This Latina Entrepreneur Used her Culture and Experience to Create Businesses that Fill Gaps in her Community.
Rebeca Toledo, owner of Eclectic Esthetics & Eclectic Socials. Photo by Wezz De La Rosa, JEFAS Magazine
By Juan Forneau, JEFAS Magazine
A casual suggestion during a gap year transformed Rebeca Toledo into a dual entrepreneur who’s revolutionizing beauty services and social media marketing in rural Iowa.
Specialized Beauty Services for Melanin-Rich Skin
After high school, Rebeca Toledo took a year off to figure out what she wanted to do. That’s when someone suggested cosmetology. Today, she owns Eclectic Esthetics and Eclectic Socials in Muscatine, Iowa. As one of the only estheticians with Salvadoran and Guatemalan heritage, she’s proud to offer specialized services for melanin-rich skin like her own.
“A lot of times you have to approach things differently because you heal differently than someone who has a lighter pigmentation,” she explains. “Being able to treat that as a professional, but also because I’m Hispanic, I understand it in a different way. Certain ingredients and products work differently on Latin skin, it’s the chemistry of things.”
Growing up, skincare guidance rarely addressed the needs of people with deeper skin tones, leaving many without proper care or understanding. Toledo brings both clinical knowledge and lived experience to her approach. She tailors her treatments accordingly, something she takes pride in offering to others who have long been underserved in this space.
After graduating from Capri College in Davenport in 2013, she launched her career as an esthetician and permanent makeup (PMU) artist. “Technically, you’re a tattoo artist,” she notes, referring to procedures focused on the lips and around the eyes, like brow tinting. Her skills soon built a loyal clientele, mostly by word of mouth.
The Birth of Eclectic Social: Helping Small Businesses Thrive
“When I first started, social media was not what it is now. You didn’t really use it to advertise yourself or build a brand,” recalls Toledo. “A lot of what I learned was trial and error.”
With little guidance, she figured out how to communicate, connect, and eventually convert followers into loyal customers. That became the catalyst for her second business, Eclectic Social, where she helps small business owners translate their social media presence into tangible connections. “I had to learn on my own, but I’m grateful for those experiences because they led to having a second business,” she shares.
Her clients include real estate agents, colleagues, clothing stores, bookstores, and more. She enjoys the variety. “Many times small business owners are your neighbors – people who aren’t looking to be millionaires, they’re looking to make their dream come true and have financial freedom.”
Rebeca Toledo, owner of Eclectic Esthetics & Eclectic Socials. Photo by Wezz De La Rosa, JEFAS Magazine
Success Stories: Growing Businesses in Rural Iowa
Among her success stories is Jessica Meyer, founder of Good Makers Market in Tipton, Iowa, who grew her business by implementing Toledo’s strategy combining reels, videos, and content specifically for the rural Iowa market. “It was so much fun, but not only that, it was great to connect with other people who were the reason I decided to do this,” Toledo states proudly.
Growth hasn’t always come easily. Before launching Eclectic Social, Toledo struggled with self-doubt and imposter syndrome. But lessons from her first business helped her push through, and she offers this hard-earned advice: “You cannot be shy. Nobody else is going to push your business the way you will. Nobody. You’ve put in the time, the financial backing, the effort. If it doesn’t do well it’s going to directly affect you. So you don’t have the luxury to be shy.”
Overcoming Challenges: Mental Health and Business Growth
Struggling postpartum, she credits therapy with helping her through that difficult period so she could focus on her busineses. “It was the catalyst for being a better communicator. For any business owner, you’re sharing a piece of yourself with your market and your community, and it’s vulnerable.”
When discussing how she overcame, she gives a brave and deeply personal answer: “I think the biggest defining point in transforming my business and becoming better at building relationships was when I started therapy. For a while, I struggled with mental health and it’s not something very commonly talked about in the Hispanic community.”
From a gap year suggestion to two thriving businesses, Toledo’s journey illustrates how personal challenges can become professional strengths, and her success extends beyond her bottom line. In rural Iowa, where diverse business ownership is still emerging, her story reminds us that sometimes the most powerful business strategies come from simply being authentically yourself and having the courage to serve others who share your experience.
