We had the good fortune of connecting with Reyna Perez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Reyna, how do you think about risk?
To me risk is a part of life. I don’t mean any type of risk, I mean the risks that you have thought about over and over and dreamt about doing but have always been to scared to take in fear of failing. I have taken risks all my life in hopes to be something more, someone I can be proud of, I knew opening up a business would be the biggest risk of all. I would be leaving a stable job, stable income and entering something unpredictable, but without risk there would be no triumph. Risk has allowed me to jump into this new endeavor with confidence and determination to build my business into something worth working for.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am a professional brow artist, I wax and shape eyebrows for a living alongside lash lifts for that effortless lash look. Thankfully through consistency, hard work, and my peers around me I have been able to build my business piece by piece. My community has believed in me and through that have recommended me to the people around their lives that has allowed me to create my clientele. I am a big believer of there being no better advertisement than those of referrals. In addition to that I am most proud of creating a safe space for my fellow LGBTQIA+ community, I knew I wanted to create a space where people felt confident to be themselves, where they don’t have to second guess if they can bring up their partners in regular conversations. Through this journey one of my biggest challenges has been self doubt. There is nothing more limiting than yourself, comparing your progress with the people around you, and second guessing your every move. I am sure that is something that I will have to overcome from time to time, but my best advice to that is to keep going. There is a line in the musical Rent, “today for you, tomorrow for me”, that has become my everyday mantra. Just because today may not be my day doesn’t mean tomorrow won’t be.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
First we’d stop at the best coffee shop in East Los Angeles, Acurrúcame Café for their signature hibiscus coffee cold brew. Then we’d head over to the San Fernando Valley for breakfast at Claudine Artisan Kitchen in Encino for their delicious Nashville chicken. Spend the day in Studio City checking out the different boutiques and snack places down Ventura Blvd. Attend a custom tshirt printing class in Glendale at Grow Your Own Media. Lastly end the day at Mr & Mrs Potato in Winnetka for their loaded baked potatoes.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Without the support of my parents, I would be no where near where I am today. They are the original entrepreneurs that I aspire to one day be. My parents have owned a business as long as I can remember, from first selling beepers and cellphones back in the early 90s to 2000s in East LA, under the name Page Only. To now opening up their first coffee shop, Acurrúcame Café. It is their determination and resilience throughout these years that has shown me just how much we are capable of if we just go for it. Through their love and encouragement, I know I am worth fighting for, I can build something for myself even if I spend my whole life trying.

Website: anotherbrowartist.square.site

Instagram: https://instagram.com/anotherbrowartist?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA==

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.