Today we’d like to introduce you to Celina Lerma.
Hi Celina, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Sure thing! I was born & raised in Texas by my amazing parents, Manuel & Christina Lerma. I have two siblings, an older sister, Carina, & a younger brother, Christopher. Yes, that does mean I was the wild child aka the middle kid! But, I think all middle kids would agree that we were just the creative ones who knew how to have fun! I’ve always been very creative and enjoyed getting to know others. I actually enjoyed it too much growing up and would get in trouble at school because I would be off task due to talking. Now, I get to talk to people and use my creative side every single day whether it’s for social media or cosmetology.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I think everyone has ups and downs in life and I have not been excluded from that.
Part of my story is that I had a sweet girl named Isabella when I was only 16 years old. You see, I was raised in a household that knew God, but at that time I was doing my own thing and tried to find my identity in someone instead of the one who created me. I did not have a personal relationship with Jesus until I became pregnant at 15.
During my pregnancy, I lost all of my friends, got cheated on, and even had people asking if I was going to have an abortion. But, it was clear to me that the Lord was pursuing me. Jack (Bella’s Dad) and I knew & decided abortion was not an option for us, we wanted to raise Bella. So, on December 19th, 2013 I gave birth to one of the biggest blessings of my entire life!
After a year of trying to figure out our relationship & what we wanted in life, Jack & I went our separate ways. Deep down, I knew Jack wanted to make things work, but he started doing drugs and lost himself. During this time, I was trying to juggle being a single mom, going to school, & have what the world calls a successful career all while having a desire that Jack would come back and tell me, “Celina, I choose you & Bella.”
But, on August 28, 2016 I was left with that desire shattered. I found out Jack had been shot and killed.
After he passed, I couldn’t focus & I didn’t deal with the emotions I felt. I failed all of my classes and dropped out of school. I went through a season of really hating and not wanting to be a mom. I had gone numb and felt like I didn’t have a purpose even though I knew I did. I was lost because what I still found my identity in had died.
I wish I could say I immediately found life and purpose again, but I didn’t. It actually took me the duration of 5 years to find who I was created to be. The Lord used people in my life to speak identity back into me, champion me to become a better version of myself each day, and to take chances that may lead to a learning opportunity. This has helped make me into the woman I am today.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I dabble in social media and cosmetology. Both have allowed my creative side to flourish and thrive. I’ll break it into two segments so I can specify what I do with each.
The first work realm I have is creating content through social media or vlogging. Bella and I started a YouTube Channel when we were missionaries overseas, but since then we have deleted the videos and are planning to start over, so stay tuned for that. We both have a passion for allowing others to feel like they are a part of our family. We use social media as an outlet to bring others in on our dynamic duo-ness, and hope people get a laugh out of our craziness called life. We do tell people there is never a dull moment with us since we have real life moments (& oversharing sometimes) through our social media outlets. We are proud of who we are and want to inspire other Moms and Daughters to grow their relationship with each other through biblical foundations. We are set apart since our life looks very different than most families, but we choose to embrace that part of us. We choose to be vulnerable with people we know near and far, so we hope you will come hang with us and be a part of our family through social media.
The second work realm I have is being a cosmetologist. I love getting to know people and their stories of who they are and how they got to where they are in life while also allowing my creativity to flow. Cosmetology does just that. I get to talk, encourage, cry with, laugh with, and listen to every single client who sits in my chair. While I may use my phone for social media, I put my phone away while having conversations with my clients. I try my hardest to only answer the phone if it’s an emergency since I want to be fully present with each one of my clients. I don’t necessarily have a specialty since I enjoy each aspect of the cosmetology realm, but I can give you two avenues I personally enjoy. The first would be doing a balayage service. This helps my clients achieve their dream hair & helps the grow out be seamless. The second would be an all-over color service. My favorite is when my clients want to go back to their natural hair or what I call back to their roots. I believe I stand out in this industry since I take my time with each client and really want to get to know who they are.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
The most important quality or characteristic that has helped me in my success has been putting Jesus in the center of everything I do. Every morning, I spend time reading my Bible to help renew my mind and refocus on what’s important in life. I also go on a prayer walk around my little section of the neighborhood and I ask God to help guide my day and the things I will do during the day. On the days when life gets crazy, I try to keep my eyes fixated on Him because it helps me remember the world is not my home and that I get to be here to draw people closer to Him. He is the author of my life and He continues to use what was meant for evil and turn it into good.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/celinalerma?igsh=MXA1YXF2cjIxNGRucQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1BTgRhxqjy/?mibextid=wwXIfr
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@celandbell?si=28W-8UfxSuTDkGWN
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/beautybabecelina?igsh=OWFudmE1a3N3a2t2&utm_source=qr
Image Credits
Jacob Reyes with Somos Reyes Photography
