MANILA, Philippines - She was recently the talk of the town after she made heads turn when she attended the recent State of the Nation Address donning an off-white terno that showed a lot of cleavage. Wife to Northern Samar Rep. Paul Daza, this gorgeous woman is more than just a pretty face. Gigi Daza (nee San Jose) is every inch a woman of style and substance. On a gloomy Thursday afternoon, Gigi’s cheerful disposition on family, business and social awareness is a ray of sunshine.
Gigi has been married to Paul for 20 long years and has always been supportive of her husband’s plans. “I support him by listening to whatever plans he has for himself, the family and his constituents. Anything that will be for the common good. If there is something I disagreed on, we both agree to disagree,” she says. Being a congressional spouse is an eye-opener for Gigi because “I get to meet women (in the Congressional Spouses Foundation) who have also good intentions of helping their constituents.”
A proud mother of four boys — Ryan, 20; Niko, 16; Mark, 13; and Kyle, eight — Gigi shares her mothering style. “I am a liberal mom. There are basic rules in the house that need to be followed. But I also believe that you need to step back a little bit and understand where the kids are coming from.” She adds that as long as there is respect between their own spaces, she knows she’s doing good in the mothering department.
Gigi agrees that life begins at 40. “It was very timely. Seven years ago, I conceptualized Nail Tropics. Now looking back, that was a turning point in my life because I also turned 40 that year,” recalls Gigi, who used to work in the human resources and merchandising industry in the US while raising her young family. Nail Tropics, an oasis of hand, nail and foot care, was conceptualized through the help of Gigi’s Vietnamese friend who owned a nail salon in the States. “Even when I was busy with motherly duties, I was still a woman of leisure. I still had so much time in my hands,” she muses. “I realized that there were not many reputable nail specialty stores at the time. So I said maybe there is room for another one.” After Nail Tropics’ first branch in Eastwood Libis, two more nail salons in Serendra and Rustan’s Alabang Town Center were opened. Another branch in Greenbelt 5 is to open very soon. “It’s no rocket science to put up a nail shop. Seven years ago, competition was very slim. Seven years after, it has become tight — but in a good way. More competition means more choices for the consumers and healthy competition amongst us. I don’t look at it as a problem but as a challenge to hone my skills in running a better salon.”
For Gigi, the hands and feet tell you a lot about a person because well-groomed nails complete a person’s look. She declares that her salon’s bestseller is the total experience one gets when one enters any Nail Tropics branch. There are services for everyone — male, female and even young girls — and are grouped according to a client’s desire for pampering. “I can assure excellent quality of services in all the salons and yet they don’t bore a deep hole in the pocket,” she says, adding that the salon technicians have undergone professional training in cosmetology and reflexology at TESDA and are continuously given trainings to further develop their skills. “Customer service is the key to good business management. If that is your mantra, then you’ll make sure that your people is well trained and your products are of quality.”
With all her achievements, Gigi is most proud of the fact that she was able to give employment to marginalized women. “I think I’ve come full circle. I am now in the position where I can do something to help my fellowmen. I think that when God gives you that capacity, He wants you to share it,” philosophizes Gigi. “These people (the staff) feel important when somebody gives importance to them — educate them, trust them and give them the necessary information. You have to empower them.”
So during the company’s recent bi-annual meeting, Gigi tied up with cosmetics company Ever Bilena to further empower her people. “I feel that the brand is not only progressive but also campaigns for women empowerment, of which I am on the same page. Its thrust is not only to sell its products but to give opportunities for women to be able to look and feel good,” she says. She invited a team from Ever Bilena to do a makeup demonstration, to the delight of Gigi’s “girls.” She shares that the girls were very happy and excited to learn the appropriate makeup application in the workplace and get their startup kits for free. Gigi furthers that she’s also tying up with Ever Bilena for its scents so that her staffers will also smell good.
At 46, Gigi is satisfied on what she’s accomplished in her life so far. She’s happy that at least in her lifetime, she was able to do good service to other people and did something significant. “By whose definition, I don’t know. But at least for me,” she ends.