Gabriel Samra and the magic of the power of beauty

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Who is Gabriel Samra?

Gabriel Samra is a dreamer and an artist of beauty. When I close my eyes, I always think about creating. My mind is creative; in one way or another, I always try to find beauty in every person I see. If a person approaches me, I imagine them with a different hair color, with a cut; something happens in my head that I don’t control. That is Gabriel Samra.

How did Gabriel Samra start in the world of beauty?

More than 15 years ago, when I was a television producer. My job as a producer was to fit all the people within the production, be it cameras, audiovisuals, makeup artists, stylists, talents, etc. And one of the things that caught my attention the most, as a talent and a producer, was that I saw the artists I had to interview walking into the dressing room without makeup and without their hair done, and they were ordinary women like you see in the street in the day to day; and suddenly when they left the dressing room, with that produced hair, makeup, clothes; they became these divas. These great actresses that we see through the screens. And I said, impressive how a person can transform their personality, way of being, self-esteem, and way of projecting themselves to the world only with freshly done makeup and hair. And I was like, Wow! How nice would it be to have that power in your hands, to contribute to women’s lives – not just actresses – to the women of the world, to empower yourself as such? That was growing little by little in my heart, and in my mind, it was sowing the seed because it was constantly doing so. One day, what happened globally and economically with the 2008 recession as a producer, I was among the people fired from Telemundo NBC, and I lost my job. At that time, I had a close friend who was a hairstylist. He said, why don’t you come with me to the hairdresser? To work and help me and answer the calls. You do anything to not be without doing anything.

I go, I contribute my work, I help, he answered the phone and the whole thing, and one day he needed me to wash a client’s hair. And I thought, how difficult can it be to wash hair? I learned how complicated and complex it is to wash hair. Anyway, the point was that I did it. I gave her a massage, I put the product on her, a treatment, and the woman was fascinated. In the end, the woman gave me a tip – for washing my hair – and I said, Well, this seems like a fine opportunity to make money and let what I was feeling inside of me grow. And right there is where the love of the world of beauty begins.

And one day, when I least expected it, I was already drying my hair and applying dye; I went to school, I graduated, I got my license, and along with the process, when I was studying to get my beautician license, they call me again for Telemundo, they give me a television show again; I was a producer by day and a stylist by night, I did both jobs, until one day I couldn’t take it anymore. Physically and mentally, I couldn’t take it anymore.

I could no longer be so creative 24 hours a day because my mind needed to rest. I also had to be dedicated and focused. And one day – so you can see how the signs of life are so significant when one is alert – Thalía released an album called Primera Fila, where the second song on the album is called Enseñame a vivir; as a producer, I was going to interview her, so I was going to the Press Junket to do the interview and everything. So, I was in the car listening to the CD. I put the CD in the car and listened to the song to prepare for my interview, and when the second song played, I felt that she was speaking to me.

The song says that the time has come to be happy; the time has come to make decisions. And I thought the ants pass through my blood, feeling love for what I do, so I said, Now! I have to make the decision. And instead of going to my office, I went to my boss’ office and resigned from the production. And I said from now on, I’m going to be a stylist, I’m going to dedicate myself to this, and it was the best decision I made because that’s where my life changed. I always say it in all my interviews and seminars; when you listen to the voice of your heart; when you listen to your God, when you hear that strong message, when you feel those butterflies inside you knowing that you are right, listen to it. Pay attention. Move sky, mountains, rivers, and seas to make it happen because that is your calling. That is your legacy, purpose, and what you have to do. You can’t ask anyone for an opinion or permission. Just do it!

What is for Gabriel Samra the power of beauty?

The power of beauty is just that, the power to transform lives. And the ability to empower a gender in the world, which for me is the most powerful, the woman. The woman is the owner of the society. Like when they say that the mother is the pillar of the family, the woman is the base of our culture. It is through women that everything in the world runs. And that powerful energy that women have, for me, being able to be part of that empowerment and being part of the lives of women in the world is what, for me, that’s the power of beauty. When people talk about the Power of Beauty, they think of something physical and material. And in part, it is undeniable, the physical and material, call it makeup, surgery, hair. It is part of. For me, the power of beauty starts from within; If you, as a woman, are sure of who you are in life and know what you want, that is what you will project. The world is going to see you, and you have to be sure that what the world is going to see is what you want to show the world. That is why it is also important to have hair that identifies your personality, a skin that reflects it. Even a dress that reflects your personality and who you are because it is part of you.

