GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) – Latina woman and small business owner Maricela Vera has been breaking barriers in the beauty industry for more than 20 years and has owned Brow Beauty Bar salon in Green Bay since 2019.

Vera says, “My passion is hair. It doesn’t feel like a job. I am so passionate in what I do that every day is an adventure for me and my client I’m working on.”

She specializes in curly hair, even hosting workshops to teach others how to embrace their curls.

About the classes, Vera says “All of us Latinas, and some other cultures out there, have strong, textured hair. I am very lucky to know how to direct, be able to cut, and assist those people with that texture of hair.”

Whether you are of Hispanic descent, having thick curls or textured hair is not widely accepted. However, Vera is all about changing the narrative.

“The curly hair industry is just starting to grow. People with curly hair always try to control that or do something to work with it, but I’m here to show you how to work with what you have. You don’t have to be this image that is always portrayed of silky, long hair. It could be portrayed as beautiful curly,” Vera says.

Vera’s background helps her connect with clients by speaking with them in Spanish when necessary.

Vera says, “My culture has impacted my work by giving inspiration to other young ladies that are Hispanic and don’t know if they can do it. [America] is a great country to live in to be able to do whatever you want. Nothing should ever hold anyone back.”

Marketing manager with the salon Stephanie Amaya has been working for Vera for 2 years and is also a loyal client.

“Every time that I come and get my hair cut, it always looks great. I leave, and everyone is like ‘Where did you get your hair done?’ There is no one else I trust,” Amaya says.

She also spoke about how Vera gives her the motivation to succeed.

Amaya says, “Small businesses in general are always run by someone that has a lot of passion and drive in them, and that’s the energy I like to be surrounded by.”

Without a doubt, Vera is a trailblazer in her industry and community. In what she hopes people gain from her story she says, “Everything is possible/ Being from any place in the world, you are capable of growing and being who you want to be.”

Vera also hopes to host more curly hair workshops in the future.