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The Reason They Stay: How Relationships Are Helping Beauty Schools Retain Students

Laura Ibarra, Megan Simonneau, Mimi Hawkins, Janae Goings and Jillian de la Rosa Tully

Student retention is one of the biggest conversations happening inside beauty schools today. Schools are constantly asking themselves how to help students stay engaged, push through difficult seasons, and continue showing up when life outside the classroom feels overwhelming.

But perhaps the answer is simpler than we think.

Students stay where they feel connected.

Not because life suddenly becomes easier, but because they know there is someone in the building who sees them, understands them, and notices when something feels off.

The relationship between an educator and a student has always been important in beauty education. But many schools are discovering that when intentional wellness practices are woven into that relationship through the Vitality Project, something shifts. Conversations become deeper. Trust grows stronger. And students who may have once quietly slipped away begin finding reasons to stay.

Beyond Hair, Skin, and Nails

Laura Ibarra, Esthetics Instructor at Bellus Academy's Chula Vista Campus, has experienced this firsthand.

She noticed that when wellness conversations happened in large groups, some students hesitated to participate. For students who were not comfortable sharing emotions or who had never been asked to explore them before, a larger setting did not always feel safe.

So she changed her approach. As she began creating more intimate opportunities for conversation, her relationships with students began to deepen.

“I've actually found out their ambitions, where it stems from, why they ended up choosing this industry, how their last job connected to what they're studying right now.”

The conversations moved beyond skincare products and practical skills. She began learning what truly motivated her students, what brought them joy before entering the industry, and what continued to inspire them today.

“I can connect with them on an emotional level. Obviously keeping it professional, but just finding out what interests them, what made them happy before they even chose this and how this industry or how this job continues to make them happy.”

That kind of connection matters because students who feel known are more likely to speak up when they are struggling. They are more likely to ask for help. And they are more likely to trust that someone will walk alongside them when life becomes difficult.

Creating a Safe Space to Pause

For Megan Simonneau, Cosmetology Instructor at Bellus Academy's Manhattan, Kansas campus, the Vitality Project has become something students genuinely look forward to.

“They need that hour. They look forward to that hour. They know that's an hour where they can solely shut off everything and be present in the classroom.”

The environment itself has become part of the experience. The lights are dimmed. Blankets are available. Students can sit on the floor if they choose. For a little while, they are simply invited to slow down.

Megan tells her students, “You get what you put into it. That's what you get out of it.” And students are responding. One shared with her that this is something truly helping them outside of life, because there are things happening in life they simply cannot control.

Megan has noticed another shift, too.

“When someone's down, we're picking them up. And we've done that before, but I feel like now it's even more so. And we're checking up on each other.”

That culture of support does not happen by accident. It happens when students consistently experience an environment where they feel safe enough to be themselves.

Catching Students Before They Walk Away

Mimi Hawkins, Education Support Manager at Ogle's Central Dallas Campus, believes many students reach a point where they simply need to know that someone is paying attention.

“I feel like a lot of times when students are at that breaking point, they just really need to feel loved, seen, and heard. That's it.”

That simple statement may be one of the most important lessons in student retention. Because often, students are not asking for someone to solve all of their problems. They are asking for someone to acknowledge that those problems exist.

Mimi recently sat down with a student who was struggling after losing a friend. Instead of trying to fix the situation, she helped the student find another perspective. She encouraged her to focus on memories that brought peace rather than continuing to replay painful images.

The student walked away feeling better, Mimi says, because she just needed a way to hear something different.

Then she adds something beautifully honest.

“I wasn't brilliant. I've just gone through it. So I just shared what I did.”

That honesty is powerful because students are not looking for perfection. They are looking for authenticity. They are looking for someone who is willing to sit beside them and say, “I've been there, too.”

Sometimes Students Simply Need Someone Close By

Janae Goings, Cosmetology Instructor at Ogle's North Dallas campus, has seen how impactful face-to-face support can be.

“I have coached a couple of our students that were just more comfortable with having somebody face to face on campus, just making sure that they know what tools and resources that they have as well.”

Sometimes support is not complicated. Sometimes it is simply being present. Knowing students well enough to recognize when they need extra encouragement can make all the difference.

Vulnerability Builds Trust

Jillian de la Rosa Tully, Phase One Cosmetology Instructor at Ogle's San Antonio campus, discovered something unexpected when she facilitated a conversation about aligning with core values.

