An Open House at the Ziba Beauty Headquarters

On  April 20, was buzzing with the sounds of lively talk and filled with the dclinking of plates containing savory and aromatic Indian food.

The well-known networking group, The Indus Entreprenuers (TIE),  held a joint open house with Ziba, billed as “An Open House At Ziba Beauty Headquarters.”

At the open house, two workshops were held:  one by Sumita Batra, the chief operating officer of Ziba, and another by Batra's long-time friend and makeup specialist, Oscar Naranjo.  

TIE is a networking group established to encourage South Asians to get together and help one another through referrals and advice, as well as allowing them to  build lasting relationships.

That is exactly what they have been working to accomplish by holding events and mixers throughout Southern California.

Ziba, established in 1986, is a beauty center offering the secrets and practices of Eastern beauty to California residents.

The business has headquarters in Cerritos, and since the opening of its first modest venue has grown to encompass 15 stores in California and Las Vegas.

Its successful growth stems mainly from excellent customer service, talented beauticians and a high volume of return and referred customers. 

The two groups generously held the event at no cost, and provided guests with dinner catered by The India Restaurant, which included glasses of champagne and assorted soft drinks. While Starbucks coffee kept attendees alert and refreshed.

An hour of dinner and socializing allowed the guests to get to know one another, and to have the opportunity to introduce themselves to, and mingle with, others in the community.

The room soon filled with people of varying ages and divers career paths that made for good conversation and interesting topics.

Among those attending were 32-year-old Mona Sangani, who is the owner of Wonderland Preschool in the nearby town of Bellflower, and Sonia Chhabra Patel, an artist who focuses on sculptures.

Dinner was followed by two workshops given in separate rooms, depending on which topic each guest was interested.

Batra led a workshop detailing how to grow one's business in a tough economy.

An innovative entrepreneur herself, she had plenty of helpful advice and tips that came from experience. When asked what advice she had for an  up and coming woman who wants to start her own business, she said, “if you are starting your own business, be innovative, be creative.

"Do it better, faster, and be a yes person. Say yes, yes, yes to all obstacles and opportunities."

She went on to explain that if one is to do something on one's own, it needs to be a new concept or a novel approach to an already existing concept.

Naranjo led a workshop on “Makeup tips for South Asian Women.”

The workshop was hands on, as women were encouraged to practice techniques introduced by Naranjo, using  makeup set out on the tables at which they were seated.

The sparkling personality and humor of Naranjo made the workshop not only educational but entertaining as he had the whole group smiling.

Naranjo, a Cerritos resident, has been working with Batra for more than 10 years and is her wedding makeup and hair stylist.  He specializes in Indian weddings and when asked how he likes working with Indian brides and families he said, “Indian weddings are just so colorful and it makes doing makeup and helping the bride get ready so much fun.

"It makes all other weddings look like they need some bright colors.”

The evening ended with everyone taking home complimentary products from Batra's makeup and beauty line and exchanging contact information with their new-found friends.

Jaime Dadhaniya, a 27-year-old hair and makeup artist, commented that “it is always nice to be able to exchange ideas and get advice from those that are experienced and are willing to share their wisdom with those that are just starting out”.

She said she had enjoyed the workshop and was happy to be taking home not only some excellent tips from Naranjo, but some new makeup she had bought from the Ziba store.

The event was a success for not only TIE and Ziba, but also for all those in attendance. It created a great atmosphere for a professionally diverse group of people to socialize and connect in a relaxed and fun setting.

There seemed to be no argument, that when the next event is scheduled, the guests that attended “An Open House at Ziba Headquarters” will be the first to register.