Today we’d like to introduce you to Mariela Amaral.
Hi Mariela, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I started my walk in Brazil almost half a century ago. I believed I wanted to be a lawyer, so I went to Law School. I finished it at 22, too young, and didn’t want to disappoint my parents. I have been a lawyer for 8 years and moved to Sao Paulo, a big city. Some parts of my life were great; I had friends and cared for myself, but work was not what I wanted. So I quit and started working in a company, in the finance department. It was more like me, and I was happier dealing with numbers and Excel files. I was promoted, sent to live abroad, in different countries and cultures, and had the opportunity to speak different languages. I made several friends and received offers from other companies, so I grew and grew. But something was still missing, and I started to think about having a family. I met a nice guy and talked about having a kid together. The Brazilian scenario changed during this process, and the country needed to be more stable. We decided to move, and Charleston came to our radar while looking for places to raise a family. We moved here and opened our renovation company, Costa Construction. Soon after that, our daughter Flora was born. Of course, life is not a fairy tale, and we realized we are happier as business partners and parents, but not together. Today, I manage my daughter’s company and co-parenting while enjoying living in one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been. Mount Pleasant makes life much less stressful because of its natural setting.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It was not, but I believe nobody has it smooth. My road, particularly, has the mark of addiction and alcoholism. I am not proud of being an addict and an alcoholic, but I am proud of being in recovery. I have been clean and sober for over 16 years, and it was not always easy. I never felt I was accepted or part of a group. It has nothing to do with how people treated or accepted me and everything to do with how I felt. My family was always loving, but I felt different. They did their best with what they had at the time. After years of therapy, 12-step programs, self-love love, and self-acceptance, I am now starting to go easy on life. I am sure many challenges are still waiting, but life didn’t bring me here to leave me now.
I appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Costa Construction?
We are a renovation company, and we make dreams come true. Whatever dream you have for your house, how you want it to become a home, we can make it. A new bathroom, a different kitchen, and textures on the walls. From top to bottom, from ceiling to floor. Our difference is that we do everything from beginning to end. We will leave your walls closed and painted if we cut the drywall. If we install a floor, we also install and paint the quarter round (and baseboards, if you want). Are we relocating a light fixture? The ceiling is already been repaired and touched up. We are proud of our cleanliness and our communication process. We know it’s always messy and complicated to have contractors and renovations at your house. But we will always sweep at the end of the day, keep our tools organized, and keep our workers respectful. We treat your house like we would treat our mean grandma’s house with all respect in the world.
Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
One of my best childhood memories was when I learned to ride a bike. Another great memory I have is not one alone; it is the sum of all the afternoons I spent playing with friends, knees always scratched, barefoot, mothers calling us for dinner, and we refused to leave the streets to go home.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.costaconstructiongroup.com/
- Instagram: instagram.com/costaconstructiongroup
- Facebook: facebook.com/costaconstructionservices
