones meets Ugly Betty piece based on her time as a single, working woman living in Manhattan.
In the end, Flores is an inspiration to not only women, but especially to Latina women, who will be given a more positive, forward moving presence. I personally can't wait to see what she'll be cooking up next.
You can currently find Flores in Chelsea, where she lives with model/photographer boyfriend Peter Argue. Who knows? Maybe you'll see the duo traveling, attending events or gallery openings?