414: Hard Work Pays Off With Gretchen Gatan

Gretchen Gatan is a writer and a freelance makeup artist. Her passion for makeup all started when she began writing for her beauty and lifestyle blog, GretasJunkyard.com, in 2013 and became the marketing manager for a beauty discovery platform and makeup distribution company from 2014 to 2016, where she often conducted staff training and makeup workshops. Being immersed in the beauty industry and writing about beauty inspired her to take up Fashion Makeup at Fashion Institute of the Philippines in Makati, where she was able to learn new techniques, develop her skills, and hone her craft.

Gretchen shares how hard work and dedication towards living her dreams is what she needed to be more confident with herself. Check it out as Gretchen shares her story.

Bio

Gretchen Gatan is a beauty and lifestyle blogger and a makeup artist.

Cultural Background

Greta is of Filipina descent.

Favorite Self Confidence Quote

Happy girls are the prettiest.

Definition of Self Confidence

Self-confidence is about accepting yourself completely and loving yourself enough to take care of your body, walking away from people who are toxic, and knowing that you’re strong enough to withstand whatever challenge life throws at you.

Her Life Before the Discovery of Self Confidence

Gretchen was easily insecure by everything in high school such as her looks, her weight, her grades, etc. She wasn’t ugly nor was she fat, and she did get good enough grades but she always felt like there were prettier, skinnier, and smarter girls and she could never be like them.

The “AHA” Moment

Partly because of Gretchen’s insecurities, she worked hard and tended to overcompensate in other things. She excelled at sports, she took up piano lessons and then self-learned how to play the guitar. She was in a band for a while, and she studied hard to be able to get into a prestigious college.

But it was after she graduated and she got into a marketing and blogging career that she realized how much hard work, dedication, and a bit of luck can do. All of a sudden, she had readers commenting or messaging to let her know how much she inspired them.

Her Life After the Discovery of Self Confidence

There are good days, but there are also bad days. Gretchen just constantly reminds herself not to let the bad days get to her, and to keep working hard and having that burning passion in everything that she does. She also makes sure to never let her success get to her head, and to always stay grounded.