Courageous and determined are the adjectives that best fit Gerson Ayala. Gerson Ayala, born in Tejaro, a small place near Morelia, Michoacan, Mexico, and now a resident of Oxnard has worked in the automotive paint industry for over fifteen years and has put himself through various learning courses to polish his craft. Though, after working fifteen years for somebody else, Gerson now finally has his own business: G & A Auto Body Shop and is his own boss. His business is located at 1345 N Oxnard Blvd. in the back of Today Motors in Oxnard.
Although this is Gerson’s first year in business, the planning and saving that led up to his first-year business took him about five to six years.
For five to six years Gerson held on to his dream and continuously worked towards making it a reality. Although Gerson explained that the life of a business owner is a lot more difficult than people assume.
Gerson explained the sacrifices he had to make to achieve his goals weren’t easy, as he is a family man with three kids. As a business owner, Gerson said to VIDA Newspaper, that “there is a lot more stress” on his shoulders, as he tries to keep his business alive and competitive with other auto body shops of the area. Although for Gerson, all the stress and pressures are worth it, because it is all for the well-being of his family. Gerson is currently training his oldest son, Azael Ayala, to learn the scopes of the business with the hopes that he can one day take over the family business.
Gerson’s dreams go far beyond any business or location, as his overall dream is for his family to be financially secure and happy. Gerson’s second step in his journey is to save enough money to buy his own location rather than renting one. After he buys his own location, Gerson hopes his son Azael will be old and experienced enough to run the shop without him. Though Gerson is patient and understands that dreams aren’t accomplished overnight and now focuses on giving the best quality and service to his clients for the best price.
Gerson further expresses that anybody thinking about starting their own business should “not think about the what if’s and should just do it”. He also claims the most important factor when chasing one’s dreams is to “stay motivated and to never let their dream go”.
Gerson claims that having a business to call their own is worth all the stress and pressures that come along the journey. He also illuminated that the pleasures of owning a business isn’t in the money but in the peace of mind of leaving something for his kids to rely on now and in the future.