Many times we say no, that this is very vain; nose surgery, suddenly lips, suddenly hair, extensions; could be, when we exaggerate and focus energy only on that. And at the end of the road, doing it just like that, you don’t get anywhere. You are empty. But if inside you know who you are, you are full, and you know where you are going, this banality complements you; This is why there has to be a balance. And I, obviously, as a stylist, make sure that the physical part is appropriate, depending on who you are. But I also show care through my words to develop that part within you.

What women want (around the world)

What a good question. I have had the pleasure of traveling through many countries in Europe, America, and the Middle East, and indisputably a woman of any race and nationality only wants to be happy with herself. It is feeling like a woman, feeling loved, heard, and desired. There is no difference in women. There may be a difference in the dreams you have. And that is also based a lot on upbringing, the culture of the country, and the women’s position in the society of different cultures. But they all go to the same point; they want to be loved, heard, and desired. In particular, in the world of beauty, there are variations depending on the country and race, and this is due to the needs of the hair of that group of people depending on the country.

When I go to South America, within this region, there are places like Venezuela, Colombia, and Ecuador where women are very vain. There is a high demand in the beauty world, as in Mexico. Mexico is a country where women are super meticulous with their hair. They know what they want, invest in their hair, and love it. That happens, at least, in these countries, other countries like Paraguay, Bolivia, and further south towards Chile and Argentina; women like to look good but don’t like to invest a lot of money in their hair; there are those kinds of variations, but they are more cultural.

The bottom line is all women want to be seen and told something nice, heard, loved, and desired.

An image that reflects your dreams

You need to be clear about who you are. That is the first thing you have to understand, who you are. Who you are in society, your place in your family, and as a person. Then comes the physical part with an expert who should advise you according to your face shape, skin color, eyes, and lifestyle. You can’t do the same style for a girl in college, who has more free time, than a mother raising three children or a businesswoman who is in the office and has meetings with executives and clients. Each woman must find the look not only according to her face shape, her skin, and her eyes but also her lifestyle. For me, it doesn’t make sense to grab a woman and give her a makeover, and when she goes to wash her hair, she doesn’t know what to do with it. Because she doesn’t know how to style it, they did not explain it to her, or as simple as that image does not fit into her lifestyle. Because you don’t have time, because you are with your children, you have many meetings, or you have to get up very early, exercise every day, whatever. You have to understand that very well. And for me, the most important thing when making a design that goes with women is that it matters a lot to me to know what women do, what their lifestyle is, if she is a mother first, woman? Wife? Or who you are as a woman. The woman can be multifaceted and can do everything. But her hair doesn’t have to be the only thing she thinks about, but a complement to who she is.

The magic of fulfilling dreams

Imagine, when I started, when the seeds of the world of beauty began to grow, I wondered, wow! What would it be like to have the power in your hands to change the life of a human being? You are not changing the life of a space in your house, of an animal; it is of a human being. With how complex they are and being able to change your life and give you the tool to identify yourself, get, discover. That, for me, is the best gift that God could have given me in this life. And if I have to go back to another life, because I don’t know what it’s like, I would like to go back as a stylist. Unquestionably. Suddenly, perhaps as an actor and dancer, on big stages too.

The hard side of beauty

The hardest part of this career is the stories of each woman who sits in my chair and gives me her time, hoping I can hear her, help, and say a few words. Stories as simple as I got pregnant, I met a boy, I’m excited because I got a new job, simple stories like my ex-friend, my ex-partner, all of this. How to suddenly go to the extreme like, I just discovered cancer, I have three months to live, and I want to make all my dreams come true in three months. That, for me, is the most difficult. I’m going to be honest with you, in my early years, It took a toll because I carried all this for myself; I took it home and couldn’t stop thinking about it; Over the years, I have learned that each human carries his burden. Every story carries its weight and does not belong to me. It belongs to everyone. Therefore my role as a stylist is to listen. Listen, give a word of encouragement, share an opinion, or help them to be happy.

