Today we’d like to introduce you to Monica Smith.
Monica, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I attended an esthetics school at night and the program was not what I expected. We had multiple teachers during the course of the program that had no experience in esthetics. Although esthetics fall under Cosmetology, a cosmetologist is taught to deal with the hair and does not go deep into skincare.
The school taught stateboard requirements concerning safety, sanitation, and disinfection but didn’t dive deep into things like how to brow map for a brow wax and tint or isolation for lash extensions. Upon graduating, I had to spend additional money getting trained in the same services that I should have learned in the esthetics program. Also, I was not properly taught to care for skin of color.
This led to the opening of a spa tailored to all skin colors. I then decided to open a beauty school to assure that all students were confident enough to service all skin colors, open their own spas or go into the workforce. All of this led to the opening of Omnia Beauty Academy, a licensed esthetics school located in Clinton, NC.
The school was named after the Latin phrase ‘In Omnia Paratus’ which means prepared in all things! We not only focus on skincare but we teach personal/professional development and business formation.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Some of the struggles with opening the school is finding Licensed instructors with experience in esthetics. There are not many Licensed Esthetics Instructors.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Omnia Beauty Academy?
Omnia Beauty Academy is a Licensed Esthetics School. I am proud to say that I am the first African American female to open an Esthetics school in Sampson County.
I realized that African Americans are the biggest consumers of the beauty industry but skincare schools lacked knowledge on how to treat the skin of color. The lack of training and education on skin color within esthetician schools led to the opening of Omnia Beauty Academy.
Omnia Beauty Academy’s goal is to provide education and training on all skin colors, especially the Melanin-rich skin!
I am in the process of adding additional counties including Duplin and Onslow Counties. The school offers an esthetics and esthetics instructor program! The students provide facials, full body waxing, brow and lash tinting and waxing and so much more!
I also offer my student job placement at my spa, Lavish Hair & Body Lounge, for students to get more hands-on experience upon graduating and obtaining an esthetics license. I also stay trained on the last trends in the spa industry to teach my students.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
Most important- strong prayer life and relationship with God, a few good friends, and family!
Commitment and hard work
Expertise in esthetics.
Passion to teach and to see others succeed.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.omniabeautyacademy.org
- Facebook: @omniabeautyacademy
