Meet Cecily Gonzalez

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Cecily Gonzalez a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Cecily, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?
I get my resilience from a few places.

I’ve had to learn to be resilient in the face of some pretty tough stuff. I’ve had to learn how to adapt, how to be flexible and how to roll with the punches.

For me, it’s about keeping a positive mindset. When something goes wrong, there’s a tendency to freak out and get stuck in a loop of negative thoughts. But you have to be able to snap out of that mindset and see what good can come out of any situation—even if it seems impossible at first glance.

I was recently diagnosed with an auto immune disease Lupus, and it’s been a really transformative experience for me. I’ve had to learn how to adapt my lifestyle in order to live with the condition, and it’s been interesting to see what my body needs in order to feel well.

Before I was diagnosed, my life was all about working as hard as possible to get where I wanted to be, but now I’ve realized that it’s so much more important to be present in what you’re doing and enjoy the growth of your business.

I have always been someone who thrives on routine and organization, but my new way of life has forced me to embrace the unexpected. It’s really helped me focus on the present moment and be more mindful.

I think it’s important to remember that resilience isn’t just about being able to handle stressors, but also about having a positive outlook on life. I try to look at every challenge as an opportunity for growth, and I’m always learning new things.

One of the most important things I’ve learned from this experience is how important it is to be present in the moment. Before, I was always focused on what was next—on the next thing I had to do or where I wanted my business to go. But now that my focus has shifted, it’s helped me be more at peace with the present moment and appreciate everything that comes with it.

I believe in taking time out for yourself—whether it’s going for a walk or taking a calm bath—because it helps you recharge and focus on what matters most.

What advice would you give someone who wants to become resilient?

I would say that resilience isn’t something that happens overnight; it takes time. The first step is recognizing your triggers—what makes you angry? What stresses you out? Once you know what those things are, then figure out ways around them so they don’t affect your day-to-day life so much anymore!

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
As cliche as this may sound, I can’t think of a better way to express my passion for beauty, lashes and brows than through Beautifeye.

I’ve been able to express my vision and share my passion with clients from all walks of life, and it’s been an amazing journey. I remember starting out in a small space at a hair salon—now we have our own studio in the Ricevillage/ West U area! It’s crazy to me to think about how much the business has grown since then —it’s been an incredible journey!

When I started my first salon in 2018, I didn’t know much about marketing or sales. In fact, I was pretty clueless about how to grow my business at all! But after almost 11 years of practicing these skills on a daily basis, I’ve learned what works and what doesn’t — and more importantly — why it works or doesn’t work!

So here’s what I did: I spent time reading books and articles about small business marketing and sales; I joined online forums and asked questions; and most importantly, I listened very closely to my customers’ needs and wants. Once I had a solid understanding of what they wanted in a salon experience, it was easier for me to figure out how we could differentiate ourselves from other salons in the area. 

In addition to building relationships with clients, one of my favorite parts of being an entrepreneur is having the opportunity to inspire others around me—especially women who have recently started their own businesses or are looking for ways to grow their existing businesses.

As I look back on how much we’ve grown as a business and as people, it makes me smile to know that we’ve made it this far. At Beautifeye, our goal is to build a connection with our clients—to make them feel confidence in their own beauty and to help them find their inner light.

We’re excited about what the future holds for us, but we’re also excited about what the future holds for all women entrepreneurs out there!

Looking back, what do you think were the four qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

I think the three qualities that were most impactful in my journey are:

1. Persistence. I’ve always been a very hard worker, but persistence is more than just being willing to put in the time—it’s about pushing through when it’s hard, and knowing that there will be bumps along the road. That being said, what helped me most was learning how to prioritize when things were really tough.

2. Empathy. It’s so important to understand how other people feel and what they need from you as a manager or leader, even if you’re not sure how to meet their needs at first. The best way I’ve found is just asking them! When you’re in a meeting or talking one-on-one with your employees, try asking them what they need from the situation. Ask them about their goals for the day, week, or month. You might also find it helpful to ask how your company’s goals align with theirs—this can help make sure that everyone is on the same page and working toward the same goals.

3. Connection. staying connected with people who inspire you and bring out the best in you is key to success. It’s hard when you’re starting out, but if you can find a friend/ mentors who knows what they’re doing and will help guide you through the process of finding what works for you can be really helpful.

4. Adapting to change. I think the best way to adapt to change is to be open-minded and flexible. When something new comes along, you never know what it might take from you or give back. And if you’re not willing to let go of some of your own ideas and try something new, then you’re missing out on a lot you can learn!

What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?

When I found out I had Lupus, it took me a while to come to terms with what that meant for my life. At first, it was really hard to accept that this was my new normal. I didn’t want to change my lifestyle and I didn’t want to have to take days off from work because of how tired or sick I was feeling—and yet, it was inevitable that these things would happen. It was a challenge having to face these challenges and have so much taken away from you in the blink of an eye.

With every challenge comes opportunity, though—especially when you’re running a business! It has forced me to focus on self-care more than ever before and has taught me how important it is for entrepreneurs to take care of themselves so they can continue doing what they love without any hiccups along the way. My health is something that has become more important than ever before; not only because I want to be around as long as possible but also because if anything were to happen where I couldn’t be at work, then my business would suffer greatly as well.

I’ve been working through my life changes in a number of different ways, including therapy, and finding guidance in the process. I’ve also been taking steps to help me work through this new way of life, including staying present and focusing on positive thoughts and actions.

Being present is so important and it’s teaching me so much about myself. It’s helped me understand how to better communicate with people around me, as well as how to set boundaries and be mindful of my own needs. I’m trying to focus on positive thoughts and actions, rather than negative ones and taking it one day at a time.

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Image Credits
Image credits: Jordan fischels

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