Bobbi Vargas, a successful beauty industry “queen” turned coach to budding entrepreneurs, has led a colorful life interspersed with bouts of fortune and misfortune. Her story is a triumphant rise to esteemed positions of power within the designer industry and how she’s moved into public speaking to make an impact on women seeking to do the same.
As a mentor to up-and-coming entrepreneurs and make-up artists, Bobbi recognized the need for women to take better care of themselves and save time doing it.
The hustle and bustle of building businesses and navigating the corresponding arenas can affect the mind and body negatively if not properly cared for, so Bobbi sought a way to ease these stresses.
She explains, “I developed a brand to give back to society and to remind people that the foundation to success begins with self-love. “
The luxury brand, Bodela was born as a way to put a spotlight on self-care and self-love by bringing beauty and health together under one umbrella. Bobbi put great care into crafting Bodela’s products and services through years of researching ingredients that would meet the ultimate holistic experience.
She has worked hard to be in the position that she’s in today, and while her walk through life has seen its fair share of tribulations it has only served to make her stronger.
The entrepreneurial leader lived in Kuwait as a child, and says that she ‘lacked nothing as a young girl’ but everything changed and the carpet was pulled out from under her feet at age, 11.
While vacationing to the states and visiting family, the family clan spiraled into limbo when the Persian Gulf war started, leaving them unable to return to their home country.
In the blink of an eye, life had flipped – throwing Bobbi, her sisters and mother into a tailspin of unpredictability with no specific place to call home.
The trials continued to come, and being refugees in a foreign land, it only continued to get harder once Bobbi’s alcoholic father joined them after leaving Kuwait.
She spoke of the fighting and abuse that occurred between her parents in those days, “The abuse escalated from the trauma my father endured during the war. We took trips to hospitals and police stations as often as people would visit the bathroom”.
Bobbi credits her mother for being her rock and mentor during these times, saying that watching her mother persevere in the face of numerous adversities set an example for her to follow from an early age.
In her teens, Bobbi then chose an unconventional route, “I ended up raising my two siblings independently of my parents when I was only 16. And I decided work was much more rewarding to me financially than going to school at that point.”
Which was undoubtedly the path to go because she ended up creating a successful career as a celebrity make-up artist, and was eventually approached by Versace to relaunch their cosmetic line.
She explains how the recession in 2007 caused another unforeseen detour in her life, “I feared I would be out of work when the banks were merging or shutting their doors. I didn’t lose my job but my career took a shift. I was offered to stay in the house of Versace but was offered training in sales. “
That shift had her spinning into an off-shoot of the fashion industry. And when she ended up killing it, she was sought for her leadership and success in sales by other designers, notably – Chanel where she became the lead sales trainer.
“At that point clients offered me leadership positions at their companies and I accepted their offers. Today I continue to consult and speak on leadership and sales to entrepreneurs.”
With Bodela, speaking at conventions, and being a mentor she has a busy but fulfilling life. Her focus lies on teaching women about self-care and the industry while giving back in various ways like planning to teach classes for women that have survived human trafficking and domestic abuse.
Bobbi says, “Women are a huge part of society and they’re strong pillars for their families. I want to help women achieve financial freedom and I believe that by teaching them about the industry…I can do that. “
