Flavia Leal immigrated to the United States with nothing in her pockets but a dream for a better life for her and her family. She discovered that she has a real gift for beauty, and a passion for teaching. And luckily for her students, she took it and ran with it.
Now, Leal owns a world-renowned beauty institution, Flavia Leal Beauty School and her own makeup line, Flavia Leal Makeup and is an award-winning makeup instructor. She is located in exciting Orlando, Florida after moving from Brazil, in 2000, to Boston. She lived in Massachusetts till July of 2021, but frequents the state twice each month for her service at schools and to visit her uniform factory.
She is part motivational coach and part beautician/teacher and is licensed to teach, give, and utilize manicures, esthetics, airbrush, artificial nail techniques, eyebrow design, makeup, personal hygiene, and cosmetics product demonstration. Students gain national and international certifications through Leal’s courses.
Modest Emergence to Immense Peaks
Leal is generous, kind, heart-focused, and strong. She has overcome much adversity to get to where she is today, and it is that history and determination that drives her business practices, namely being a mentor to other women who need an inspirational figure in their lives.
Leal started her first beauty school in 2010, after her mother passed away, and after completing beauty school herself, which had its own set of challenges. At the time, the school she attended did not accept students that couldn’t pass a test in English, or those without a high school diploma. There was an obvious air of judgment and beauty standards that they didn’t seem to think she fit (clearly, they were so wrong.)
But despite all that, Leal worked 80 hours a week and went to school to honor her mother’s wish for her to walk across a stage in a cap and gown, though she unfortunately passed in 2009, while Leal was 27, and could not see it in person.
By 2011, her first school was extremely popular, and had grown in attendance so much that she had to open a second one. “I wanted to fight for her honor and create a legacy she would be proud of,” Leal told us.
She achieved that aspiration but didn’t stop there, regardless of pitfalls along the way. Leal launched her own makeup line and began hosting workshops in other Countries in 2012, having already been hosting numerous ones across Massachusetts, Connecticut and New Jersey, since 2010. She was even called to do makeup professionally in places like Brazil, Paris, Austria, and others.
In 2013, after struggling through a difficult phase in her life, Leal was approached to purchase yet another school, a building that had previously been operating for decades. Considering this opportunity a lifeline, she jumped in with both feet, and her business has only scaled ever since.
Bringing Others Along for the Ride
Around 2019, Leal was getting the hang of things. A lifelong learner who values picking up new skills and knowledge at every stage in life, she now strives to bring other women up with her as she reaches new heights.
Her school does a tremendous job of teaching a well-rounded curriculum. Like a university, Leal finds it crucial to not just teach the skills, but the mindset needed to succeed.
“Anyone can pick up a bottle of nail polish or a makeup brush and get good if they practice enough,” said Leal. “And aside from the obvious fact that beauty schools teach required sanitation techniques, I take it a step further. I want the women I teach to graduate from my courses feeling prepared for whatever life throws at them — because life will throw curveballs no matter what we do.”
Leal’s life mission, which she publicly lives by, is this: ‘A Heart of Servitude, Helping Women Grow Their Dreams & Gifts.’
“Life makes sense when you are helping others,” she says. “No one has the right to tell people they are not good enough. I opened my school to help all aspiring beauty technicians, regardless of where they are from.” We couldn’t have said it better ourselves.
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/
