Today we’d like to introduce you to Jacqueline Ochoa.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Glamesque has been a work in progress for almost twenty years. The seeds were planted to create a beauty brand in the fall of 2003 when I was just fourteen years old. That was the year I started wearing false eyelashes. It was also the year I was sexually assaulted and placed into special education.
Although I had a smile on my face, I carried the heavy burdens of living with my traumas for years and as cliche as it may sound makeup saved me. During those teenage years I genuinely believed that if my makeup was flawless then nobody would know the pain I was dealing with inside.
Being sexually assaulted really changes you. I had to grow up fast and was in constant survival mode. It affected everything for me later in life. School, work, and relationships were always hard for me.
After failing out of the first beauty school I attended and three different community colleges I knew something needed to change. I learned to cope with my disabilities and decided to finish what I had once started. In 2013 I attended Toni & Guy Hairdressing Academy in Los Angeles and finally became a licensed cosmetologist. While I was in beauty school, I launched my first cosmetic brand called Showgirls Cosmetics. Although it grew some, I didn’t quite understand the language of business and it eventually dissolved.
After the rise and fall of my first cosmetic line I understood that my dreams of building a lucrative beauty brand required me to go beyond the salon floor. I knew that having a good education would only better prepare me for my future as a Latina businesswoman.
Despite my academic struggles and the need for accommodations because of my disabilities I enrolled in college and obtained a bachelor’s degree from Mount Saint Mary’s University in Los Angeles. After spending a few years growing a career in the legal field and freelancing on the side I decided to take a shot at going to law school. I attended USC Gould School of Law and graduated with a master’s degree in Legal Studies.
Pursuing higher education for me wasn’t just a choice, it’s necessary. I am a minority woman in business with disabilities. Over the next couple of years, I will be continuing my studies at Cornell University for an Executive MBA.
My education and legal work experience is what really gave me the foundation to successfully create and launch Glamesque. In 2019 we launched with a single pair of eyelashes and have now expanded to eyeshadows, highlighters, and lipsticks. When the pandemic hit, I knew it was the perfect time to expand my brand with a salon and return full throttle to the beauty world. In the spring of 2020 Glamesque Beauty located in Diamond Bar, CA was established.
Like most people my life has had its challenges, but I wouldn’t want it any other way. From sexual assault to special education. From beauty school dropout to Ivy League and Beauty Founder. Glamesque Beauty and Glamesque Cosmetics were founded out of a passion for creating with a mission to truly help others discover their inner beauty and strength. At Glamesque…beauty is our power.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Nothing about entrepreneurship and pursuing your dreams is a smooth road. You must be willing to do what most people aren’t. For me, it was working two to three jobs at a time all while taking 18 units a semester and attending tutoring sessions. It was those 9-hour workdays at a law firm job and forcing myself to work another 4 hours in the evenings to see clients and fill orders. One thing to always remember in starting the journey of entrepreneurship is to remain consistent. You must be willing to work as if your life depended on it and believe in yourself more than anybody else ever will.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Glamesque?
Glamesque Beauty and Glamesque Cosmetics were founded on the principle of tenacity. No matter what life may throw your way, your lashes and lipstick can be life proof. Although we are a micro beauty brand, with every single one of our client and customer interactions we try our absolute best to make sure that everyone who touches our products or gets a service leaves the interaction feeling their absolute best and most importantly beautiful!
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
The creative outspoken child. I was always finding ways to express myself with my makeup. I fought for what was right and tried my best to treat people with kindness.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://glamesque.shop/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/glamesquebeauty/?hl=en
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/glamesquecosmetics/
