History of the Founder
Michele Emcke
Allow me to share my journey, which I consider to be a tale of determination, maternal love and entrepreneurship that has shaped my life and my identity as a woman and an immigrant.
I was born in 1988, in Criciúma, Santa Catarinano Brazil. It was there that I took my first steps and discovered my passion for beauty and personal care. At the age of 16, with my son Alan and my heart full of dreams, I made the decision to embark on a journey towards Portugalwhere life promised new opportunities.
I landed in Portugal with a lot of determination, working in a bread factory in Abranteswhile I looked after my little Alan. But it was during this journey that I realised that my true passion lay in the field of beauty. Before coming to PortugalI had already taken part in a training course at Brazil manicure, which included an intense internship in several salons in Criciúma. I felt capable of carrying out this activity.
And so, aged just 20, I began my own entrepreneurial journey. Abrantes was the setting where my skills flourished, winning over a loyal clientele with my dedication and talent in nail art. Long, challenging days became my routine, but each carefully sculpted nail brought with it a sense of fulfilment.
At the same time, my family was growing with the arrival of my beloved Mikaelly.I started working as a beautician, adding even more responsibility and love to my life. I worked tirelessly, looking after my children and building my future in my new home, while at the same time trying to specialise even more in the field of aesthetics. I chose to take part in various training programmes and develop some partnerships, in particular with SBNails. There I took the most varied courses: various levels of manicure with specialisation in gel and acrylic nails, aesthetic treatments for the body and face, microblading, etc.
Over the years, life has led me to new paths and challenges. A move to Lisbona separation, and the opportunity to work in a salon in Carnaxide brought me new experiences and learnings. It was there that the seed of my own salon began to germinate, in partnership with my current husband, Ricardo Pedro.
In 2016, the first salon was born Michele Encke.in QueijasThis marked the beginning of an extraordinary journey. Also after about a year, in 2017, my third child was born, son Diniz. With an uncompromising determination, I sought to improve my skills, dedicating myself to hairdressing, aesthetics and salon management courses. Portugal and Spainmy desire for excellence and innovation. I've attended training courses at a wide variety of academies, including: L'Oreal Professional Academy, Philip Martin's Italy, Helen Seward Academy, Consulting and Concept Training, Universidad de la imagenamong others.
Since then, every step has been a dance between hard work and gratification, a relentless pursuit of excellence that has led us to expand our network beyond 5 salons in the UK. Greater Lisbon and Santarém. Today, I look back with pride and gratitude, knowing that each challenge I overcame moulded not only the history of our company, but also the strong and determined woman I am today.