THE WOMAN WHO HAS REVOLUTIONIZED THE WORLD OF MASSAGE

Renata França has transformed the lives of thousands of young women and became the favorite of stars such as Taís Araújo and Bruno Gagliasso. What few people know is that she had to overcome the hardships of a humble childhood and fight to make her dreams come true. Born in a humble neighborhood in Ilhéus, Bahia, Renata França had dreams that seemed impossible. But her faith was so great that she would pray to God and feel that she was heard. Her dream was to become a journalist, until one day, in order to make ends meet, her mother decided to open a small beauty salon. At the salon, Renata would do “a little bit of everything”, and for the first time she heard a client say that there was something special about her touch: her hands. This client invited her to take her first course as a masseuse. She later received an invitation that would change her life: working at a Spa in Jardins, an affluent neighborhood in the city of São Paulo. With a heavy heart and her chest full of courage, Renata headed for the big city accompanied by one of her sisters. At their uncle’s home, with no bed and sharing just one sheet, both sisters faced a severe winter. Despite the hardships, they never considered going back. Supported by an unbreakable faith, they snuggled together to get warm. A fighter at heart, Renata had only one certainty: going back to Bahia was not an option. Working over 14 hours a day, the free time she had was to study. At that time, she disagreed with the massage packages offered at Spas and clinics. And that’s how she began to create a method that included new types of maneuvers, rhythm, pumping and pressure, which yielded more effective results than traditional massage. Her invention was tested on her clients and they all fell in love with the results, as well as with her drive to succeed. Renata ended up on the pages of many important Brazilian magazines. As a result, she saw her client appointments take off. It was during this period – precisely in 2005, that Renata got a call from Taís Araújo, whom she ended up treating surprisingly at 5 o’clock in the morning, precisely due to her tight schedule. Delighted with the baiana’s* dedication, the actress fell in love with her and started referring to the massage as “miraculous”, which would later inspire Renata to call her best-known techniques as Miracle Touch and Miracle Face. Nowadays, many other famous names have come along with Taís’ name, among them, Bruna Marquezine, Marina Ruy Barbosa, Ivete Sangalo and Bruno Gagliasso. Renata became the “aesthetician of the stars,” but something bothered her. Her success and recognition did not bring the sense of accomplishment she had hoped for. She knew that she was an exception in a country full of talents without opportunities, so she decided to share her knowledge, thus inspiring other young women. In 2016, she founded the SPA Renata França and began her journey across Brazil offering short courses. Thousands of young women, not only in Brazil but in the world, have had their lives transformed and currently apply Renata’s unique lymphatic drainage, modeling massage, relaxing massage and, of course, the Miracle Touch and Miracle Face methods. “I try to improve my clients’ self-esteem not only with massage, but also working on the importance of leading a healthy life. I’m grateful for the opportunities I had, and I try to convey this to my pupils. “In addition to the technique, it takes sensitivity to manipulate another person’s body”, says the woman who has transformed lives and valued an entire market of massage therapists who are now proud to practice their profession. She is so proud that students were named “pupils” . After all, the pupils are Renata França’s reason for existing: someone who has achieved dreams bigger than she could ever imagine and now makes an effort to lend her talent to help thousands of young women believe that anything is possible if you believe in yourself and strive to do your best. *born in Bahia