Today we’d like to introduce you to Monica Longoria.
Hi Monica, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My journey is deeply rooted in service, family, and creativity. I come from a family where trusting God, work ethic, resilience, and showing up for others were instilled early on. Service was modeled in real life, not just spoken about, and that foundation shaped how I move through the world. Taking care of people, honoring commitments, and leading with integrity have always been part of my upbringing, and those values continue to guide everything I build.
I spent 23 years in the waxing service industry, working hands on with people every day. That work taught me how to read energy, build trust, and create environments where people feel safe, confident, and cared for. Waxing is an intimate service and can be uncomfortable in many ways, and over time I learned that clients weren’t just coming for a treatment. They were coming for presence, consistency, and the feeling of being seen. Waxers often joke that we’re the real therapists, and after years of listening, holding space, and building trust, I can say there’s a lot of truth in that. My clients became friends, and it became my responsibility to deliver precision while making an uncomfortable experience feel as comfortable as possible. Those years trained me in customized service at the highest level, tailoring each experience to the individual and raising my own standards for what hospitality truly means.
What many people may not realize is that my clients are a large part of how all of this came to life. Through years of mutual trust, loyalty, and exchange, they supported me just as much as I supported them. The relationships I built in that space allowed me to grow, to dream bigger, and to eventually build something of my own. High Vibez is not just a business I created for the community, it is a direct reflection of the community that helped build me. This is my way of reciprocating that energy and giving back in the language I know best, service, intention, and care.
As life unfolded, including navigating loss and profound personal growth, I reached a point where I allowed myself to fully reconnect with my creativity and shed years of self doubt and limitation. I stopped creating from survival mode and began creating from intention. That shift changed everything, how I designed spaces, how I led, and how I built community. I learned to trust myself fully and let my creativity move freely, without apology.
That shift gave birth to High Vibez EaDo, a New York style loft in East Downtown Houston that I call home and also intentionally open to others. High Vibez is not just a venue, it is a living, breathing experience intentionally designed to morph into a fully multi functional space. It serves as a creative content house, a luxury lodging destination, a wellness and reset space, a meeting and workshop environment, and a cultural home for Houston’s creators, entrepreneurs, and community builders. The space is exclusive by design, not in a restrictive sense, but in the way something special feels when it is discovered and experienced by the right people.
One of the most defining features of High Vibez is the panoramic, breathtaking view of the Houston skyline. The city becomes part of the experience, whether it is glowing at golden hour, lit up at night, or serving as a cinematic backdrop for shoots, gatherings, and celebrations. The view grounds the space while also elevating it, reminding guests that they are fully in Houston, yet slightly above the noise of it all.
Every element of the space was curated to feel like luxury meeting eclectic charm. The walls feature large scale murals by underground local graffiti artists, layered with original art and unexpected visual moments throughout. There is a sense of whimsy woven into the design, including a dazzling disco ball that casts light and movement across the space, shifting the energy instantly. With 20 foot ceilings and a 200 inch screen, the loft can transform at any moment into a massive karaoke lounge, a private screening room, or an immersive creative playground. The space is designed to adapt and surprise, never static, never predictable.
What truly sets High Vibez apart is how the experience is hosted. My goal for every event is to allow the guest of honor, the person renting the space, to remain fully present with their people. Most hosts miss their own celebration because they are managing logistics, timing, and details. I professionally host each experience myself, fine tuning the flow, handling the intricate details, and reading the energy of the room so my guests can simply enjoy. No one knows the space more intimately than I do, and no one understands how magical it can become through the smallest details, from lighting shifts and sound to layout changes and pacing.
Guests often notice that there are thoughtful details in every corner and in every room. It is the kind of space where people who return continue to discover new elements they missed the first time. That layered intentionality is by design. High Vibez reveals itself slowly, inviting curiosity, presence, and repeat experience.
The space is equally suited for business meetings, workshops, and team building experiences. I intentionally designed areas for collaboration, conversation, and creativity, with the ability to build in movement, reset moments, and shared experiences that strengthen connection. The lounge features repurposed and thoughtfully sourced furniture, each piece chosen for character rather than conformity. My interior design approach is non traditional and non cookie cutter, with each room carrying its own distinct vibe, energy, and purpose. Walking through High Vibez feels like moving through different chapters of the same story, cohesive yet expressive.
