We had the good fortune of connecting with Gaby Lopez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Gaby, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I actually work in Education. I started as a bilingual teacher and now have the opportunity to work with bilingual teachers, students and their administrators from all over my district. I was helping set up an event for principals in our district and was assigned to help put together a balloon arch. I have always been a creative person and love to do things that allow me to create and express myself creatively. So naturally, I fell in love with balloon artistry immediately. When I left the event that day I got home and told my husband “I am starting a balloon decor business!” After that, I had started researching all of the steps to start my own business and what I would have to do to grow myself in this new craft and passion I had accidentally stumbled upon.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
What sets me apart from others when it comes to doing my business in the balloon world is my love for people. I am someone who loves to share and interact with people. Any time I have a client the focus is on them and the story they bring to the table. Without their stories, their passion and the moments they want to celebrate any balloon decor that I do loses the magic that makes it so special. I am really proud to be a business that allows me to represent Latin women in my area. When I moved to the U.S. seeing businesses that were owned by minorities was very rare. Now, I feel that I have a duty not only to establish a business that provides quality services and products but also that is known for the human aspect of working with costumers. My long term vision is to get to a point where I can offer scholarships, classes, mentorship to women from minority backgrounds who may not have the resources to start their entrepreneurial journey. This is fueled by my experience as an educator working in schools with children coming from low socioeconomic neighborhoods. If we can help the parents, mothers, sisters, aunts of these children to better their opportunities we are having a direct impact on the future success of these children.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
When we talk about the Houston area you have so many experiences to chose from that it is hard to narrow it down to just a few. I mean we are one of the top cities in the country when it comes to performances with all of the performance halls we have. The museum in our city offer amazing opportunities to enjoy with friends or families. Being such a diverse city we have an outstanding number of festivals that showcase the amazing cultures and heritages that make our city so diverse and unique. When it comes to food we have so many places to go and experience food rom all over the world that the bad thing is just not having enough time to experience it all.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I am a huge believer that God does everything for a reason. I know that me embarking in this journey was not accidental. So I thank God everyday for allowing me to continue to do this, I also want to dedicate this to my family. I would not be able to do any of this if it was nor for the love and support I am blessed enough to have from my husband and our incredibly amazing kids. Their belief in my allows me to believe in myself in ways that I could not never do. They push me to think outside the box, to challenge my creative limits and when I feel defeated, they are the ones there picking my up and encouraging me to try again.

Website: www.ballooneer.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/ballooneer

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ballooneer

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/ballooneer-spring?osq=ballooneer

Other: Tik Tok – @ballooneer

Image Credits
Amanda Virgadamo Photography

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutHTX is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.