My passion in the industry started well before I was working in it. When I was vice president of a consulting and training company, I found myself at a plastic surgeon's office purchasing makeup. I decided to make an appointment with the aesthetician that worked at the office; she listened to my story and was so helpful and understanding. She knew from that day on exactly what I could and could not afford and she understood what I was striving for. We settled on mineral foundation and called it day! It was something so small, but it really was everything to me. It was the beginning of great things to come.

For about a year, I kept going back to get color matched and always felt, for that moment in time, important. No one in that waiting room knew that I could not afford to be in there. One day I arrived at my appointment to simply be color matched for my makeup and found that my usual aesthetician was gone. All I could think about was having to confide in someone new. I did not want to have the conversation that I was only there for the makeup and that it was all I could afford. I knew I was going to be upsold, but since it was my birthday, I ended up purchasing something I could not afford for my upper lip hair. That day, I suffered burns around my mouth and on a large spot across my cheek where the test patch was performed. To this day, I have post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation from my burns.

That experience lit my flame and it is still burning strong. My life is now dedicated to helping others grow and assisting people in finding their passion. I never want anyone to feel as though they must be on their own through the learning process. Giving back to those that are less fortunate or too scared due to a bad experience is a critical part of our career path. There is so much to learn and uplifting one another to achieve our goals and is imperative to growth. I am so excited to start this journey with AIA and hope that you join me on this new adventure.

Michelle R. De Leon
AIA Ambassador