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If you are a woman who wants to succeed in life, wants to change your life, wants to take control of your own life, but doesn’t know where to start, this article is for you. Meet Flavia Leal, the award-winning founder of Flavia Leal Beauty School who teaches her students so much more than gorgeous beauty skills. Leal teaches her pupils how to shift your mindset, chase your dreams, and actually grasp hold of them.

Leal’s life mission is to serve with heart and help other women tap into their gifts so they can start their own businesses. She helps her students transform their minds to develop an entrepreneurial spirit that complements their beauty skills, so they can become certifiable bosses in the beauty industry.

Brazilian Goddess Turned Certified American Dream Holder

Leal moved from Brazil to the United States in 2000 and began to grow her family legacy in her new home. However, after she lost her mother in 2009, Leal was even more determined to find success in her mother’s honor. A young mother herself, Leal was an immigrant student working toward more than simple survival in a new country: She wanted success that her mother would be proud of.

The journey didn’t come without its hurdles. She lost her business and went bankrupt at one point. And then she tragically lost her father.

On the other side of her personal storm, Leal found God. And from there, she began to build her life up again, brick by brick. Her next steps came from personal reflection. Leal knew she had the skills to learn new things quickly and that she had a passion for beauty. So, she went back to beauty school.

Leal started her new chapter by leading with heart and generosity, at times doing makeup for clients for free even when she didn’t have food on the table. She feels that ‘you get what you give,’ and by the results, she is clearly right.

“The school didn’t want students like me,” Leal shared. “Low-income, immigrant students. But I worked hard, and I am proud of what I’ve been able to achieve. Everything is possible when you work hard for it. I truly believe that. It has become a cliché, and a lot of people parrot it, but I truly believe it. No matter where you came from, what you wear, when you were born… none of that matters. It depends on you. Whoever you want to be, you can.”

Flavia Leal Institute Beauty School: The Whole Package

Leal didn’t notice that she was teaching such well-rounded life skills in her school until her former students made a habit of coming back to her (sometimes in tears of joy) to tell her how far they’ve come in their lives due to Leal’s teaching.

It’s not just getting your beauty license. You are getting a whole new life, full of beautiful (pun intended) opportunities.

“Life makes sense when you are helping others,” Leal said. “I went through such trouble getting to where I am. I want to make a difference in these women’s lives and help them do what I’ve done without the big struggle. That is what brings me joy now that I’ve ‘made it.’”

Awards Galore!

In 2012, Leal won Entrepreneur of the Year as a ‘Brazilian Outside of Brazil who Succeeded’. She has also won the Brazilian Women in Power Award and the Portuguese/Brazilian Award in 2018.

She is set to win the next Portuguese/Brazilian Award on June 3rd, 2022, in Paris, France.

“There is nothing to be ashamed of if you have gone through trauma in your life,” Leal said when we asked for an opinion on her awards. “You just have to keep a vision in your mind for what you want your future to look like. I didn’t necessarily think I would be an award winner, I just kept my head down and did the work. Looking back on it now, I bet I would have been twice as successful had I had a mentor to support and guide me. That is what I hope to be for everyone who signs up for my school.”

Leal inspires us to stay true and focused on our missions, whatever they may be. We look forward to seeing where she goes next in life, and we’ll be cheering her on all the way.

About Flavia Leal

Flavia Leal, Founder of the Flavia Leal Beauty School, is an award-winning instructor, serial entrepreneur and motivational speaker. For more information, please visit: https://www.flavialeal.com/