Community Highlights: Meet Latonya So of Omni Nail Academy

Today we’d like to introduce you to Latonya So

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I’m just a small town girl with a whole lot of faith and unmerited favor! This journey called life has been full of hills and valleys success and failure. I became a manicurist at the age of 20 when I had to pivot to a fast tracked career to welcome and provide for my first born child as a single mom. I fell in love with the nail industry enough to stay 25 years and counting! Over the years being a nail tech and a nail educator was a career path that gave me the stability and flexibility I needed as a family first hover mom. Fast forward to the present, now that I am an empty nester, this industry allows me to be as ambitious as one can be! I teach students that the sky is really the limit and I’m grateful that I have been able to lead by example with the doors that God has opened for me from being a Gelish educator to landing a speaking contract with NailPro at the largest trade shows as well as writing a Nail book from my first hand experience as a salon and school owner! My husband and I had a ready made multicultural blended family whenever we met we each had a two year old son and our daughter completed our tribe! Now that all of them are adults and two are married we are proud young grandparents of the most beautiful grand daughters which motivated me to do what the Bible says and leave an inheritance to my children’s children. So after taking a little break I’m full throttle back in business to make a difference in my family and in the lives of everyone I can help achieve success whether it’s through mentoring and training in the nail industry that has been so good to me or in the area of writing and the travel industry my latest endeavor. With the way things are today it really does take streams of income to live and create financial freedom for your family. I’ve never been a money driven person and it’s till not my primary focus.The goal is to be able to continue giving affordable and some free scholarships to those who qualify. For me it’s all about work life balance and fulfilling our purpose with passion and not being afraid to start over again whenever we fail to keep failing forward. That’s my story and I can’t give it without giving God the glory.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Lack of financial support
family crisis and loss

I think are the two biggest obstacles/challenges

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Omni nail Academy was first birth in my hometown in 2016 I have since relocated to the Greensboro area however I do have plans to franchise with other Nail professionals who are interested in owning and Omni nail Academy in this time I have worked behind-the-scenes on building the franchise brand and packaging it in a way that is affordable and desirable for other nail professionals to come in and see this blueprint and how it works and enjoy helping other people achieve their license Omni nail Academy provides a 300 hour class for students to become licensed nail professionals and we also offer a 320 hour class for Nail Tech to become Nail instructors, we offer continuing education classes online and in person so that’s the gist of what we offer The new location in Greensboro is scheduled to open in September 2024
What’s different about Omni nail Academy opposed to other Nail programs we are a nonprofit and we cater to a lot of people through various outreach programs to provide affordable or free tuition for those who qualify
The thing I’m most proud of
Is making Omni less about a walk-in clinic I think that tends to overwhelm students based on my teaching experience at other schools. It is a private school that works by appointment only I teach them how to book their own appointments and work in a way that they don’t get overwhelmed too quickly. It takes time to learn the skill, 300 hours is not enough if you ask me and one day that might even be shorter based on the meetings that I have attended with Stateboard so it’s important to not overwhelming student who is under prepared it takes time to prepare and they come in at all different skill levels But I love a lot of one so therefore, the classes are not too big I love introducing students to travel and taking them to tradeshows
It really is a place where we focus on each student and what their potential is and what their goals are and we try to point them in the right direction. We obviously offered job placement and career coaching as an incentive to an Omni alumni.

Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
Oh my goodness yes I never tell my Nail story without telling that first of all my sister was my biggest inspiration. She passed away in 2008, but she was a salon owner and I got my start in her salon. I also give credit to my grandfather who paid $3000 cash money for me to take his class because it was not covered with Pell grant or any other program
Then of course the amazing mentorship while working for Gelish (MaeLing Parrish) and NailPro (Maisie Dunbar) and DrShaNail Monick is hands down one incredible coach! I talk about them and others in my new book “Dear Nail Techs”

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.omninailacademy.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/1latonyaso/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@latonyaso789