Ep. 1 - Grayce Kelle: From English Student to Real Estate Entrepreneur

Raquel Maris, a Brazilian entrepreneur and single mother, moved to New York in 2020 to provide better opportunities for her son. She faced challenges with visas, finding housing, and learning English. She started a truck business and rented out rooms on Airbnb to make ends meet. Despite the difficulties, she was determined to start a new life in America. Nobody calls me as in Brazil, Grace Kelly or Gracey. I hate it. This is Raquel Maris and you're listening to English Learners in New York City. In this episode, we have the story of Grace Kelly, a Brazilian entrepreneur and single mother that came to New York in 2020, right before the lockdown. With a successful career left behind, Grace came with the focus of giving better opportunities to her son and having a fresh new start in life. No more talking. Let's go to the story. I'll present a little bit of the beginning. I'm from Brazil. I'm 39 years old with an 18 years old boy. I'm living in America three years. I arrived here February 7th, 2020, just inside the pandemic. I could never imagine what I was about to, what I would leave with my kids. I was just arriving in New York to live forever. That is my intention. That was my intention. I was very scared by what I was facing. So I moved here with my son. I'm F1 visa. My son is F2, my dependent, 18 years old now, but when we arrived, he had just turned 15. No, actually he was 14 still, but it was very challenging because once we finished the F1 process in Brazil, and then you're right here, it's completely different. And I did everything myself. I never had help from any agency or, you know, those people that sometimes they do have help, like they hire somebody to do all the process. Grace is talking about agencies that help people apply for a U.S. visa. Minas Gerais, the state where Grace came from, which by the way, is famous for being the Brazilian region with the greatest migration movement to the U.S., has a long list of businesses that offer this service. This fact makes us realize that applying for a U.S. visa is difficult for most people, especially because it requires knowing English. In addition to the visa fees, people will pay for help organizing documents and filling out the forms. Next, Grace talks about the difficulties that international people face when trying to rent a place in New York. I started in a hotel, very fancy, beautiful, right? Dear, I jumped to Airbnb because I couldn't rent nothing, you know? And when I was checking about rentals and everything, oh my gosh, I thought it would be much easier. I had no idea what I would face. So I started in a hotel, I jumped to Airbnb and I couldn't rent nothing. I jumped to a hotel, YMCA, I'm very grateful. And every day going to mass, praying for God, asking him, you know, to help him and help because I was so afraid, you know, I took my son out of a country that we had a great life, a beautiful family, right? And I was always alone because I used to raise him in a big, big city. So no help from my family and no help from his father's grandfather, you know, grandparents as well. But it was completely different because his father, at least, was in the same city that I used to live in. And here, you know, he was alone. And plus, I told him, go to this English class because I already spoke English a little bit. Because if you see my mistakes, my grammar mistakes now, dear, when I arrived here was even worse. Moving to a new country as a single mother is not easy, especially if you're not so confident in speaking a new language. But for Grace, it was all worth it. And why was that? I stopped another business that I had with my ex-business partner that when I saw a lot of difference between our ethical way of, you know, move on at the company, I said to myself, Grace, it's time to stop this thing and, you know, start something brand new. But I thought I could do it. Once you are already here, it's very hard to jump to this way unless you are in another country and you don't have a plan B to follow. That was, you know, my strategy. And Gustavo said me at that time, Mom, I feel shame. I'm so sorry. I feel shame, you know, to go. I'm sorry. I said, I do understand your heart. I deeply understood him at that time. And I said, but can you imagine for Mama with MBA, you know, ex-entrepreneur, restarting again, ex-executive of Santander Bank, you know, all my background, all the mascara that we put to other people, right? So they can think, oh, she's big, but and what? Big and, you know, what is important is to pay your bills, honor your principles and go do what you need to do at that moment, because there is a reason for all the ups and downs. So but at that day I made a decision. I said, all right, let's start in another country. For that happened, I came here showing him how was New York, you know, as a tour visit. And he said, Mom, it's too fast. I can't stop even to take a picture. And I was deep in my heart. That's exactly what he needs. Grace made a commitment to start a new life, not only for herself, but also for her son. But becoming an English student in New York wasn't so easy as she thought it would be. Here was a very different thing. Plus, you know, all the situations that when an immigrant arrives, you know, we got to do number one about the school, right? So we have different people, new people to meet and different accents. My God, remember, especially people from France, my God, and those Japanese people, their English is very different, you know. So it was so beautiful. But then everything locked down with all the challenges. So at that time, I could rent finally a place that was furnished and I could have