Today we’d like to introduce you to Dalinha Chou.
Dalinha, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
From a very young age, I realized that I enjoyed makeup and hair. My first step into the field was to earn my cosmetology license and see if it was something that could bring me fulfillment. I always have believed that everyone has a special gift and it is their duty in life to find out what that is and share it with the world. At this point in my life, I was concerned that cosmetology would not be enough for me, so I invested my energy and focus into Nursing. I was successful in this endeavor and happily practiced Nursing for nearly five years.
One day, after driving home from a late shift of work, a feeling came over me that made me consider that perhaps there was more to me that I could contribute than just helping others as a nurse. As I thought about it more and more, I came to realize that my true goal was to get back into the world of beauty as it was always my childhood dream. Of course, as a young adult, we all come to a crossroad in life where we try to be responsible or not take risks. Fear of failure takes the wheel for us and chooses the path that is safer, easier, or even less frowned upon by social pressures. I knew that if I changed courses, it would mean facing new challenges and uncertainties.
With much reluctance, I enrolled in a makeup school course just to see if I still had the skill set and passion for it. At the end of each day, I could barely contain my excitement and energy for the next lesson. I gained much praise from my teacher and peers and won every class competition we had. I hadn’t felt this much happiness and fulfillment in a long time, and I realized then that it was my calling in life to make the transition and career change.
From there, I kept diving deeper into the latest and greatest in the cosmo world, and that’s when I came upon lash extensions, With my busy nursing schedule, I still was able to search and book myself for different training courses, traveling to different parts all over the nation to gain more knowledge, experience, and skills for my new craft. I was obsessed with being the best, and my thirst for knowledge was endless. It was not easy nor cheap to do this, but I felt like with every investment into myself, I would become that much better to serve my clientele and give them the best experience while sharing my love as an artist.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Again, most people will understand that a nursing career is very demanding on time and energy. At the end of most days, my shift would leave me exhausted both mentally and physically. Patient care requires the best of everyone involved. However, even so, I would still spend late nights searching for the best schools, techniques, products, and other factors that are involved with running a successful business. If I was going to leave my safety net of Nursing, I wanted to be sure that I could be successful as an entrepreneur and business owner. It is a struggle to accept that you may fail, but also I found a failure to be a strong motivator.
The traveling and technical courses do come at a high cost, but I felt each one brought me closer and closer to fulfilling my dream and having my dream career in beauty. What I can say is that once my mind was made up, and I knew my heart was in it, I was relentless in pursuing it with everything I had.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Fabulashbylinha story. Tell us more about the business.
My business, Fabulashbylinha, primarily specializes in all aspects of lash extensions. I am able to provide my clients with various options customized to each of their needs and desires. I’ve also furthered my education now to include microblading, tattoo removal, permanent makeup, microneedling, and even body waxing. I wanted to be a one-stop shop for my clients and love to build that trust with them.
The thing I’m most proud of is my ability to share my passion with the world through the business. I feel like each and every day brings new challenges that add to my insight and experience. I thoroughly enjoy learning and growing with each client that comes in. The cliche is true that if you love what you do, you don’t work a day in your life.
The thing that sets me apart from others is my attention to detail and my desire to customize looks for individual needs. I would not consider myself a perfectionist, although many of my clients would claim otherwise. I will exhaust resources to try out various products and techniques until I find out what works best for every situation. I feel like it is my duty as an artist to give my clients the best experience.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I feel like everyone’s view of luck changes depending on the person you ask. Some folks consider luck to be faith. Although I’m a superstitious person, I would consider myself lucky in that I’m able to do what I love.
I’m also surrounded by people who respect and appreciate my love for the art. My clients are very supportive of me and through referrals, I’ve been able to build up a clientele that travels distances to come to be a part of my dream. I feel extremely lucky and appreciative with each day that I’m able to share my skills to help beautify and empower others through their appearance and presentation. A true business is only successful with the customer’s support.
Contact Info:
- Address: 118 Vintage Park Blvd B, Houston, TX 77070
- Phone: (409) 499-5005
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @Fabulashbylinha
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Fabulashbylinha
Getting in touch: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
