Meet Ketpha G.W. Casimir | Medical Student & Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ketpha G.W. Casimir and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ketpha G.W., can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I was super scared!! I had no idea how people would respond. Only a selected few knew that side of me. So I was afraid I would be rejected. Plus I am in medical school, I mean girl doing too much?? Lol! I was not sure I would be able to balance my life as a full time student and entrepreneur. I had to learn how to prioritize. School first, then business. Some days are better than others. But I am learning a little bit at a time goes a long way.

I recently opened up a Shopify store and will be transitioning fully to my Shopify store. g-liany-k-llc.myshopify.com

What should our readers know about your business?
G’LianyK is a dreamed of mine that started from when I was 16. I think this was right around the time YouTube became a thing. I wanted to get out there and do my thing and build what I call a “Beauty Bar”. Unfortunately for me, being raised in a Haitian household that was not an option. Us Haitians go by the three “L” rules; “Legliz, Lekol, Lakay”. Simply means; Church, School, and Home. So there was no way I could tell my parents I wanted to be a Beautician at 16. On YouTube nonetheless! No sir!! Not before I brought home a diploma. Anyways…Just as any girly girl, I love me a good glam. Thus, my intentions when creating G’LianyK was to create this little Utopia where anyone would be able to come and take a load off while getting some services done and leave feeling brand new, exuding confidence, and beauty. The thing that sets G’LianyK apart is my love of servitude. I consider myself an advocate for the goal of pursuing the necessary tools, knowledge, and credibility to hone in on a mission to help make the healthcare system a better place. Hence why I am in medical school now. I would like to be able to combine my love for medicine and all things beauty. It has not been an easy journey as both spectra school and business are very demanding. However, I have a goal in mind. To reach the ultimate end goal, I have to accept my journey with the good, the bad, and the ugly. So, I am taking it day by day. I am feeling all the emotions and just letting myself get through. I must admit that I am proud of where I am now. G’LianyK is set to be much more than just lashes as of right now. Let me get through this MD first lol. I am super excited for what is to come, you just wait!!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
To be quite honest, my house would be the main spot!!! First, my mom would personally ask about your grocery list and what you want as snacks and drinks. She would hold the fort down with some BOMB food. Coming to my house means leaving a few pounds heavier. So that is the Spot!!! We would also watch loads of cheesy movies, then possibly plan a road trip. I love road trips!!! There is so much to do, and so many beautiful sceneries. The most interesting things to do and people to meet in my opinion are during a road trip. I also love arts and margaritas so probably the museum and a rooftop bar. But haven’t gotten around to bringing anyone with me at the museum or any art shows yet. Maybe once, I’m not sure.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Yes of course! There are a few people in particular that pushed, and inspired me to take a little risk on myself. They encouraged me to put my best foot forward, they supported me and are still supporting me through this journey. They are some of my closest friends; Althea, Hans, Nerly and Stephanie.

Website: www.glianyk.com
Instagram: @glianyk @casimirgw
Facebook: G’LianyK lashes

Image Credits
Logo by Bernel Westbrook