a place to live, but still bringing money from Brazil. We continued to study the English and then I finally could, you know, find an agency that I could finally try to get some money because F1 cannot work here. So you face that problem as well. And then it started, you know, it started getting like a little bit calmer. Adding a fact check of Grace's comment, F1 students can work, but with a limit of 20 hours per week and only for the school where they attend classes. Well, English schools usually don't offer this opportunity. They are common in colleges and universities. Students can also request an OPT, which stands for optional practical training that allows them to work outside the school for one year in a field related to their area of study. Yet, as becoming a college or university student requires higher investment and skills, this is not an accessible option for most internationals. As a result, many choose to start informal jobs. Grace wasn't different. I went to Costco and I bought many ingredients to sell, to make hamburgers and to sell hamburgers. And that day I discovered something in my personality that I could never imagine, that I'm very ashamed. And I could never imagine me, Rachel, that, you know, oh, Grace got ashamed? Dear, you have no idea. While struggling to pay the bills, Grace was also having a hard time to find a place to live. And then this girl came back from Brazil and I had to leave the apartment. And I was trying to find another place. At the same time, I was trying to run, to open a truck business because I met somebody at that time that, you know, I had some money to invest and I'm like, all right, I need to make money. Let's try something. And then, you know, I studied the numbers about the truck business. Gustavo was going with the person, checking all the backstage. I went to XPO too. I went to Amazon office and I could see that here, my love, there are mafia too, but the mafia here is much more organized. Do you think it's only in Brazil that, you know, they, oh, here, 200 per week if you put me ahead of the others. Here, it exists too. So, plus I told the guy that I was about to go business with that I was not available as a woman. And he kind of mixed the feelings, right, which is a little bit easy. But at that time, I had no other choice because this woman from Brazil came back and I had to go for his house to live there like five days until I could find another apartment. And I was crazy finding apartments. Do you remember, Rachel, at the glass and I said, oh, now I'm done. Yes, I remember. But thank God, God was so nice that the one apartment that I loved that was 4G unit at 120 West 105th Street, somebody got rented and I couldn't rent it at that time. But then I went there again. I had the Holy Spirit voice, go there, check the key. And the keys were right there. And so, I called the office. Hey, you said you rented this unit, but the keys are here. What's going on really? He said, oh, Grace, you know what? The rental didn't go through. So, would you like to rent? I said, yeah, for today? He said, yeah, put the application, deposit the money, tomorrow you can move in. Rachel, I had only one rug and that was the beginning. So, I rent the apartment. I went there only with my six or seven bags, luggage, plus this rug that thank God I bring from Brazil, my trousseau, duvet, you know, and then comforter and sheets. So, we could sleep at the rug. And I never slept so, so happy in my whole life because the day before the guy tried something with me and I was very clear and he was like yelling at me. Of course, I was in his house for five days because I couldn't rent nothing. So, thank God that day I said, thank you. I'm very grateful, but you will never see me again or my son. A trousseau and duvet sheet are very expensive. We can notice that Grace was well off in her country. However, as a single mother with a student visa, her money in Brazil couldn't change the fact that she was in a fragile situation. Being able to move to a new place in Upper West Side was truly a miracle. Right there, I started renting Airbnb. As soon as I could buy the first mattress, I rented the other room for Airbnb and we used to sleep at the rug for, I don't know, I think maybe two months or three months. So, for everybody else, the house was fine, but not for us because we knew the truth and I used to lock my room, you know, to make money and to teach Gustavo how to host people because nothing comes from nowhere. And, of course, I could bring my money from Brazil, but you know what? I wouldn't make the mistake again to spoil my kid because I came to this country exactly to show him that one day on top, one day on the floor, but never treat nobody the way you don't want to be treated because everybody has the same heart, same life, same blood, same feelings. So, as a real entrepreneur, Grace proved to be very creative to make money, but starting an Airbnb was not enough to pay the bills. At that time, I was waitressing because, you know, you got to do something to make money. And as a parent, and I had no help from his father, so he was not supporting him or me. So, I was waitressing. And believe it or not, you know, when you are waitress and you are honest, and I was always that way. So, I conquered everybody. I said, listen, my name is Grace Kelly. I don't have experience in this thing. So, if you see me doing some mistakes, please let me know because I want to please you, right? And I want to do the best for you. Oh, my goodness. And I record everybody's name in my brain. So, I knew their family. I knew their kids. I called them by name. You know, so, we became like friends and they used to love me. So, and then guess what? The tips