Victor Estrada: My name is Victor and I’m here with …
Gabriela Alcala: Gabriela Alcala.
VE: If you could describe your career in one word, what would that word be and why?
GA: Amazing … the why is because the body is so interesting and there’s so many things that you can learn from every single individual that I support.
VE: That’s nice.
VE: And then, what would normally, let’s just say not sports, what would someone go to a massage therapist for?
GA: All kinds of people can come to a massage, even if you don’t do sports. For people that do repetitive work, for people that just want to relax, they can come. So everyone can take advantage of massage.
VE: What’s your favorite thing about your job?
GA: Favorite is probably meeting new people.
VE : And then, how did you feel being in an advertisement for a big company like Ulta?
GA: Oh my gosh, that was an honor. I think the representation as an indigenous woman is so important, as an immigrant too, because dreams can come true.
It wasn’t something that I was looking for, it just, the opportunity came to me. And this came, actually, because one of my patients in the office, she’s a talent, she works with talent and company for commercials and everything. So she’s like, oh, I think if you want to do this, and so she invited me.
And it was through my work that I met this person. So she’s like, “Oh, Gaby, they’re looking for diversity and people, and I think you’re going to be a good fit.” And I was like, “Well, I’ve never done a commercial, but I was playing, never thinking that I’m going to be able to be on television.”
VE: That’s great, because I would never see that in myself. Being in a big picture like that, showing something like diversity. And being in diversity, did that make you feel like you could change something?
GA: Yes, especially, as I’m going to repeat myself, as an immigrant that came from nothing, from Oaxaca, I feel the responsibility.
It’s an honor, but also it’s a responsibility to represent the indigenous women in my lineage, but also the women that I grew up. Because when I do this type of work, it’s not only myself, not only my daughters, but my family. Or the people that I grew up with, or just thinking back in Oaxaca, all the indigenous women that are over there.
And for me, giving the face of an indigenous and immigrant person, it’s a big deal. As a Mexican too, representing Mexico is so important too.
VE: And then, growing up, did you always want to be a massage therapist, or did you have different plans about a career?
GA: Well, in life, let’s say that I never planned to be a massage therapist, but I’ve always been so curious.
And in my family, on my mom’s side, there’s a clan of healers. I have an aunt that she’s a doula. My aunt that taught me how to massage, because I’ve always been so interested about the body.
And I remember growing up, I was 11 years old. And on weekends, instead of playing, I used to receive a lot of people that used to come and get a massage from me. But in that time, for me, it was like playing time, more than actually, oh, I’m doing something special.
For me, it was like, oh, let’s play. People are going to come visit me. But I was providing massage and limpias and cleanses like that.
So throughout life, I stopped doing it because I started getting embarrassed. Because especially in Mexico, the culture of indigenous is so, there’s a lot of discrimination. Especially if you have a special talent or you know to do something out of the ordinary from people.
VE: So they treat you like a weird person. Out of the ordinary?
GA: Yeah, like you’re out of, like you do something that is not regular for people. So for me, growing up, because I started becoming a teenager, I started getting embarrassed that I know to do a massage.
Because I remember when I was 11 years old, 12 years old, when on weekends, I used to play and receive people and give them massages and help them. But when I was a teenager, my friends started making fun of me because I was weird. I was a weird kid.
So I stopped doing it. And just recently, in recent years, is when I started empowering and how do you say, embracing what I learned when I was a kid. So it’s a gift.
More than a job, I see that it’s a gift that I can share with someone else.
VE: What’s a note for people that want to be massage therapists in the future but feel like a shame?
GA: I think it’s not to be in shame. I think it’s more like what fulfills your heart.
Because it can be even gardening, it’s going to fulfill your heart. And if that fulfills your heart and gives you money, I think you have to do everything from your heart. So you don’t think it matters on the money, more like what you want to do? Yes, because you can earn so much money.
I have this friend, he shared that he works so hard because he’s Hispanic and he worked so hard to be a VP for a bank. And he said that he was so concentrated on getting to that position and he worked four years to get to that position. That the day that he sits down in that VP chair, he didn’t feel anything.
Because his heart wasn’t there. He was thinking more like, I want to get there for ambitions. And also breaking the circle in his family because he was the first generation of getting a degree.
And now he’s a psychologist. Because the things that fulfill your heart are going to give you the abundance that you need in your life. Not just fulfilling your pocket.
Because yes, you can fulfill your pocket. You can buy a nice car and a nice house and nice jewelry, nice job or whatever. But if it doesn’t fulfill your heart and you don’t feel happy for the work that you’re doing, I think at the end it’s an empty thing.
Because you’re empty. So you have to be in your heart happy for the work that you’re doing. So your body, your mind, your spirit is happy and you can transmit that and expand like a ripple effect.
VE: Alright, that’s it. Thank you Gabrielle for the interview. And I want to wish you a good day.
GA: Thank you, too.
