By Crystal Hernandez
When Alison Mejia first opened the doorways to Diosa Collective, a magnificence and wellness studio in Lengthy Seaside final April, she wasn’t simply bringing her imaginative and prescient to life but additionally making a secure area for Latina girls to really feel seen and empowered. Purchasers don’t simply come for the sweetness and wellness providers; they arrive to construct connections. As a licensed esthetician who’s enthusiastic about her heritage, Mejia, 35, is decided to construct one thing stronger than only a enterprise. She has got down to construct a group.
For a lot of Latina girls, prioritizing wellness can really feel like an unattainable luxurious quite than important. Throughout the Latino group, in search of out strategies of self-care is commonly considered as a luxurious and never a necessity. Nonetheless, it may be very troublesome to hold on with the strain to stay sturdy all whereas juggling work, household and private tasks.
Diosa Collective is situated within the Lakewood Village neighborhood of Lengthy Seaside. The area gives a spot the place girls can put money into their well-being, do one thing good for themselves unapologetically and change into a part of the group that Mejia is devoted to constructing. Mejia first began in a small studio providing waxing providers inside her mother-in-law’s hair salon within the metropolis of Hawaiian Gardens.
“I at all times wished to have an area the place you possibly can have a collective of different girls eager to type of empower one another,” Mejia mentioned. “The idea initially had began with an area for mixers or small gatherings with family and friends and I used to be like ‘oh, this area truly has like a room within the again’. I might be doing my wax providers.”
Mejia mentioned that she initially thought of establishing magnificence stations that different beauticians can lease. “If we may help one another out and construct an area the place folks really feel snug coming in, that was the purpose behind what I used to be attempting to construct.”
Initially, Mejia was confronted with a minor setback when attempting to open the studio final January. On the time, the devastating Eaton Hearth was occurring in Los Angeles County. “It was actually exhausting to open as a result of we couldn’t get insurance coverage,” Mejia mentioned. “In order that type of put a cease on all the pieces, we couldn’t even get the keys to the area till we have been for certain insured by someone.”
Mejia lastly bought the keys in mid-February and with the assistance of her husband and household, she was lastly in a position to kick-start bringing her studio to life. “It was simply me and my husband, we did all the pieces ourselves,” Mejia mentioned. “There’s no cash behind it, it’s actually simply us with a bit dream and attempting to make one thing out of nothing.”
Positioned in Norse Approach Village, an space recognized for boutiques, eating places, and sweetness salons. Diosa Collective was confronted with judgment from neighboring magnificence outlets for being “one other magnificence store” within the space.
“Properly, we’re completely different. For one, we’re Latina-owned.” Mejia mentioned. “Secondly, we’re attempting to only characterize an area, a secure area for all Latinas and males.”
Finally, Mejia observed the necessity to stand out and add one thing completely different to the studio. That’s when she began providing pilates classes at her studio. “I put the ticket sale on-line. Inside 24-hours, we have been offered out,” Mejia mentioned. “Folks have been attempting to have us e-book one other class.”
As a result of excessive demand, Mejia determined to host a two-day pilates occasion. Mejia additionally invited small distributors to the occasion as a result of she understands the struggles of small companies and is enthusiastic about serving to one another out.
Mejia not solely constantly finds methods to enhance Diosa Collective but additionally proudly advocates for and uplifts the Latino group. She supports initiatives like CHIRLA and ORALE by hosting community food drives, donating proceeds from her beauty services, and hosting fundraising events with other local vendors and small businesses.
“I proceed going again one due to how snug Alison makes the area and like makes you’re feeling so secure,” mentioned Lizzy Martinez, a loyal consumer and supporter. “For me, I like, need to guarantee that I’m with somebody who I do know I can like, belief, and he or she (Alison) has that very, like trusting presence.”
Mejia, alongside the assistance of her husband, stored discovering methods to put money into the studio to get extra folks by the doorways. For a lot of small enterprise homeowners, monetary battle is unavoidable and they’re usually paying out of pocket. Roughly 42.6% of Hispanic small enterprise homeowners report money stream as a big problem, in comparison with 32.1% of white entrepreneurs, based on a report from SCORE.
Ashley Baker is without doubt one of the many gifted and devoted mat pilates instructors at Diosa Collective. By limiting courses to solely eight individuals, the instructors at Diosa Collective concentrate on intimate classes, prioritizing guided actions and customized consideration. Diosa Collective welcomes everybody, from learners to superior shoppers, the place they’re embraced in a welcoming setting.
“I like instructing at Diosa as a result of first of, it’s a Latina-owned enterprise in Lengthy Seaside,” Baker mentioned. “It’s a unique type of appreciation right here.. I get extra suggestions, extra love and I really feel like I’m serving my group extra.”
By way of her ardour, Mejia has formed Diosa Collective into greater than a studio however it’s a place the place girls are empowered and a thriving group that she has at all times wished.
Crystal Hernandez is a fourth 12 months Public Relations pupil at California State College, Lengthy Seaside. She is passionate concerning the magnificence business and plans to construct a profession within the area after graduating.
