Today we’d like to introduce you to Isabela Adao.
Isabela, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
My story in so many ways resembles that of many of others: immigrants who came to this country as young children with parents who had ardent dreams of giving their own a better life. I arrived in Austin, Texas at the age of 6. My only dream was to be able to go to Disney World and meet Leonardo di Caprio. What can I say? I was a die-hard The Little Mermaid and Titanic fan. As an impressionable Brazilian child born to two teenaged parents from the peripheries of Campinas, Sao Paulo, that was all I knew of the great United States of America. Oh, and New York, of course. That was surely the best city in the world.
In Texas, I learned English with great ease (not before learning Spanish with the Mexican kids from my neighborhood who became my first friends in this alien land). I was always a good student and was encouraged that with dedication to my schoolwork, I would certainly be able to attend a top-notch university and attain the great American dream. Although deep down, I always knew I was an artist, I suppressed my artistic urges for the sake of the promise of socioeconomic mobility. In middle school, I moved to Boca Raton, Florida. Moving was a part of life growing up. I would come to live in Brazil twice more before graduating high school – one of the four I attended. Nevertheless, I graduated with decent grades that got me into the University of Miami, where I received two Bachelor of Arts degrees in Biology and Psychology. I also minored in Women and Gender Studies.
My goal was to become a doctor, a psychiatrist in all likelihood. One of those that had a private practice in a beautiful brownstone in the Upper West Side of New York City. But due to serious health issues I suffered in college, I could not manage to keep my grades competitive enough for medical school (I also came to hate hospitals). So I reluctantly pivoted into psychology and became a Behavior Therapist for children with autism. It was the most gratifying experience of my life. I fell in love with my little clients and with the process of changing entire families’ lives through behavior therapy.
When I least expected, at a Brazil World Cup match in the Summer of 2018, a whole new world would begin to open up to me. I was invited to participate in the Miss Brazil USA pageant by the director. He saw me in a crowded restaurant and thought I would be a perfect contestant. I have always loved fashion and modeling. Having been the tallest in my age group and relatively thin all my life, I would always get the “Wow! You should be a model!” comment. If it was up to me, I would have tried my hand much earlier, but I felt the pressure to achieve “more certain” success through academia and not through less conventional, more artistic channels. It was all about managing risk, nevertheless, I took the risk on myself and competed in November 2018. With absolutely no previous pageant experience, I placed first runner up. I was, and still am, very proud of myself! Since then, I have invested more and more into my modeling career. I have connected with talented photographers, designers, and makeup artists that have helped me build my portfolio (and my confidence), I have my beautiful website up and running, along with a thriving partnership with an up and coming makeup brand. Now I can also proudly say that I walked my first Miami Swim Week! And I am only getting started…
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not been a smooth road by any stretch of the imagination. I have had to deal with poverty, health issues, job loss at the worst (or best) times, and worst of all, heavy criticism and doubt from some very close to me. However, overcoming every single one of those obstacles has made me stronger, smarter, more confident and more sure of the new path that I am choosing to trace for myself. If there is a word of advice I can give to anyone is just don’t quit!
Tell us about your work – what should we know?
I am currently a freelance model, which means I find jobs myself instead of depending on an agency. What I believe sets me apart is my high level of professionalism in everything I do and positive attitude. I take my reputation very seriously and want to deliver high-quality work for my clients, in any industry. I also pay close attention to the energy that I bring into any environment and always want to be remembered as someone who was a pleasure to work with.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Through this journey, I have developed and honed many tools, but I think the most important one for me is FOCUS. I have learned that no matter what the venture, school or modeling, I have to be single-minded in my pursuit. There will always be temptation to not put in the work necessary, or to try the many different “hacks” people come up with promising quicker results, or to just give up or settle in the face of challenges, but I found that I am equipped to overcome each and every one of my challenges, so I just need to focus on why I am on this journey and that gives me strength to keep pushing forward.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.isabelaadao.com
- Email: isabelamanagement@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/isabelamadao/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/isabelamadao/
Image Credit:
Leonardo Botero, Mimi Fondeville, Ventigoth, Ilmar Saar, Adrian Clarke
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