She shared her own experiences with burnout, anxiety, and the work she has done with her therapist over the years.

The response from her students surprised her. Two students approached her afterward to say thank you.

“Their anxiety is so bad that they keep wanting to quit. But knowing that their teacher has that same anxiety and talks about realigning with their own values made them not quit. And that feels like such a win for me.”

That may be one of the most powerful examples of connection in action. Not because Jillian had all the answers, but because she gave students permission to realize they were not alone.

Sometimes the strongest thing an educator can say is, “I understand.”

The Reason They Stay

Beauty schools cannot eliminate every challenge their students will face. Life will still happen. Students will still experience grief, anxiety, stress, and difficult seasons. But schools can create environments where students know they do not have to navigate those seasons alone.

The Vitality Project is helping educators do exactly that. Not by asking them to become therapists, but by giving them tools to create meaningful relationships, ask better questions, and build trust with their students.

Because students rarely leave a school they feel deeply connected to. They stay because someone remembers their story, because someone notices when they are struggling, because someone took the time to know them beyond their technical skills. And perhaps most importantly, they stay because someone made them feel seen.

Sometimes that is all it takes to change the trajectory of a student's entire journey.

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When Students Are Going Through Hard Things: Why the Vitality Pod Changes Everything

Heather Martin · Instructor, Tricoci University

Beauty school is more than learning techniques and building a client book. For many students, it is also one of the most emotionally demanding seasons of their lives. They are working hard, growing fast, and sometimes life throws something heavy at them right in the middle of it all.

At Tricoci University, instructor Heather Martin has seen it firsthand.

“I've had some students that have gone through some pretty heavy things, like right after they started. They wanted to keep going, but you know, it's hard, right?”

That's the reality of beauty education. Students show up with big dreams and full lives. And sometimes those two things collide in ways that make it incredibly difficult to stay the course.

For educators, these moments can be incredibly difficult to witness. You see a student who is talented, capable, and excited about their future suddenly carrying something far bigger than school. You want to help and make things easier.

And for students, the challenge isn't always a lack of commitment. They still want to be in school and continue on their career path. They still want the future they've envisioned for themselves. The problem is that when life becomes overwhelming, even the things we care about most can begin to feel impossible to manage.

That's why small forms of support matter. Not because they solve the problem, but because they remind students that they don't have to navigate it completely alone. Sometimes what keeps a student moving forward isn't a grand gesture. It's knowing there is a place to pause, breathe, regroup, and come back when they're ready.

So what makes the difference between a student who pushes through and one who doesn't? According to Heather, having a dedicated wellness space, what her school calls the Zen Den, their version of a Vitality Pod, has been a game changer.

“That Zen Den really did make a big difference. The student was able to take the leave, come back, and still kind of stay on course knowing that they can go into that room. That has been really helpful for students.”

What Is a Vitality Pod?

What stands out about Heather's story is that the solution wasn't complicated. It wasn't an intensive intervention or a major program overhaul. It was the presence of a consistent, intentional space that communicated a simple message: when you're ready, we're here.

For students returning from a difficult moment, that message can be powerful. Re-entering a classroom or the clinic floor after time away often comes with anxiety, self-doubt, and the pressure of trying to catch up. Having a place to step away for a few minutes can make the transition feel far less overwhelming.

A Vitality Pod is a dedicated wellness space inside your beauty school. It can be a full room, part of a break room, or even just a thoughtfully set up corner. The idea is simple: give your team and your students a place to recharge, refocus, regulate, and refresh.

Inside a Vitality Pod you will typically find calming scents, soft and soothing lighting, fidget tools, and access to breathing techniques, guided meditations, and calming music. It is a quiet sanctuary in the middle of a busy school day where anyone can take a few minutes to slow down and re-center before heading back out.

For Students: You Are Allowed to Take a Breath

If you are a beauty school student, here is something worth knowing. Hard days are part of the journey, and needing a moment does not mean you are falling behind. It means you are human.

Having a space like a Vitality Pod available to you is an invitation to take care of yourself without guilt. A few minutes to breathe, reset, and ground yourself can change the entire trajectory of your day. Students at schools with a Vitality Pod have been able to step away when life felt overwhelming and come back ready to keep going, without losing their momentum or their confidence.

You do not have to push through alone. Use the space. That is exactly what it is there for.