High Vibez allows me to merge hospitality, art, and innovation in a way that raises the bar. It challenges one size fits all service and replaces it with intentional, customized experiences rooted in care, creativity, and community. I see the space as a platform for connection, where artists, entrepreneurs, and culture builders come together in an environment that feels elevated, grounding, and real.
From that foundation, my work has expanded into larger cultural concepts and experiences rooted in Houston’s creative ecosystem, while also laying the groundwork for a nonprofit initiative focused on serving our unhoused community. The work is centered on dignity, participation, and restoring a sense of visibility and value through thoughtfully designed systems. While it is still in development, the intention is to create something that invites collaboration and community involvement in a meaningful, human way.
Today, I’m building at the intersection of service, creativity, and community. My story is shaped by family legacy, decades of hands on service, and the freedom I found in trusting myself fully. I’m intentional about what I create and who I create it for. At its core, my work is about raising standards, designing experiences that matter, and creating spaces where people don’t just gather, but truly feel seen, supported, and inspired.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. Like most meaningful journeys, it has been layered with challenges, uncertainty, and growth happening in real time. One of the most defining chapters began in 2019, when my father was diagnosed with colon cancer. As the youngest of four, I stepped into a caregiving role for both of my parents, supporting my mom while continuing to show up fully for my dad. It was not something I was prepared for, because no one teaches you how to raise your parents when it becomes time to take care of them.
I was raised by two extraordinary people whose love was built over 58 years together and 53 years of marriage. My parents modeled commitment, faith, and perseverance in a way that shaped who I am at my core. My father was an exceptional man who did everything the right way. He believed deeply in integrity, honesty, and hard work, and he lived those values daily. Watching him face illness with strength and grace only deepened my respect for him. Caring for my parents was never a burden. It was an honor and a responsibility I took on with love, even when it stretched me in ways I did not yet have language for.
That season overlapped with years of giving everything I had to the service industry. I was pouring into my clients while also holding my family together, often placing my own needs last. The emotional weight, physical exhaustion, and financial responsibility were very real, and there were moments when it felt like I was carrying multiple lives at once. I truly did not have much time for myself, and that is a reality I do not hide from. It was difficult, and it was constant.
Throughout my father’s illness, I leaned heavily on my faith. I held tightly to the promise that honoring your mother and father leads to a long and prosperous life. When the road felt heavy and the future uncertain, that scripture became an anchor for me. It reminded me that love, sacrifice, and obedience carry meaning even when the outcome is not what you pray for.
As my father’s cancer progressed, I made peace with what was unfolding and focused on showing up fully. Before he passed, I reassured him that his legacy would live on through us. I promised him that I would take care of my mom, and that promise continues to guide my decisions today. Taking the best care of my parents has been one of the greatest honors of my life.
It was during this period that I also began doing deeper self work. What started as a way to cope gradually became a commitment to healing. I dove into self discovery and inner child work, confronting grief, patterns, and long held self doubt. It was not a clean or linear process, but it became the foundation of my resilience. Over time, that work shaped how I lead, how I create, and how I show up in the world.
Another challenge was learning to trust my intuition after years of operating in survival mode. Choosing to create from alignment rather than fear required unlearning what once felt safe. Stepping into a more visible creative leadership role meant standing firm in a vision that was not always immediately understood or validated.
There were also very real logistical and financial challenges. Learning how to scale responsibly, manage risk, and wear multiple hats while building community required persistence and humility. Entrepreneurship does not come with a manual, and much of what I learned came through experience, mistakes, and showing up anyway.
Looking back, I see that none of it was wasted. Every obstacle refined my vision, strengthened my boundaries, and deepened my trust in God and in myself. The road was not smooth, but it shaped how I build today. I create from intention rather than fear, from faith rather than pressure, and with a deep commitment to honoring my family, my values, and the legacy that made all of this possible.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
At this stage of my journey, my work is centered on creating living experiences rather than static spaces. I operate as a creative curator and hospitality visionary, designing environments where art, sound, light, and energy move together with intention. I do not separate creativity from business. I treat them as partners. Every concept I build is expressive, experiential, and entrepreneurial, rooted in intuition and carried through with structure and care.
