After almost 10 years at Mac Cosmetics, Lopez joined Tarte Cosmetics, a company located in New York City. As Tarte’s Global Education Ambassador, Lopez traveled the globe representing the brand through social media and interviews and supporting their sales team. Lopez’s corporate career eventually came to a halt when a new opportunity presented itself. But during his time in the cosmetics industry, he learned many lessons. He would say the biggest competition starting out is yourself and your creativity. “Take the time to nourish your creativity by finding the things you love to do, seek inspiration from others, and visit spaces that inspire you,” he advises. “Don’t seek validation, as it will come as your work gets better.” Lopez's career took a hard turn when the pandemic arrived. As with many of us, he gained perspective, which led to him creating a business out of his family's vineyard. So he took all the lessons he learned from being a sales and education leader for more than 15 years in the beauty industry and used that experience to create visibility and drive business for Lopez Family Vineyards. But as anyone in the farming industry knows, profit margins are generally low, which led Lopez to start a candle business to support the family’s efforts in creating a wine label. Pretty soon, they were selling their candles at a local market, where they were received well by the public. “I was taken aback as it made this dream feel like it could happen,” says Lopez. “We were able to save for wine bottle purchases, labels, licensing, and supplies for our vineyard.” Lopez Family Vineyards makes Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Petit Verdot in the Anderson Valley. Their first-ever vintage was released in the spring of this year, which means Freddy Lopez has his work cut out for him. But that won’t stop him from doing what he loves. “No, I’m not leaving the beauty industry,” he says. “I still enjoy every moment of it, and it is ok to have multiple passions in your careers.”
Iguehi James
Natalie Slavonia
Bella Ocasio
Iguehi James
Iguehi James
Trystanne Cunnigham
Q: How do you celebrate Pride Month? A: I celebrate pride by acknowledging my love for my partner. He’s been my rock and inspiration in many things.
Q&A With Freddy Lopez Lopez was generous enough to give his time to answer questions pertaining to our issue’s theme, LGBTQ+.
Q: Who are some of the queer people who inspire you? A: I admire several queer people. Especially those that are on the frontlines fighting for equal rights. I admire their strength and perseverance for equality. Q: Do you think there’s still much to be done for LGBTQ+ rights? A: Absolutely. I think there is still room for acceptance, and reducing or eliminating harsh laws that put LGBTQ+ people at risk of harm/violence. My hope is one day, we can all be accepting of our differences and realize we are simply human beings with the same goal of wanting to be happy and accepted.
Q: In which ways do you support the LGBTQ+ community? A: I’ve supported many LGBTQ+ organizations through volunteering at Project Open Hand, AIDS Walk San Francisco. We’re excited to further support more community programs in the future. Q: What does Pride Month mean to you? A: Pride month to me means being yourself and celebrating love for each other. It brings me joy knowing that we are making great strides to becoming accepted as whole human beings.
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