For Owners, Administrators and Instructors: This Is an Investment in Retention

From a leadership perspective, a Vitality Pod is one of the most practical wellness investments you can make. Student retention is one of the biggest challenges in beauty education. Life happens, students get overwhelmed, and many never come back after a leave of absence.

The beauty of a Vitality Pod is that it doesn't only serve students during moments of crisis. It becomes part of the everyday rhythm of the school. Some students use it after a stressful client interaction. Some stop in before a big practical exam. Others simply need a few quiet minutes to reset during a demanding day.

Over time, the space becomes something larger than a room. It becomes a visible reminder of the school's values. It tells students and staff alike that wellbeing is not something you earn after you've worked hard enough. It's something that matters throughout the journey.

But what about instructor retention? When you champion a wellness space at your school, you are not just supporting students. You are also giving your staff a place to recharge between classes and client interactions. Teaching and mentoring in a beauty school environment is deeply rewarding, and it is also deeply demanding. Instructors pour into their students every single day, offering guidance, encouragement, and emotional support, often while managing their own hard days at the same time.

Instructors are not immune to stress, grief, burnout, or the weight of personal struggles, and yet the expectation to show up fully for students does not pause for any of that.

A Vitality Pod gives instructors permission to take care of themselves, too. When you have a place to step away, breathe, and reset, you come back to your students with more patience, more presence, and more energy to give. You cannot pour from an empty cup, and you should not have to try. The same tools you encourage your students to use are available to you, and using them is not a sign of weakness. It is a sign of wisdom.

When instructors model what it looks like to prioritize their own wellbeing, they teach their students something that no curriculum can fully capture: that taking care of yourself is not separate from doing your best work. It is the foundation of it.

Creating a dedicated wellness space sends a clear message from day one: this school is committed to your whole wellbeing, not just your academic progress. That culture of care becomes a reason for students to stay, to return, and to talk about your school with pride.

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Closer, Stronger, Better: How the Vitality Project Is Building Team Culture at Tricoci University

Rachel Graves · Educator, Tricoci University

There's a version of beauty education where teachers show up, teach their lessons, and go home. Where the faculty room is quiet, the relationships are surface level, and everyone is simply getting through the day.

And then there's what Rachel Graves describes at Tricoci University.

Rachel is an educator who has watched something remarkable happen since her school brought the Vitality Project into their culture. It didn't just impact students. It changed the way the entire team shows up for each other and for the people they teach.

“I think it has brought us closer as a team. It allowed for us to really be able to come together as a team to build each other up, as well as stand in for the students.”

That's not a small thing. In an industry where burnout is rampant and turnover is a constant challenge, a team that genuinely builds each other up is one of the most powerful assets a beauty school can have.

The reality is that beauty school educators pour a tremendous amount of themselves into their work. They are not only teaching technical skills. They are coaching confidence, navigating student struggles, celebrating milestones, and helping future professionals find their footing in an industry that can be both rewarding and demanding.

When educators feel isolated, that responsibility can become heavy. But when they feel connected to the people around them, the experience changes. Challenges become easier to navigate, wins become more meaningful to celebrate, and the culture students experience becomes more consistent because the team behind it is moving in the same direction.

That sense of connection is difficult to create through policies or staff meetings alone. It comes from shared experiences, shared language, and shared opportunities to grow together.

When Educators Become the Example

One of the most meaningful shifts the Vitality Project creates in a school environment is what happens when educators stop just teaching wellness and start living it together. When a faculty team goes through the Vitality Project alongside their students, something changes in the dynamic. The wall between teacher and learner softens. The shared experience creates real connection.

At Tricoci University, Rachel saw this play out in real time. The faculty team didn't just roll out the Vitality Project to their students and step back. They went through it themselves. They engaged with the material, internalized the concepts, and showed up to their classrooms ready to champion it from a place of genuine understanding.

There is something powerful about educators learning alongside one another. Not because they all have the same experiences, but because they are given space to reflect, connect, and engage with the same concepts they are asking students to explore.

That kind of participation creates credibility. Students can tell when a school initiative is something staff members genuinely believe in versus something they are simply expected to deliver. When educators engage with the work themselves, conversations become more authentic and the lessons become easier to bring to life in the classroom.

That shared experience meant that when it came time to introduce the Vitality Project to students, the conversation felt less like a program pitch and more like a personal invitation. Rachel and her colleagues could speak from the heart about why wellness matters in a beauty career, how the tools had impacted them, and how students could use the same resources to support not just themselves but each other.