I am also a connector by nature. I genuinely care about people, relationships, and the energy created when the right individuals come together. At the core of my work is a desire to be love and a light in this world, to take creative risks, and to build spaces where people feel supported, inspired, and valued. I honor raw, organic connections, and my network has been built through real relationships, trust, and shared experience rather than transactions or optics. Connection is not a byproduct of what I do, it is the foundation of it.
I am best known for High Vibez EaDo, a loft and creative residence in East Downtown Houston that functions as my home, studio, and experiential platform. The space is designed to transform. I treat it like a canvas where lighting becomes mood, sound becomes storytelling, and art becomes dialogue. No two experiences are meant to feel the same, because the people and the energy in the room are never the same.
High Vibez is not just another short term rental. It is an intentional space built on mutual respect, presence, and reciprocal energy, where the experience is shaped by how people show up, not just by what they book. It was created for alignment, not volume, and for those who value intention over convenience.
What truly defines my work is how it is delivered. My background in hands on service trained me to lead with presence, not transaction. I host, curate, and support each experience personally, allowing guests, collaborators, and clients to remain fully present while I manage the details. That level of care creates an environment where collaboration feels natural, connection feels real, and people feel deeply considered rather than managed.
I specialize in customized experience design, working from the inside out. I read energy and translate it into form, crafting environments where every element serves a purpose. Years of precision driven service taught me that true luxury lives in attentiveness, restraint, and intention. From the flow of a room to the smallest atmospheric choice, every detail is considered, and that consistency is what people recognize and return for.
Entrepreneurially, I focus on building scalable creative concepts that honor culture while pushing it forward. Houston’s diversity, creativity, and resilience are woven into everything I create. My work supports local artists, creatives, and entrepreneurs while creating platforms that invite community participation and cultural exchange.
At the core of everything I do is reciprocity. The years I poured into my clients were never one sided. They poured into me as well. High Vibez exists as an extension of that exchange, built as a way to give back through service, creativity, and shared experience. It is rooted in gratitude and designed to serve community as much as it serves creativity.
What I am most proud of is trusting my vision fully and building without compromise. Allowing myself to take up space and create from alignment rather than expectation. What sets me apart is not just what I create, but how I create it. I set a new standard for service that prioritizes intention over transaction, presence over performance, and care over convenience. When energy is honored and details are respected, community forms naturally.
The name High Vibez reflects a belief that each individual carries a unique vibration meant to contribute to the collective energy of a community. That energy leaves a lasting imprint, shaping how we experience spaces, relationships, and ultimately how we show up for ourselves and for one another.
How do you define success?
I define success as alignment and truth. It is living in my purpose without shrinking, allowing myself to take up space, and creating from a place that feels honest and intentional. Success is not measured by numbers or recognition, but by integrity, peace, and knowing that what I am building reflects who I truly am.
Success also means trusting the vision God placed in me and honoring Him and my intuition as guides. It is creating in a way that invites others to reconnect with themselves, return to the roots of who they were before the world told them who to be, and feel free to express and liberate their own creativity.
For me, success is freedom. The freedom to wander, to explore, to live fully, and to experience life with presence and gratitude. It is moving through the world with curiosity rather than constraint, allowing inspiration to come from lived moments, not just productivity. I believe in living life in color, with deep intention and deep grooves, embracing joy, movement, and expression as part of the creative process.
Success looks like building spaces and experiences where energy is reciprocal, where people feel seen, and where intention lives in the details. It means being able to give back to community while also honoring my own well being, boundaries, and capacity.
Above all, success is walking in the purpose and plan God has for my life. It is trusting the process even when the path is not clear, and knowing that what I create carries meaning beyond myself and leaves a lasting, positive imprint on the world around me.
Energy is a currency. What we give shapes what we receive, and love is a way of being. I simply want to love like Jesus.
I want to extend my sincere gratitude to anyone who took the time to read and sit with my story. It truly means more than words can express. I hope our paths cross one day and that we connect in some way along the journey.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.highvibezhouston.com
- Instagram: Business @high.vibez.eado & Personal: @ya.girl.monica777
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61580033682472
- Other: https://linktr.ee/HighVibez.EaDo
Image Credits
My portrait by:
Thomas Guerrero
https://www.tguerrerophoto.com
@guerrero_creative
@the portrait_atelier
