BYRON, Ga. — If you can think back to a time you were inspired by someone who looked like you, this beautician's journey may be relatable.
For Central Georgia Native Victoria Nicole Brown, making a mark is a sign of success.
But making a difference is what it takes to fulfill dreams.
Brown said she wanted to pursue cosmetology but didn't think she could have her own school.
That was until nearly 20 years ago, Brown said when she walked into an Atlanta cosmetologist's school and saw the owner excel at what she did.
"She was an African American, and I had never seen that before," Brown said.
Most of the cosmetology schools she knew of were technical colleges, Brown elaborated.
After high school, Brown studied education in college.
She said she knew in her heart where she really wanted to be, though.
Brown said that seeing another black woman succeed in achieving her dreams inspired her.
"At that moment is when I affirmed that was something I was gonna do," Brown said. "Here we are, 18 years later."
She worked at her mom's salon in downtown Perry, Split Endz, before she founded The Beauty Academy in Byron.
"I went to school for cosmetology when I graduated high school, so it's kinda like she's following in my footsteps," Brown's mother Patricia Davis said.
Around the time The Beauty Academy was awarded "Best of the Best" Cosmetology School in the state by the Georgia Business Journal, Brown said she was able to help her mom retire from her job at Walmart, where mom said she worked for 24 years.
"As you get older, the work takes a toll on you after so long," Davis said.
"When she told me she was gonna retire me, I was ready to go!" mom laughed.
Brown said she carried her educational background into her career to fulfill her dreams and help others achieve their goals.
Since opening during the pandemic, Brown said she's had a purpose, a mission, and a passion for educating those who aspire to work in the beauty industry today.
The Beauty Academy is located in the Peach Shops at Byron. Brown said her school takes walk-ins and appointments for hair, skin and nail services.
On the surface, a beauty school may seem like somewhere people learn to be pretty; Brown said her school is much deeper than that and focuses on nurturing people inside and out, whether they are clients, students, or instructors.
"The disorders and diseases of each industry, the anatomy and physiology, so we get into the health benefits as well as the icing on the cake, which is the styling," Brown said.
Incorporating affirmation techniques into her school's teaching style, Brown said she also makes sure to instill the foundational skills into her students by providing them with the necessary resources, background, experience and education they need to succeed.
She said she is happy to see her students excel and encourages them to become licensed and certified and perhaps do something similar for someone else working up the ladder.
"I truly believe that whatever is for them is gonna be for them," Brown said. "If I can be a helping hand in the process, then it's still a legacy to me."