Because one of the core messages of the Vitality Project is that wellness isn't just personal. It's communal. When you do this work, you don't just show up better for yourself. You become a source of motivation and encouragement for the people around you. And that's a powerful thing to model as an educator.

That's the difference between a teacher who delivers content and one who truly believes in what she's sharing. And students can feel that difference every single time.

Grace, Motivation, and the Small Wins

Perhaps the most quietly profound thing Rachel said is also the simplest: we never know what somebody is going through.

In a beauty school classroom, that truth is everywhere. Students are navigating financial stress, family challenges, self-doubt, grief, and a hundred other invisible battles while they're trying to learn how to color hair or perfect a facial technique. And honestly? So are the teachers.

The Vitality Project gives everyone in the building a shared language for that reality. A framework for extending grace. A reason to pause and acknowledge that the person sitting next to you might be carrying something heavy today.

“Let's give each other grace. Let's motivate each other. Let's pat each other on the back and support each other and celebrate the small wins.”

Small wins do not always get the attention they deserve in education. It is easy to focus on attendance numbers, completion rates, and performance metrics because those are the outcomes everyone is measuring. But behind every successful graduate is a collection of small victories that happened along the way. A student who showed up on a difficult day, an educator who took time to encourage someone who was struggling, a classmate who offered support instead of criticism, and a team member who chose grace over frustration.

These moments may seem small on their own, but together they shape the culture of a school. And culture is often the difference between an environment people simply attend and one they genuinely want to be part of.

The Ripple Effect of a Wellness-Centered Team

When a faculty team is genuinely connected and mutually supportive, students feel it in the room. They feel safer. They open up more. They stay longer. They push through the hard days because the environment around them is one of encouragement rather than pressure.

And that ripple effect from administrator to educator to student and back again is exactly what the Vitality Project was designed to create. Not a top-down wellness mandate, but a shared culture where every person in the building feels seen, supported, and celebrated.

Third-party citation, not a testimonial. In 2025, Tricoci University’s Chief Operating Officer, Larry Foster, was recognized by Career Education Review as one of the Top People Changing Career Education. According to Career Education Review’s announcement, Foster helped lead Tricoci University’s partnership with the Vitality Project to intentionally integrate student mental health and wellness into the classroom.

From leadership to educators to students, everyone has a role to play. Strong school cultures are not built through one event, one training, or one inspirational speech. They are built through repeated investments in people.

What This Means for Your School

If you're a beauty school leader wondering whether the Vitality Project is worth the investment, consider what Rachel is describing. This isn't just a student retention tool or a curriculum add-on. It's a team-building experience. A culture shift. A way of saying to every person who walks through your doors that you matter here and we're going to take care of each other.

In an industry that has historically asked so much of its people while offering so little in return when it comes to emotional and mental support, that message is revolutionary. And it's the kind of school culture that doesn't just retain students, but it creates loyal, passionate graduates who go on to represent your school with pride.

Because when you teach people to celebrate the small wins, give grace, and lift each other up, that's a lesson they carry with them for life.

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Why Beauty School Educators Need the Vitality Project Just as Much as Their Students Do

Andrea Kinsey, Stanley S. Nolan and Mimi Hawkins

There is an unspoken expectation that exists inside many beauty schools. Students are allowed to have hard days. Educators are expected to push through theirs. They still have classes to teach, students to mentor, clients to support, and questions to answer. No matter what they may be carrying personally, they walk through the doors each morning and show up for everyone else. For a long time, that has simply been considered part of the job.

But what happens when the people who spend every day pouring into others start running on empty themselves?

That is the question several educators across Vitality Project schools have begun asking. In many cases, they are coming to the same realization: the Vitality Project is not just for students. It is for them, too.

The People Taking Care of Everyone Also Need Support

Andrea Kinsey, Director at Bellus Academy's Manhattan, Kansas campus, sees it every day.

“I think the win is the educators for me. I know that educators struggle to teach Vitality because they're like, 'I don't want to open that wound.'”

That statement says so much. Beauty school educators are often asked to guide conversations around wellness, self awareness, and emotional wellbeing while simultaneously carrying their own experiences, stressors, and challenges. That can feel vulnerable because sometimes the lessons resonate deeply. Sometimes they touch places that educators themselves have not had the opportunity to slow down and process.

