We had the good fortune of connecting with Virginia Leonardi and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Virginia, what do you attribute your success to?
The most important factor behind my success is my tenacity and my strength to always want to achieve the set goal.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
2) In 2009 I became a graduated nurse and one year later I got a job in Milan. When I was 22 years old, I decided to leave my family home to move far away. It was not an easy time because I broke up with my boyfriend and had to leave my friends behind. I was very apprehensive because I didn’t know anyone in Milan. I was the youngest at work and it took a lot of hard work to keep up with others. But I like challenges and I like to succeed so nothing can’t stop me from reaching my goals. In 2013 I had my first child and in 2015 my second one. In September 2015 I moved to Beaumont, in Texas, due to my husband’s job. It was another challenging move, because I didn’t know anybody over there and I was very far away from my family. My children grew up in a different country. It was not easy but it did not daunt me. In order to learn English I first started working in a restaurant, but since I’m the kind of person that always aspires to become the best I can be, I decided to also get a degree as a yoga instructor, as a Personal Trainer and HIIT instructor. Teaching yoga in a gym helped me to become more fluent in English and, importantly, to open my mind. In 2019 my family and I had to come back to Italy which was upsetting because I really loved the life I was living in Beaumont. Now I’m in the process of becoming a nurse again. I’m waiting to finish my training at a famous clinic here in Arezzo, Tuscany. I’m still teaching yoga and work in two places; Avatar Yoga, where I teach flow balance and Four Fitness Gym, where I also teach HIIT.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
3) If you ever go to Beaumont I would recommend the Spindletop/Gladys City Boomtown Museum or to see the work of talented artists at the Art Museum of Southeast Texas. At Gator Country you can hold a baby alligator or you could kayak along the Neches River on the Cook’s Lake to Scatterman Paddling Trail. You might also enjoy seeing the migratory birds at Cattail Marsh and Big Thicket National Preserve or take a horseback ride at Tyrrell Park Stables.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
1) I would like to dedicate this to all the friends that I met when I lived in Beaumont, Texas. Cecilia, Magda, Athena, Thad, Summer, April, Anthony, Jeremy, Brian, Melinda, Melissa, William, Aaron, Sharonda, David, Javier, Philip, Kevin…(forgive me if I missed anyone out). The amazing people I met over there not only helped to improve my English, but also to mature as a person. They became my Texas Family. I feel proud of myself for succeeding in a variety of different and challenging situations over the last ten years.

Website: https://www.avataryoga.it/ http://www.fourfitness.it/
Instagram: Virgy_sw
Facebook: Virginia Leonardi