Elaine Kalil

Our Positive Woman is Elaine Kalil, a landscaper by soul and heart. She tells how she started her career. From interior design, she discovered that her great passion was on the outside. Enchanted by nature, she uses the "tailor-made" technique in her projects. Each project is unique, with extreme importance placed on looking at and respecting the environment.

1. How did your career begin? My career started in a very organic way. I've always been passionate about design and nature. I have a degree in interior design, but I never worked in the field. Landscaping entered my life in practice. I lived for almost 20 years, when I got married, on a horse farm in the interior of São Paulo. There I could understand and practice how to use this extraordinary raw material that is nature. So, naturally, I became interested in landscaping. I started by doing small projects at home and for close friends, and as I received compliments for my work, I decided to invest more time and resources in my education and in the development of my business. I confess it wasn't easy. I faced several challenges, including in my marriage, to be here today, talking about my work and with a short but solid trajectory.

2. How is the business model of Elaine Kalil Landscaping structured? Our business model is based on offering personalized and high-quality landscaping services to our clients. We work hard to truly understand their needs and desires, and from that understanding, we create unique projects. In addition, we always seek to use sustainable practices and high-quality materials, always focusing not only on customer satisfaction but also on respect for the environment.

3. What was the most difficult moment of your career? Certainly, I went through several challenging moments during my journey as a landscaper. One of the most difficult was when I started... There were several paradigms I had to break. I came from an old-fashioned marriage, and in that relationship, there was no room for an entrepreneurial woman. Setting up the landscaping studio was a period of great pressure and uncertainty; I needed to prove to everyone, especially to my family, that I was on the right path. Besides that, during the pandemic, I had to reinvent myself. I dissolved my partnership and still need to review the structure of my business and focus on "tailor-made" work: each project of Elaine Kalil Landscaping is unique, the result of much research and conversation. Anyway, during the pandemic, we all went in search of creative solutions to reverse that situation and help as much as possible.

4. How do you balance your personal life vs corporate/entrepreneurial life? This is a very important question. Working as an entrepreneur is very stimulating. But, at the same time, there are moments that can become exhausting. In my professional life, I try to blend the moments of creation, relationship, and management in a balanced way. Indeed, there are many necessary competencies, and all with the same importance; we cannot neglect any of them, otherwise the business does not progress. But, over time, you learn to do this better and better. I also reserve time to take care of myself and be with my family and friends. Organization and discipline are fundamental in this aspect. Well, I have an advantage... laughs, I'm a Virgo, so that helps a lot.

5. What is your biggest dream? My biggest dream is to continue creating incredible gardens that offer well-being and help people connect with greenery, with plants, and with nature, and that this movement stimulates everyone to rethink the relationship with our natural world. Always remembering that we are part of this nature and we are not separate. Therefore, I understand that self-care, caring for the home, the street, and the city is the same as caring for nature and the planet. And there's also a very practical dream... I want to expand my business sustainably, positively impacting people's lives. Can I give you a spoiler? I'm going to launch a special course in April, now. I felt a strong desire to share what I've learned along this journey. I would like to speak to young people, aspirants, and future landscapers. I think this way I can contribute to my larger goal, which is to always remember the transformative potential of nature, as long as it is in harmony with our existence.

6. What is your greatest achievement? My greatest achievement is seeing the recognition for my work and the trust placed by my clients. Realizing the positive impact my projects have on people's lives is very rewarding. In addition, having the opportunity to participate in challenging productions at prestigious events, such as the Artefacto and Casacor Exhibitions, was an incredible personal and professional accomplishment.

7. Book, movie, and woman you admire. A book that always inspires me is "Women Who Run with the Wolves" by Clarissa Pinkola Estés. I really like how the author exalts the connection of us women with our "selves," with our bodies, and with nature. As for the movie, "The Intouchables" is one of my favorites; I love the boundary-less relationship between the two characters. It's a movie that talks about the power of rediscovering possibilities and not holding back in the face of life's limitations. About the woman I admire, I keep "racking my brain" about not having a name in mind, and then I came to the conclusion that it's not that there isn't a woman, it's that it's not singular for me, it's a plural: there are so many women that I admire and each one in their particularity, in their uniqueness, that it's difficult for me to put everything in just one! So, there are women: actresses, women in politics, executive women, women in the family, women in various situations that I admire, including friends whom I admire greatly! So, I can't put it on just one person, because I admire women.