That is the most difficult for me; because at the work level, there is nothing complex in my company, in my hairdressers, and where I work, I make sure that the people who are around me people with the same values and way of thinking as me; to go with the same flow and the one that doesn’t fit, out. That is why it will always be manageable in that part. I think that part is simple.

The other challenging part is to please everyone; that is the most complicated part and in which, as an artist, I have also understood that you cannot please everyone; there will always be someone dissatisfied, someone who is not happy. But again, it doesn’t belong to me. Maturity, years, and experience have made me understand that everyone has their story and burden, so they carry it themselves. It does not belong to me.

Challenges of a beauty entrepreneur

In my early days, I made many mistakes in my business because I didn’t know what I was facing. I was an inexperienced person in the business world. I made many mistakes that cost me financially. But I had it clear; I learned, and I continued. All the challenges have been to test, betting that what I believe is correct. It has not always been the case, but a large part has. My secret to achieving what I have achieved has been to follow my intuition. I did not go to a university to study economics, business, or administration. I have not prepared myself as an entrepreneur, and I have never hired someone who manages me at the business level. I’ve always been in charge of all decisions and guided by self-intuition. Now, I don’t call it luck. I am alert to what is happening and aware of all the opportunities that could generate an economic income for me. Always. Because we are artists and artists are in La La Land, living in the world of fantasy, I am also a focused person, and I want to have quality of life and economic status. Therefore I am always thinking, how can I invest to generate?

I always listen to my intuition, what is happening. I ask here and there, and I always do it. The only thing that has always worked for me is following my intuition. Unquestionably. And work very hard. I worked hard. Nobody gave it to me or came to me for free. I have worked on it. During my first three years as a hairdresser, I worked from Monday to Monday from eight to ten at night. Monday to Monday. No days off, no holidays. As I said, I have to make my base and work.

In those three years, I didn’t buy a pair of stockings, didn’t even go to a party, I never spent a glass of alcohol in any disco, nothing. I just focused on forming my base, clientele, and economic base as a company. And another fundamental thing. I have money, then I save and invest. I don’t store it and leave it in the bank. The money saved does not get you anywhere. Money saved and invested is what generates you.

The best advice Gabriel Samra has received

I’m the one giving advice rather than receiving it. My father and my mother have been the ones who have shown me through their actions how to live this life. Therefore, they did not have to give me advice; I’ve witnessed it since I was born. How was my mom supporting my dad’s businesses? I lived it; I grew up in a business and listening to the chin-chin sound of the machine.

I saw my dad go to work for days to invest in it. Today I am generally the one who gives advice more than what they give me. I am a person who reads a lot, I love reading, and through books and the words of great authors, I seek that advice. They have helped me through metaphysics to know how to live my life.

The future for Gabriel Samra

I get this question a lot, not only in interviews but also from the people around me, because they see my growth and evolution, and they say, now what? And I say I don’t know. For example, a year ago, I did not know that I would have such a successful online academy. One day I dreamed of it; I got up and started, and now it’s a success. Fifteen years ago, I did not know I would have a hairdresser in Mexico. One day I got up and put a post on social networks, and it worked; I attended to a couple of clients, I met my partner at that moment, and my partner gave me the opportunity, and we opened. I don’t know. I don’t know. What would you like? Possibly I see myself as a physical academy where people from all over the world come to learn, to spend a season in Miami, for about a month, a month and a half, making sure that’s a dream. What else do I see? Products that I consider necessary for my work to complement what I do.

How do I see myself? Doing my work in Dubai, Europe, the Americas, and Asia and exhibiting my art to show the world what we Latinos are like and our talent. What comes next? I swear, I don’t know. But now that I’m recapitulating, whenever I expected something, I ended up disappointed, and in disappointment, my energy and vibration scale dropped. Because it is accompanied by sadness, fear, negative energy, and the mind of Gabriel Samra when he creates something exceptional, different, authentic, and generally above the scales of many people, and over the years, he learned to live without expectations; from no one or anything. That came to me to live the moment and hope that everyone who comes into my life to carry something, be it a job, an interview, or a moment that I am going to live, is unique and leaves a good taste in my mouth and then I can say, that’s lovely. I liked it, enjoyed and learned; now let’s go for the next one.