Wanda Mora: An entrepreneur empowered by adversity
The successful businesswoman reveals her personal view of life
Hairstylist Wanda Mora is an entrepreneur who has built her success without losing herself. She speaks with the wisdom that comes from facing the difficulties of life with the right attitude. “I am an extremely strong woman who has been tested time and time again. I have learned to get up. I´ve learned to recognize.” With these words she describes herself, always noting that the road is never an easy one.
The Newjersean entrepreneur with Hispanic roots gave an interview to Latinas Lifestyle in which she talked about the essential stance behind her work of making people beautiful.
From an early age, life has shown her different scenarios that have enriched her vision of the world. “I was born in Camden and I grew up in a lot of places because we were extremely poor, we came from humble beginnings. I left when I was nine years old. We went to Puerto Rico. I lived there for about nine years, then came back to the States and lived in a lot of places but New Jersey is the place where I´ve lived most of my life.”
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Her education background includes the Rizzieri Institute where she became a Cosmetology Teacher and her studies of cosmetology at the Gordon Phillilps Beauty School. The successful stylist has been in the beauty industry for three decades. But along the way Wanda has had to face numerous challenges.
“I was a high school dropout. And at the time when I left my husband, I was pregnant and I needed to do something quick to support my son. I got my GED. and went into the beauty world. It´s been a marriage made in heaven because it´s been 30 years now that I’ve been doing hair in the beauty industry and I love it now more than I did then.”
For this outstanding woman, there is no easy formula to build a successful business. “It´s a cliché to say: be strong and be fearless. My biggest advice would be when something is happening to you, yes be fearless, however, recognize when something bad is happening to you and take what you can from that experience to make you grow as a person, as a human being.”
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“When I was young and I was going through all those hard times, I always wonder why me,” Wanda remembers. “And now when adversity comes my way I know how to handle it better. Now I take the good out of the experience and then let the rest go. You learn how to do that through time and through experience. It´s not easy.”
Among the lessons learned from adversity, Wanda recognizes the sense of solidarity that she has seen blossom in others. Support for the victims of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico demonstrated this. “In a time of need, nobody stands up like a Latino woman. Not just Latino women, all women, all people, from everywhere.”
Her dedication and personality constitute an inspiring model for young people who wish to follow in her footsteps. For Wanda, this is a responsibility.” I have a lot to offer. Our youth in the Latino community really needs direction and leadership. And if I am that for someone out there, then that´s fantastic.”
By: José Espinoza
