Gentlewoman, Tania Cuadra

Tania is one of my very best friends.  I honestly think she is the one person who is most identical to me.  We share similar life stories – especially from our 20’s.  We share a love of fashion and everything girly (shopping, shoes, make up, etc.) We love music and we love to dance.  Unfortunately, we probably spent way too much money on clothing (that no longer fits us) in our early twenties, but we had fun strutting around in our Marciano dresses. No regrets. We have a passion for reading and writing.  We have preschoolers that are only two weeks apart and they are just as good friends as we are. We share similar values and we both attend the same church.  Although we go through periods where we don’t see each other as much, we always pick back up where we left off.  We have had arguments and stopped talking, but then we find ourselves back to each other apologizing for being such a bone head.  I honestly think that helped our friendship, don’t you Tania?

Tania encountered being a single mom.  She put her social life on hold and became super mom 24/7.  I know things got tough, but you know what she never showed defeat.  She kept pressing forward and I think she infuses the qualities of a Gentlewoman for the loyal friend that she is, the dedicated mother and hardworking individual that she has always been.  Tania was knocked down over and over the last few years, but this girl got up, dusted her shoulders and skipped to the next obstacle, taunting the negativity. She is truly the model person for the saying, “that which doesn’t kill you, only makes you stronger.”

Tania is also such a woman supporter.  This girl has been one of my biggest fans, always complimenting me, encouraging me and helping me.  She is a like a diamond, precious and rare.  It is not very common to find women who actually want other women to advance.  Tania is one of those women and I’m glad I have her as a friend. Tania has recently taken her life on a different path by becoming a licensed Makeup Artist and building dreams of one day having her own make up line.  You can visit her website here to see her recent work.  Also, please “like” her FB page “Makeup Artistry by Tania”.

 Interview with Tania Cuadra

1.          For those that don’t know you, can you tell me a little bit about yourself? In a nutshell, my full name is Tania Olivia Cuadra-Damian. Yeah, I know. Hehe. Born in D.F., Mexico and raised in N Oak Cliff by a single mother. I am 28, Christ follower and the youngest of five siblings. I have a degree in Paralegal Studies, work as a Credit Analyst for the mortgage industry, I'm also a Certified freelance MUA (Make-Up Artist) and mommy to a handsome 5 yr old boy, Gael-Sebastian. I have a wild interest for all things artsy. I paint canvas' - both paper and flesh. Have an addiction to makeup, a passion for travel and curiosity for exploring new foods. I am a big ball of energy and most days you will see me acting a goof. Love to laugh! I'd like to say I'm multi-faceted; however, I basically draw no barriers. Love it all, everyone and its variety

2.         We both experienced pregnancy at the same time (our little ones are only two weeks apart).  Can you tell me how motherhood changed you?    You're right, we have that in common our winter babies. Gael was born on Monday, December 3, 2007 at 7:10am. I remember the details because it's tattooed on my wrist. Haha. I recall holding little pumpkin for the first time and feeling a burst of emotions. I was always the dedicated aunt who returned the kiddos after a weekend of fun auntie time. What now? It's true that no amount of research, reading or advice could amount to what experience will teach you. I would stare at little man as he slept, most nights sleeping with one eye open as if in attack mode. I did it alone for the majority of his newborn baby stage since dad was often absent. Gael became the inspiration for all the good that would come our way. Months before his 2nd birthday his father and I went our separate ways. It was overwhelming. I became a single mom - Super mom! It was during this time that my life took a positive turn for the best. Although at that moment I felt my life come to its end. Gael did not allow it - he became the man of the house. I picked myself up and treaded forward with him as my most prized accessory. God blessed me with a beautiful baby boy.

3.         I’ve seen you through highs and lows.  One of the things I love about you is that you always bounce back up every time an obstacle comes your way.  Tell me, where did you get your strength from? This leads to your third question. My faith was tested plenty. I dared to question God, "why me?" I found myself digging deeper into the mountain of abyss. Together we struggled financially, suffered sickness and there were days we walked in winter storms to buy groceries. Gael never complained. He would look up at me and smile a big cheesy smile. It tugged at my heart strings. His independence, genuine love and compassion molded me into the mother I am. It was then that I vowed to give him the life he deserved because through his tiny hugs, butterfly kisses and "it's okay mommy" whispers, I regained my strength. I went back to school, acquired a work-at-home salary job and put Gael thorough private Pre-school. With my most recent blessing of starting my own business. My life is still changing. God is so good!

4.         You took a big risk leaving the Corporate world to become a professional makeup artist?  What made you make that decision? Ay, Vicke. I am not that lucky just yet. I am still fully employed by corporate world sitting behind my office cube. How I manage to juggle both professions and motherhood is a mystery to me. Haha. My goal is to freelance full-time in the next year or so. Baby steps while I build my clientele. As a Professional MUA about 95% of the products we use and additional training we obtain are purchased out of pocket. So working two jobs in the beginning is not a rarity. I don't mind.

5.          Looking back, how do you think you have changed – for the better? I used to love the nightlife. Spending my entire paycheck on cute dresses and shoes, partying every night and drinking irresponsibly with friends. I was dating the wrong men that hurt me and took advantage of my forgiving personality. That changed when Gael was born. Afterall, he is the motive behind my hunger for success. The daily social life became a thing of the past. I taught myself to budget and save. Couponing is my next project. Don't want to be mediocre but still maintain my humility, you know. I'm focused. It's all very lucid to me now. If you want to be a good example for your children give them something to look up to. I want my son to be proud of the woman he helped mold and in turn mold himself into a God fearing, well-mannered, successful young man. I don't doubt that is exactly who he will be and more.

6.         What do you think women in our generation need to hear? That they are beautiful, valuable, to dream big and they will change the world, appearance is not everything and that God loves them.

7.          What are your dreams? I'm a dreamer. As a little girl, I dreamed of being everything. A marine, dancer, Selena, news anchor, movie star etc. I wanted to be everything! Hehe. My ultimate endeavor is to own my own cosmetics line. I want to be my own boss and give free beauty makeovers to women at retirement homes, shelters or new moms at hospitals.

8.         Who inspires you and why? All the GW women you have featured on this blog inspire me. Latinas on the prowl. ;)

9.         What are you most proud of? I'm proud of my brothers and sisters. We did not have an ideal childhood. Dysfunctional to say the least. Our parents divorced when I was a toddler. Raised by a single mom working three jobs came with many life lessons. Together we overcame countless hurdles. Considering the absence of our parents we all managed to graduate from high school and some even college. We could have chosen the dark road. Instead, we challenged the adversity and pulled forward. We have careers, homes and beautiful families. We work hard everyday to give our children the childhood we were robbed of. I love them so much.

10.      You love to work and I share that passion with you.  How do you balance work life, love life, mommyhood and friendships? Wine. A big bottle of red wine. Hehe. I don't have a ritual, certain method or routine that I adhere to. I just do. Simple. Anything is achievable if it is important to you. I'm methodical in nature so it comes easy to me to balance it all. Can we say OCD? Yeah, that's what it is. I'm OCD.  

Our Babies (Mia and Gael)