are higher and higher and higher. Things were getting better for Grace. However, continuing as a waitress was not an option. It was a classic case of brain waste in which highly skilled professionals face work restrictions because of their status. Many get conformed to this situation, but not Grace. She needed to move forward. An ex-boyfriend from Brazil, he told me out of nowhere, Grace, I had a dream with you tonight, and God told me that I will visit you in your mansion in New York. And then he told me, follow this person here. So, she's married to this guy that knows a lot of auctions and properties. He buys properties in auction and then he sells it in a regular price. So, I followed her, Aline, and then I saw her husband, what he was doing, and then I bought the course. I started, you know, studying the thing. I bought my first property. Can you explain a little bit of how the auction business works? It is basically when people don't pay their taxes. When they don't pay the taxes, the mortgage, you know, of a building or, you know, let's say in a vacant lot, it goes back to the bank and then to the county. So, I started with vacant lots because that's what I could afford at that time, right? And then, you know, this guy told me, Grace, you got to build a company because a lot of people, they need a list filtered. So, I hired people in Brazil. I taught them how to find properties and I was selling the list. And then, you know, I moved here and I kept both things running, but then it became very difficult for me because Airbnb is okay, but it's not a big money and it's a lot of, you know, troubles because you got to solve it right there. And so, my son could not handle himself and it was a little money for a lot of headaches. I said, no, I give up this one. I'd like to know a little bit, like, why New York? Why the U.S. and why New York? I love English. You know, my name, Grace Kelly. So, here, everybody talks my name properly, you know? Nobody calls me as in Brazil, Grace Kelly or Grace. I hate it, you know? I don't like it. And I can't have slow people on my side. Sorry. I don't have the patience to slow people. I almost stop and say, listen, you don't know what you're doing, right? So, do you need help? I can life coach you. I'm a life coach. I can help you with that, you know? New York felt like home for Grace. It was her destiny. And her name was a sign of that. Getting a green card was the next milestone. You got to understand, F1 visa, when you come just to study, you don't have the social security number. And without this, you can't do anything here. The easier way is getting married. But that, since the beginning, I said, it's not an option. I will not do that for business. And then he told me, there is this lawyer, try to talk with him, you know? He might help. So, I spoke with that lawyer. And he told me, Grace, you're not average person. You're very different. You're far of average. And you have all the seven criteria that EB2 and IW, that is the National Interest Waiver, needs to be fulfilled. And then we can build your case. We can do it together. I said, really? He said, really. So, that we started. And then, you know, I had like the letters of recommendation. And thank God, at that time, you know, my ex-business partner, I left like millions at the table because I helped, you know, to finish a contract between the two biggest cities in Minnesota. I said, without my help, he would never have, you know? So, I had to get in touch with this guy again. And he said, Grace, I'll do everything for you. What do you need? So, he had to reprint the same contract. He reprinted. He sent me the letter of recommendation. So, long story short, you know, I got my green card in November. And so, now everything is coming. So, my lawyer put my case, my green card case, in September. And I got approved November 9th. And I received my work permit authorization, search warrant number, you know, advance parole to travel overseas very quickly. So, do only what is right. Go to the most difficult way that you know God will be with you. And you will be very successful because, you know, once we do that, nobody can take it from us. What recommendations would you give for a person coming to New York as an English student, like based on your experience? Number one, never forget who you are. Because you are God's image and you are powerful. You have already everything inside of you. Number two, do never stay with people with poor mentality, poor mindset. And believe me, when you come to this country and you put your needs first, oh my God, when it's starting to be comfortable, you know, go for another environmental, another people. It's time to move on. Number three is, you know, put yourself in a challenge all the time, especially be the most stupid at the table. If you are the smartest, you are with the wrong people. But to put yourself in there, you got to challenge yourself because the opportunities come from people that are in the right place at the right time. And dress yourself as you don't know what can come to you. And last but not least, you know, be careful who you let come in your life. Perhaps that's what I learned the most. This was the story of Grace Kelly, a Brazilian single mother that came to New York with her son as an English student and became a successful real estate businesswoman. Her journey is inspiring, especially for the ones that come to the city with the dream of staying for good and starting a new life. In case you are also an international English learner in New York City or have this experience in the past, please share your story with us. We want to give you voice. See you in the next episode of English Learners in New York City.