Today we’d like to introduce you to Gabriela Johnson-Correia.
Gabriela, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
As a child, I have always been creative and always pushed to achieve more than I was told I was capable of. At age nine, I started a charitable brand called “Red Yella’, donating $1 from each item sold to Nelson Mandela Children’s Charity. I will never forget my very first board room meeting. There was a long table in the middle of the room and around if leather seats filled by people of great influence and in the midst of them all there was me, in my leather seat that almost felt was swallowing me whole. I wasn’t nervous; however, I felt comfortable and knew I was supposed to be there despite my age. There are many experiences I feel have shaped me into the entrepreneurial mind I am today that has brought me to my two businesses I now run.
In November 2017, I birthed a new brand called ElaLondon. The name came from my college peers, giving me the nickname London and Ela is just the ending of my name Gabriela. ElaLondon was developed from a personal desire to reach purpose and potential. At age 17, I had just graduated from high school in the United Kingdom and decided to embark on the next part of my life by moving to New York City to study Communications. Throughout my studies, I would find people commenting on the unique fashion pieces I often liked to sport. This would be the push I would need to start. One day, as I was studying in the library, I had an idea to purchase a number of this coat I would wear and found always caught people’s eyes.
From there, I began designing marketing posts and used snapchat to get the news of my new brand out there. It was going well until I had to move to Houston, Texas, at which point I realized fur coats was not going to sell in such a warm climate, so we quickly switched to sunglasses. There I found even greater success using Instagram as a larger marketing tool (@ela.london) to promote both male and female sunglasses collections. ElaLondon helped push my belief in the importance of identity, culture and empowerment throughout an international community. Everyone deserves to walk confidently in their purpose and find their voice through fashion. Our mission was to support that journey and be an effective resource for self-discovery. ElaLondon is still an active brand today and serves as a guest host to YanaLondon, a lifestyle brand.
In November, I moved to another part of Houston. That transition spoke to another part of me and I found myself throwing all my makeup away (I didn’t have much to start with). It was a challenge to embrace myself in all my natural glory. I have found that even as a confident person, social media has made it significantly harder to avoid falling into a habit of comparison but I wanted to prove to myself that as a business owner who utilizes social media frequently, that I could use it and keep my confidence intact. As well as the fact that I’ve always had a passion for bathroom products and can always be caught in a facemask of some sort. I had just never thought of materializing that passion into something of my own. Through this experience, EssenceByEla was birthed. EssenceByEla’s mission is committed to healing the skin, body and mind by providing skincare products that are vegan and cruelty-free, containing natural and botanical ingredients that are not tested on animals. Having launched only in March, it has reached clients in Houston, New York and the UK and will continue its mission to reach people all across the world.
Has it been a smooth road?
It has not always been a smooth road. As an international, I have come across many obstacles, all of which have pushed my passion in entrepreneurship and business. Some of the first struggles I found myself coming across were to do with quality control of my products. I like things to be of a very high standard and when you find yourself importing products, it takes a little trial and error before finding a manufacturer who can match the level of quality you want. I didn’t let that stop me, although, at times, it was disheartening. Not only did I have issues directly with finding the right manufacturer for ElaLondon but also, as an international, I would find myself come up against restrictions as a non-citizen of the States.
Many times, I was told that if only I returned to my home country, England, I would find greater success. That may have been the case but I was not about to quit for the easy way out and I am truly glad I didn’t. I had the support of my business-minded mother who would stop at nothing to make sure I had all I needed to reach heights I myself did not believe I could. As a result, I have now graduated from the College of the Mainland with an Associates of Art in Business and am a successful business owner of two brands.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with ElaLondon & EssenceByEla – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
ElaLondon is an online brand that currently sells sunglasses, specializing in accessories that enhance an individual’s look and confidence. We are mainly known for our varying trend-worthy range of sunglasses but also still are identified for selling luxury faux fur coats. As a company, we are most proud of the impact we’ve had on our clients as well as potential clients. Before the financial success of our business, it is key to stress the satisfaction we have been given from being able to engage with people from all walks of life, empowering both males and females to walk with a greater sense of self and confidence.
What has always set us apart is our genuine care and interest in the individual. Every person has a story and a purpose and as a believer of Christ, I see the platform my brand has given me as an opportunity to be a positive impact on the people I am blessed enough to have an engagement with. Our mission has always been to support that journey and be an effective resource for self-discovery and will continue to be so. This mission can also be seen in my second brand Essence by Ela. As a natural skincare brand understanding the needs of the individual is vital to ensuring a healthier skincare experience. We are not just here to sell products but we are here to boost self-esteem.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
As an international, I have found contentment in the vast diversity of the demographic makeup of the Greater Houston area; it speaks to a boiling pot of cultures, contributing a plethora of cuisine, historical sites and musical entertainment. Some of my personal favorites have been Turkey Leg Hut, specializing in Southern Comfort Classics as well as LA Fisherman, who, in my opinion, have a unique taste to Cajun Seafood. Outside of food, I have enjoyed rollerskating at Discovery Green and catching a night of live Motown music at the Miller Outdoor Theatre. There is nothing I can say I do not like about Houston. Being born in the city of London then moving to the bustling city of New York, I can only sit back and appreciate the well-balanced atmosphere that Houston accommodates. It provides a little bit of city if you go downtown and scenes of easy-going country views elsewhere, all of which compile my list of things I like about Houston.
Pricing:
- EssencebyEla Essential Skincare Collection – $100.00 + ($5.00 shipping fee)
- Foaming Creme Cleanser – $16.00
- Clarifying Toner – $17.00
- Daily Intensive Moisturizer – $16.00
- Glycolic Cell Moisturizer – $17.00
- Rosewater Cucumber Balancing Mist – $14.00
- Foaming Mud Masque – $18.00
- Womens Sunglasses – $19.90 to $25.90
- Mens Sunglasses – $35.90
Contact Info:
- Website: www.yanalondon.com/skincare
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ela.london/
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