We had the good fortune of connecting with Maleja Cabrera and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Maleja, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
My thought when starting my business was that as an emigrant, leaving my country, my career, my friends, my family; I had to achieve it, I had to make all that effort worth it, because it is not easy to leave your whole life behind to start a new unknown path; that was my strength, to think that whatever it cost, I had to achieve it; I didn’t care that I wasn’t fluent in English, that I didn’t have the best space to start, that I might not even be the best, I just had to do it. Little by little the fear fades, little by little you learn many regulations and norms that you did not know, little by little you adjust and your business itself grows and you with it; so I always never limited myself and I believed the story and I continue to believe it until I get to where I want to be.

What should our readers know about your business?
I started my eyelash extensions business in 2020 in the middle of the pandemic and it was very difficult because I didn’t have the resources to have my own space, so I started doing it in my room, always with the best attitude and believing that it was a phase that would end because at some point I was going to have my own space, it was not easy, because English is not my first language, I did not have the resources, I did not even have many people who knew me because I had just moved to the United States, but none of that stopped me from achieving my goal; I started in my bed and now I have my own studio and many clients. Which has led me to understand the importance of believing in ourselves, never losing faith and remembering the purpose of doing things. my purpose has always been to serve and now every day I make women feel special, I allow them to treat themselves in a space of relaxation. if you believe in yourself you can achieve incredible things, you can achieve whatever you set your mind to. something I have also learned is that there is no perfect time to undertake, the perfect time is now, start with what you can and what you have, because perfection does not exist, it is a lot to focus on Progress and not on perfection because you would live trying to achieve something that is not possible.

What makes me most proud of my process of starting my business is that I do not come from a rich family, everything in my family has been earned with a lot of effort and I feel very proud that my parents, especially my mother, raised me with all the tools to feel capable of achieving everything I set my mind to.

And speaking of content creation; It hasn’t been easy either because starting out you’re constantly thinking about what people might think. Also, starting out, it is difficult to find the topics that you are really passionate. there are so many people doing everything that it is difficult to find your space; but I feel like the best way to do it is to be authentic and remember what makes you unique and again remember the purpose of doing it. My purpose is to be a representation of women, to empower them to love themselves as they are, to respect and accept themselves, because growing up I lacked that a lot and now that I see women representing I love it and I want to be an example of self-love and female empowerment. and also teach the whole world, the beautiful and unique things of being Colombian.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I love outdoor plans, I love the sun, the heat, the beach. I also love to talk lol and for me the plan to go for a few cocktails and a few bits and to be able to talk with your best friend is one of my favorite plans, but again in outdoor restaurants or bars, such as a good rooftop. In Miami one of my favorite places is Salvaje. I also love a bar in Wynwood called La Tiendita, I just love it because they play Latin music and you sit outside and watch people walk with their super nice outfits while you enjoy good music, some tacos and a good margarita.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
all my family, my mom for always believing in me and my dreams; my dad for giving me tools to actually make those dreams come true; my boyfriend for always being my cheerleader lol and for supporting me in all my crazy ideas and to my sisters for being my daily inspiration.

Website: Glownessbeauty.glossgenius.com

Instagram: Malejitapordios

Other: TikTok: @Malejitapordios Instagram: @glowness.beauty

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