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Marta Magarelli moved to Florida from Brazil when she was 24. She started as a housekeeper before working her way up to running households with teams of staff. She now works in Palm Beach, where homeowners pay high salaries for the best housekeepers.

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You can opt-out at any time by visiting our Preferences page or by clicking "unsubscribe" at the bottom of the email. Advertisement This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Marta Magarelli, 60, a housekeeper in Palm Beach, where housekeepers are in high demand. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

Business Insider has verified her employment. I left Brazil when I was 24 in 1987 and moved to America. I was meant to attend school in Florida for just a few months to learn English, but I fell in love with the man who became my husband, and we settled in Florida together.

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I began working as a housekeeper across several houses — cleaning, washing, and cooking. I'm a perfectionist, which makes me good at what I do. It's helped me earn .

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