Flavia Leal, the successful Founder of Flavia Leal Beauty School, arrived in the United States in 2000, from Brazil, with nothing. Now, her school under her moniker has many establishments; she started an accompanying cosmetics company and is leaning into her budding side hobby as a motivational speaker with gigs in the US and Europe.
Leal discovered a lot about herself on her expedition to victory and crushed numerous limitations, such as being a young, single mom of a child with ADHD. She also mourned the loss of both parents in the span of just one year, lost jobs , defaulted, and went through all of it while working 80-hour weeks.
Leal overpowered one devastation after another by maintaining an optimistic mindset. Eventually, she came through on the other side and realized her true mission in life is to help mothers foster their talents as women and be more in their lives.
“Life only makes sense when you are helping others,” she says.
Her decision to found a beauty school was born out of passion and necessity. As an immigrant with a low income, she knew she had to stand out in order to make something of herself in her new home. Flavia Leal Beauty School was born, and with it, Leal’s desire to be an advocate and shepherd to women like her.
If you are a mother, you know you have the world’s most challenging yet most rewarding job. Add entrepreneurialism on top of that, and you are basically Wonder Woman (mamas reading this that don’t own a business, you are Wonder Women too!)
Here are Leal’s top tips for mama entrepreneurs.
Beauty Comes From Within
Using perspective to foster positivity is a large section of Leal’s teachings. She wants to empower women not only to make money but to love their lives while they do it.
“What is the point in making a life for yourself if you don’t love the life you live?” Leal said.
Confidence, positive affirmations, gratitude, and a dash of sass are the perfect mixture to get yourself in the frame of mind you desire and deserve out of the short time we have on this planet. Students of Flavia Leal School even graduate from her seemingly beauty-only course with tools to better handle all of life’s issues – proving that beauty is more than skin deep.
“Your internal dialogue becomes your external reality. So, try to stop doubting yourself, let your inner voice be kind, and always practice self-love,” Leal said.
Can I Borrow Your Compact Mirror?
While we should never share beauty supplies, we should lend a hand where we can. Leal believes that our peers are people to learn from and be inspired by, not competition. Building a community around the beauty industry is a mission Leal works hard for – but that extends to all sectors. Whatever your business, look to your ‘competitors’ and ask yourself if there is anything you can learn from them. Conversely, see what you can teach up-and-comers in your field as well.
“When one of us wins, we all win. And we can continue to help and uplift each other in the business world,” said Leal.
Especially for women, the connections you make in your professional lives are sacred. Learn to embrace the feminine power we know to be beautiful in the career sector, which will enhance your confidence and security as a bonus.
Makeup Wipe Away Your Limiting Beliefs
A limiting belief is one that defines you, sometimes without your realizing it, setting boundaries on your growth. This type of belief can often feed into imposter syndrome or the feeling that you are not good enough.
Use positive affirmations to finitely attack those limiting beliefs by first detecting precisely what those beliefs are. Do you think you are not qualified to do something because it’s not on your resume, but deep down, you know you are very good at it? Do you feel like you don’t deserve a raise even though you work so hard? Do you feel your services aren’t worth a high price tag even though your competitor sells less for more?
Write down positive affirmations that directly respond to those beliefs: You are highly qualified and prolific. You work very hard and deserve a raise that reflects that. Your services are spectacular and very expensive. And so forth.
Use this technique to guard yourself against limiting beliefs and their twin, guilt.
“Not only are limiting beliefs harmful and a waste of time. We often know we have them and feel guilty about it, creating a two-fold problem of wrong beliefs and inner shame,” Leal said.
Note: If it feels like you’re not accomplishing anything when you repeat your affirmations, you’re doing it right. One day you’ll wake up and not remember the limiting belief you were battling, but it takes time. Be patient.
Clean Your Brushes
Imagine your wants, goals, dreams, desires, and wishes as a bunch of dirty makeup brushes tossed into a big drawer. Do you use them? You probably have some favorites on your vanity or in your makeup bag. Maybe you wash them regularly while the old, unused brushes sit in the drawer, reminding you of their existence every time you open it.
The brushes you use regularly represent your current dreams and aspirations, but their beauty and clarity are being dulled by the distraction of the old brushes (expired desires.)
Take some time to sort through your entire collection of dreams, wash (reflect on) them carefully, and decide which ones deserve your attention.
If you don’t understand what you wish and can’t visualize it clearly, how do you anticipate fulfilling it or even knowing when you have it? Write down what you truly want, big and small. Then create systems to get you there. Do you want to meet someone to invest in your business, for example? Commit to reaching out to five people a day on LinkedIn. Eat the elephant one bite at a time, as they say.
Don’t stop there. Remember about washing those brushes? Reflect on your goals and dreams just as regularly. Unless it’s causing you to live in a fantasy world without taking action, no amount of reflection is too much!
Wait for the Sephora Sale
Leal knows about bankruptcy and failed business ventures firsthand. If you are not financially literate, take the time to learn. YouTube is a great first resource. Leal recommends financial wellness courses to learn the essential basics: Investing, financing, budgeting, loans, and credit.
“This is one of my most important pieces of advice. If I’d known these basics early in my career, I would have found success years earlier,” Leal said.
If nothing else, just wait to shop at Sephora until they have a sale.
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, visit: https://www.flavialeal.com/
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