INTERVIEW # 15: FEATURING WINNIFER GUERRENO

Winnifer Guerrero, the owner of Elevate Permanent Makeup Studio in Buffalo, New York, realized, what I did. If you try you can’t fail. Physics says energy can be transformed from one form to another but it can neither be created none destroyed.  Experiencing the forward motion of trying is a success. And you earned it — to a higher degree than those standing still will ever know.

Never in motion, Latina women statistically have a better chance at cleaning a board room than ever sitting at the table. Women like Winnifer will change that. Kind, hilarious, and inward, she is constantly evolving her energy and craft. She has the skill of seeing people’s beauty stronger than they could ever see it for themselves. Her bright smile is one of a solider though quietly she is fighting centuries of economic exclusion and degradation of her demographic by the hands of history.

All competitors in the system of capitalism are made equal, but not with equal access to power. Constantly fighting for a seat at the table (we build and clean), Latinas universally fought for the right to vote until 1942, especially in the case of the Dominican Republic.

Undervaluation is a good term to describe the Latina state in economic politics. A valuation is the estimate of something’s worth. Demonstrably, Latinas make 67 cents to every $1.00 dollar a non-Latino white man makes.

Aware of these facts, Winnifer doubled up and invested in herself. She is brave, considering that Latinas are often excluded from systems of capital that finance business. Despite that, as an economic community, we are working to address the apparent opportunity gap, specifically when doing business with local, state, and federal governments. For example, the creation of the MWBE Classification (Minority Women Business Enterprise), a classification that opened the door for minority businesses to apply for government contracts.

Winnifer Guerrero is a third-generation “Buffalo Beat the odds” businesswoman. Her generation of female entrepreneurs are going to change the way people conduct business. In many ways, they already have. Never count anyone out in capitalism, not because they are too young or too inexperienced, or under-resourced, or whatever descriptor you want to use in place of “young” and “black/brown.” Never. Latinas will find a way.

And for those of us who have the “privilege” to have a “seat” at the table we cleaned or built, make our presence reflect our intolerance for the language of sexism, xenophobia, homophobia, ageism, racism, patriarchy, and classism. We are successful.

Read Winnifer Guerrero’s full interview:

Interview

1. Where were you born and raised? What values were taught in your home?  I was born in Brooklyn NY and came to buffalo when I was 11 years old. I am blessed to have been rooted in values of integrity, humility, and compassion. 
2. What was your experience as a student: As a student I always found myself trying to find new ways to connect with my peers and build connections with people.
3. When did you start working and what was your first/favorite job? My first job was washing hair and doing roller sets at my mother’s salon when I was 15 years old, I was her “little helper”.  I always found ways to make money around the shop.  As her clients sat under the dryer, I would offer to paint their toes and do designs for $5. (lol) I knew I wanted to work with my hands as soon as I realized I had the gift of helping other women feel beautiful.
4. What was the moment you were inspired to take full control of your future? When I was 19 years old, I had my first baby. It was then that I had realized I had to work for something greater, I finished beauty school and took my craft very seriously. That’s when I started to grow my own clientele as a hairstylist and makeup artist.
5. What advice do you have for other Latina females who want their voices to be heard in the community? We all have the gift to be able to inspire and cause a butterfly effect in this community. To inspire and be heard from my experience, you must find what you believe in and really go hard for it. Connecting with other people from our community and sharing your views on what you stand for can really go a long way. 
6. What is your theory on human potential?  I believe humans have unlimited potential. That’s why it’s important to feed your mind positive thoughts to develop unlimited beliefs about yourself and your potential. 
7. What is your opinion on the fact that Latina women are the most underpaid demographic in the United States: The fact that Latina women are the most underpaid should be fuel for us to continue to open our own businesses and create opportunities for each other. 
8. What fuels your ambition? Multiple factors fuel my ambition, family, my heritage, and the women that look up to me fuel my ambition. I want to be able to break the curses that have been subconsciously feeding into us. That “we are not worthy of a certain level of success” or that we have to “work for somebody else in order to create something stable for our families”.
9. Who do you admire as a leader? Anyone that beats the odds in my eyes is a leader. I admire those who speak their truth and continue to enforce what they believe in to empower others.
10. What is your vision for your business? My Husband, David Muniz, and I, just opened our new business together called ELEVATE PERMANENT MAKEUP STUDIO LLC at 207 Niagara Street. This place is very special to us because it’s the same location my mother opened her shop10 years ago and it’s also my grandfather’s building. Our vision is to continue to service our clients with quality service and eventually expand our team. I will also start my permanent makeup courses this year to be able to help others get a head start in this career by sharing all my knowledge in hopes to help develop more entrepreneurs in our city.
11. What was the hardest part about starting your business?  The hardest barrier when starting my business was starting. Sometimes we doubt ourselves and get scared when making a big move but once you start things start to fall into place.