Meet Lupe Zuniga

We recently connected with Lupe Zuniga and have shared our conversation below.

Lupe , 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 my ancestors. As a Southern Paiute/Chicana woman in America that grew up on my tribal reservation, I was taught since birth how to endure and adapt to hardship. This has allowed me to dream of success and put action behind my words so I can give back to myself the way my ancestors intended. I give thanks to my family, strong culture, deep connection to the land and my community, because without that, I wouldn’t be the resilient woman I am today.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I was born and raised in Southern Utah. I have now been in Portland OR for the past 6years and plan to stay. I am an esthetician of 7 years, and recently opened my own studio practice called Lulu Esthetics LLC. I am inspired so deeply by my family and my culture being the oldest of 4 and a mother to 1. I strive to pave a path of success for my family and all my relations. I use facials and esthetics as a way to build relationships and community while also providing quality results with a deeply connected holistic approach.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Humility is an important quality to have in order to grow. I am a sponge for knowledge because I believe you can never learn too much, especially when the knowledge comes from elders.
Problem solving and having the ability to overcome obstacles and stay determined to reach my goals has helped me establish my business and continue growing it.
Empathy is another skill that has helped me by being able to connect with people and be more open to different perspectives which allows me to cater my services to different needs without judgment.
I believe all of these skills and qualities are naturally in us. My advice would be to really listen and trust yourself. Find time to ground yourself and connect with your spirit.

We’ve all got limited resources, time, energy, focus etc – so if you had to choose between going all in on your strengths or working on areas where you aren’t as strong, what would you choose?

I think it’s better to be more well-rounded! I really believe this because of my own life experiences. I’m not the same person I was when I was 20. Well, spiritually I am, but I have grown and changed so much. I get very passionate about new things and challenges as I grow, and I really enjoy allowing myself to go for it. Now, instead of burning out from staying comfortable and sticking to what I know, I have many more skills and interests that make me who I am.

I can remember when I was working an office job, just counting the minutes until I could leave work. At one point, that was something I wanted to do and focus on because I had those skills – secretarial and computer work. But I felt it was limiting my creativity and my urge to expand beyond the box I put myself in. That experience helped me realize that I didn’t have to stay in a place where I’m miserable, and I do have the option to expand and dive into other interests.

So for me, pushing myself to try new things, even when they weren’t my strengths, really opened up my world and made me a more fulfilled person. It’s not always easy stepping out of your comfort zone, but I’ve found it’s totally worth it!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.luluestheticspdx.com/
• Instagram: Lulu_estheticspdx