PEORIA, AZ — It all started with a goal — a goal to live out the American dream and help others achieve theirs along the way.
Mariela Perez is the proud co-owner of Valley Barber Co., located near 75th Avenue and Thunderbird Road.
“It’s surreal because I started as a teenager. So the first time I picked up a pair of clippers, I was 16,” she told ABC15.
She was a teenager with a dream and a burning passion to break into the barber industry.
“My parents doubted a little bit because you know, how are you going to make a living out of just cutting hair? The Mexican in me wanted to be like, 'OK, let me show you,'” said Perez.
So, she took her parent’s doubt and made it her driving force to prove people wrong.
“Thirteen years later, I never expected to be here, but it does feel amazing,” she said.
However, this didn't come without its challenges.
“My parents came all the way from Mexico...brought us here as kids. So it was my responsibility to make sure that they didn’t sacrifice for nothing,” Perez told ABC15.
So, she began working to achieve her biggest dream yet alongside her business partner Ivette Rios.
“Honestly, right now, I really feel like I am living the American dream,” Perez added, with pride.
“When I was 14-15 years old, I had reached out to her and she always was able to take me onto an important path of the barbering journey. So now having the opportunity to build that business with her, and building the business with her, and flourishing together, we’re definitely an unstoppable team,” added Rios.
Now, they are helping other Hispanics achieve their dreams, too.
“Being able to provide them their space so that they can live out their dream of creating art and just knowing that they have their safe space,” said Perez.
It’s safe to say Perez made the cut, and she and Rios are now helping their crew do the same.
“It’s a huge accomplishment but being that I am in a male-dominated industry, it’s like being Latina also is kind of like a si se puede, y si se pudo,” said Perez.
So, in case you were wondering what happens behind the walls of Valley Barber Co. in Peoria, this is what the buzz is all about.
“It does feel like dreams come true and it just feels like the beginning of something greater, because the ultimate goal is to do something greater,” Perez told ABC15.
