The pandemic has brought on challenges of all kinds for families, from health battles to financial struggles. One South Bay mom and entrepreneur told NBC 7 that she's trying her best to juggle it all.
“I have my family and my kids, and they really keep me going,” Angelica Sele said.
Motivated by her 2- and 4-year-old, Sele said she won't give up on her beauty studio.
“It was my first baby, and it's the first thing that I ever found that I was really good at, and I’ve always been really good with people, and I created a community of amazing women, and we’ve been successful,” Sele said.
Sele, an aesthetician, owns Angelica B Beauty, a waxing and facial studio in University Heights.
“I’ve been able to try and do the best that I can in all of those worlds -- like being a mom, being a wife, being a business owner,” Sele said.
The Chula Vista mom closed her shop back in March due to state orders, then re-opened last month, only to be forced to shut down again recently. While the city of San Diego is allowing for some businesses to operate outdoors, Sele said that isn't practical for personal-care services like waxing.
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“But the reality is, no matter, how strong I am, we may not be able to make it,” Sele said about the future of Angelica B Beauty.
Sele started her business almost 10 years ago. Her goal now is to leave behind a legacy for her daughter.
“That’s what hurts, too, and that's what keeps me up: the thought of not having anything for her,” Sele said. "I gave it everything that I had."
"I gave it everything that I had"
Angelica Sele
While navigating the uncertainty of the pandemic, Sele's also packing. Soon, her studio will have to move, since the building it's located in is going up for sale.
“The love you have for your business is really special, and I know it’s not just me," Sele said. "I know that a lot of people, a lot of small businesses, are going through the same thing."
The beauty entrepreneur said that, despite it all, she's confident she will reopen. The question is how and when.
“You know, the bills and stuff, they’re heavy, but I think I’ll figure it out,” Sele said. “The thing that’s hardest is the future and what I have for my children.”
