"La Bella Vita" Featuring: Michelle Valerio

La Bella's slogan "Live, Look, Feel Beautiful" is more to us than just a catch phrase- it was a vision set forth by our founder/owner Jessie because she knew that she wanted our salon to represent more than just helping people with their looks (although we are pretty good at it). She wanted La Bella Hair Studio to encompass and embrace beauty in all aspects of life, which is something we strive for everyday.

In 2013, we gave you all a closer look into each one of us on the team of La Bella, so we could share with you our passion, drive, and what sets us apart from everyone else. For 2014, we have something different planned. We are calling this year "La Bella Vita" meaning "The Beautiful Life". There are so many people in our community, family, places of work, school (you name it) who have lived beautifully- remember beauty is in the eye of the beholder. We have made it our mission to find 12 special people within our community, who have somehow impacted the lives around them, to be featured every month during the year of 2014! We are so excited to be doing something different and cannot wait to get to know so many amazing people, as well as giving you the opportunity to do the same.

So, the month is January...what does this month represent? New Beginnings. We found someone who has been known to face many obstacles in the form of New Beginnings, and build them into a strong path for a better future. She is known in the community as a high school teacher, always a favorite among her students with an empathetic attitude but a firm presence. She is not only known for constantly evolving and bettering herself as an individual- her hair seems to have taken the path right along with her in the best case of symbolism I have ever seen! 

              Featured in January's spotlight in "La Bella Vita" representing New Beginnings is.....

                                             

Michelle Valerio!

Michelle is a Spanish teacher at J.R Tucker High School in Henrico County and the head of the Foreign Language department. She is also a wife, a proud mother of 3 (4 if you include her dog, Rusty), and a doting grandmother as well. With her being so well known for a constant fresh start, I thought it important to have a little Q&A to help us all get to know her better- and her hair too!

Q: Tell us a little about where it all started for you- where you came from and how you would best describe your childhood.

A: " I was born in the Bronx, New York and when I was 8, I was taken to Puerto Rico. I lived there until I graduated high school. Prior to moving to Puerto Rico, I attended PS41 for 1st, 2nd, and half of 3rd grade, in Greenwich Village (where Robert De Niro attended school). I would walk 10 blocks to school everyday as a little girl, and that was just the norm for me! One of my most fond memories would be around Christmas time going to my Uncle Hector's house in Ponce for a pig roast with the entire family. I always loved going to the beach and growing up on the island, but particularly appreciate the fact that I also have the memories of living in New York City during my childhood as well."

Q: You have had many "New Beginnings", so to speak, what would you say was the time you experienced your first significant new beginning, and how did it change your life?

A: "My first significant new beginning was the time I was taken to Puerto Rico in the 3rd grade. I was faced with the challenge of everything being in Spanish- a language I did not speak, although I did understand when spoken to because my grandparents and family all spoke Spanish to me. It changed my life in every aspect, because everything from that point on was in Spanish, I had to adapt very quickly. Now I am bilingual, a Spanish teacher, and the head of the Foreign Language Department!"

Q: You are known for having overcome many obstacles, how would you say you have evolved? Could you give us examples of some of those obstacles?

A: "I come from what is known to be a dysfunctional family, and my personal goals have kept me from continuing the vicious cycle of life. My internal desire to become highly educated and become the first medical doctor in my family is what has been my driving force. Examples of obstacles in my life stem from: not having money, taking on the role of a parent during my adolescent years, and enduring physical and verbal abuse. Being a single mother of 3 for 12 years (before I met my husband), I struggled, but I strived everyday to ensure my daughters would never be directly effected by it. However, over the years, I learned my life was not 100% normal or appropriate, so I took it upon myself to learn how to control myself in many situations instead of reacting or retaliating (which is a sign of ignorance and weakness)- I chose to rise above and not be a product of my surroundings. I had been working full time while my girls were young and aspired to go back to school and pursue my education...and that was exactly what I did. I continued to work a full time schedule and did evening classes at VCU (a lot of the time my daughters were in the lobby doing homework while I was in class!) and finished with a Masters in Education."

Q: Do you have any big plans for another new beginning in the future?

A: "I actually have many ideas for new beginnings! The first one is that my baby is going to college and I anticipate going through empty nest syndrome...all the while looking forward to finally just simply thinking of myself and only myself when making decisions about my life! I am currently enrolled at VCU and am pursuing a Post Baccalaureate Health and Science certificate in order to prepare for the MCAT and hopefully medical school. "

Q: How would you describe you hair growing up as a child? Did you or you mom do anything in particular to manage it better?

A: "My hair as a child was a joke. My friends and family still laugh about what I looked like when I would wake up in the morning. My mom would try to smooth it out with rollers, but usually just got it cut short (boy cut). I hated it!! As a teenager, I would relax it with chemicals and try to make it straight by using the old fashion rollers, which seemed to work best then."

Q: Before you started going to the salon on a regular basis, what was your air routine? What would you say are you fave products now?

A: "Before going to the salon faithfully, my styling routine was to use the rollers, sit under the dryer, then wrap my hair so it would loosen the curls. At that time I would use whatever I thought would work....including LA Looks gel and Aussie hairspray. Now (being a very faithful salon goer) I love Moroccanoil and the Glimmer Shine Spray- and for no reason in particular because I just love everything about that line!"

Q: You have been getting the Keratin Smoothing Treatment loyally now for five years--how would you describe your hair's transformation? How has it changed you styling routine from day to day?

A: "Ever since I have been getting the Keratin treatment my hair is manageable, I am able to blow dry my own hair in record time very successfully, and straighten it. I love my hair! I feel that my hair is everything that  have always wanted and I am not being unreasonable- I have simply always wanted to be able to manage my own hair. To this day when old friends see me or find me on Facebook they can't believe the drastic change in my hair. I am forever grateful that I can finally do my own hair and that it is presentable most of the time, if not everyday!"

For what sounds like such an amazing transformation, I wanted to provide photographic evidence of a before and after for the full effect. Check it ooouuuttt!


Before: Michelle circa 1980s

80's Hair at it's finest!

During: Michelle at her most recent tune up of the Keratin Treatment

Sometimes it takes a village

After: The New Michelle!

As you can see, her hair has been through a very noticeable transformation, and she looks beautiful!







A Special thank you to Michelle, for allowing us to put her in the spotlight and so graciously being the perfect example for our New Beginning segment of "La Bella Vita". Keep on being an inspiration, your story is very powerful, and we are so happy to share it! To live beautiful can be interpreted many ways, and for Michelle, it was keeping her head high, beating all odds, and overcoming many obstacles while learning to lead by example- and her hair evolving with her was an added bonus for sure!!

La Bella Hair Studio Live, look, feel beautiful. 
Inspire.