Today we’d like to introduce you to Monica Gallegos.
Hi Monica, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I grew up in a small town in Albuquerque, NM and was raised by a single mother who worked tirelessly to give me and my younger sister a loving and safe home.
The idea of college and beyond seemed so far out of reach for me since no one in my family had attended college, and very few had even graduated high school.
I was one of two high school graduates in my immediate family.
Once I was 15 years old and able to obtain a work permit, it was time for me to get a job and contribute financially to my family.
I worked various jobs with long hours and at times, my studies and grades suffered.
I tried very hard at balancing work and school work which was draining.
Most kids my age would drop out of school to help their families financially but I was determined to make it to college.
My high school had a program that allowed students to receive school credit for working.
It was a job placement program that was developed to expose students to various career types that they otherwise might not be able to explore or have access to.
I was placed at Dillards Department Store in the cosmetic department, 30 miles away from my neighborhood and in an affluent part of the city.
I felt as though I had struck gold.
I fell in love with selling luxury cosmetics and making women feel better about themselves.
I had a knack for it and was quickly identified as a top seller and was propelled into a management program.
I won a small scholarship to the University of New Mexico and by 19 years old, I was a manager at Dillards while studying Journalism and waiting tables at my families restaurant to pay my tuition.
I visited LA one summer and instantly fell in love with the city!
The dreams, ambition, and hustle were palpable.
I felt like this is where I belonged and knew that I would make the move once I graduated.
Four days after my graduation, my boyfriend (Now husband of 17 years) and I drove to LA with less than a thousand dollars.
I got a job as a sales associate at Neiman Marcus in Beverly Hills and an apartment nearby.
I quickly climbed the ranks and was promoted to the corporate side of luxury skincare.
I’ve worked in various executive-level positions with the most prestigious beauty brands in the world.
In 2018, I launched my very own international business development company, “Stratosphere Beauty.”
I serve as President of the company and have successfully launched the beauty industries most coveted clean beauty brands worldwide.
I am a self-made high earner succeeding in an industry that is dominated by white males.
My track record of performance has garnered me a waitlist of future clients.
My husband and I have now been living in LA for 20 years and have two amazing children.
We recently bought and restored a gorgeous 1920’s home in mid-city.
This weekend, I will be sharing my story with Minds Matter LA, a national organization that connects driven and determined students from low-income families with successful people with similar backgrounds.
As my company continues to grow and flourish, I remain strong-minded as I fight for diversity, equity, and inclusion and encourage each of my clients to make diversity a core pillar of their businesses.
I do my very best to ensure that BIPOC are being interviewed and promoted into executive-level positions whenever and wherever possible within my industry.
I also have a say in how BIPOC are equally represented in beauty campaigns.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not been a smooth road at all. The biggest challenges that I have faced have been the gender pay disparities and the micro aggressions that most people of color including myself face daily.
There are stereotypes that I have had to disprove over and over again.
I grew up in this industry and it hasn’t been until recent years that people who look like me are represented in beauty campaigns.
I’ve had to speak up for equality and that has oftentimes been met with challenges.
Still, I know that there is a young girl just like me who is counting on me to make it easier for them to succeed in an industry that has a long way to go when it comes to equal representation and equal pay.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Stratosphere Beauty in an international business development consulting agency that specializes in launching and scaling luxury beauty brands worldwide. I’m most proud of the fact that the brands that I work with are able to achieve measurable success with my help and guidance.
I’m very proud of the fact that I’m the only Latina woman doing this and succeeding.
I have brands that will postpone their launches just to work with me because I have a track record of performance.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
I’m a decision maker. I can make decisions with confidence and own my strategies.
I’m a risk taker and people trust me enough to make decisions for them.
I’m not afraid of failure.
Failure is not really part of my reality.
I either win, or I learn and I’m never afraid to share my learnings with others.
I think there is enough room for other successful leaders and if I can help others with their journey, I will.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://sbeautyconsulting.com
- Instagram: @the_original_shopgirl
Image Credits:
@mariogallegos