But Andrea has seen something beautiful happen in those moments.

“I think it's also healing them as they teach it.”

Andrea has also noticed that through teaching the Vitality Project, educators have an opportunity to pause and reflect on their own needs, not just the needs of their students.

That realization is important because the people teaching these lessons are people first. Before they are instructors, directors, or administrators, they are human beings who need the same grace, support, and tools they are so generously giving to everyone else.

It Is Hard to Pour Into Others When Your Cup Is Half Full

Stanley S. Nolan of Ogle Schools puts it simply.

“It is hard to pour into someone if your cup is half full.”

If you have ever worked inside a beauty school, you know exactly what this means. Educators are often expected to leave their personal lives at the door, set aside grief, stress, exhaustion, or whatever else they may be navigating, and immediately shift into mentor mode. Students still need them. The school day still moves forward. The expectation is often, “Come be great. No excuses.”

But Stanley and her team decided to pause and ask a different question: Who is pouring back into the educators?

During a staff meeting at Ogle Schools' Campus 58, they intentionally created space for their instructors, administrators, and Vitality leaders to see one another in a different way. Everyone picked a name, and whoever had your name shared something they noticed and appreciated about you. Not your best friend. Not the person you work with every day. Just someone who had been paying attention.

Maybe they noticed your kindness. Maybe they noticed your consistency. Maybe they noticed that every time you walked into the building, you brought positive energy with you. Some of the most meaningful observations came from people whose paths rarely crossed.

“It was one of our best meetings. We didn't give anything away, but verbal love, packaged up for each one of us individually.”

There is something incredibly powerful about that because being seen costs nothing, and yet it can mean everything.

Educators Are Human, Too

Mimi Hawkins, Education Support Manager at Ogle's Central Dallas Campus #54, recently found herself having a conversation with a student who was frustrated with an educator. With the educator's permission, Mimi shared a little bit of context about what that educator was personally navigating. The student's perspective shifted almost instantly.

He said that maybe he needed to give her some grace, Mimi recalls.

That moment revealed something bigger. Students do not always realize that the people standing in front of them every day are carrying things, too. Educators are navigating grief, stress, family responsibilities, and difficult seasons of life, all while continuing to pour into others.

“We're human, too.”

And perhaps that is one of the most important reminders schools can offer both students and staff. Educators are not immune to hard days. They are simply very practiced at putting on a brave face and continuing to show up.

“Educators try to pour while their cup is empty, while they're in pain, while they're grieving, while they're going through all the things, but they're still showing up.”

That sentence may resonate with every educator who reads this article. Because in beauty education, there is often an invisible expectation to be strong all the time. To be the encourager. The mentor. The steady presence in the room. But constantly giving without replenishing yourself is not sustainable.

Mimi says many educators fall into the category of what people often call “the strong friend.”

“A lot of us probably have people that think we're always okay, and they just don't know that we're not okay. And it's okay not to be okay.”

There is something powerful about hearing that from an educator because it gives everyone else permission to be honest, too. When school leaders create a culture where educators feel seen and supported, they are not lowering expectations. They are acknowledging reality. And that reality is simple: the people changing lives every day deserve care, too.

Why This Matters More Than Ever

Beauty school educators are doing far more than teaching technical skills. They are building confidence. They are helping students navigate difficult seasons. They are mentoring future professionals. They are often the first person a student turns to when life feels overwhelming. That kind of responsibility is beautiful. It is also incredibly demanding.

If schools want students to thrive, they cannot overlook the wellbeing of the people guiding them every day.

The Vitality Project creates space for that. Not by asking educators to become therapists or by adding one more thing to their already full plates, but by giving them tools they can use for themselves alongside their students.

When educators participate in the work, they are reminded of something they often forget. They deserve support, too. And sometimes the most meaningful thing a school can do is simply acknowledge that. To say, “We see you. We know this work is hard. We know you are carrying things, too. We appreciate you.”

Because when educators feel seen, they do not just become better instructors. They become healthier humans leading classrooms for the next generation.

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Beyond Technical Skills: Preparing Students for a Career That Lasts

Adele, Maddie (Taylor Andrews Academy), Alexandria, Dallas and Rosa Montez

For decades, beauty schools have focused on preparing students to pass state board exams, master technical skills, and build successful careers behind the chair. And those things matter. Students need to know how to perform a haircut, formulate color, deliver an incredible facial, and confidently work with clients. Technical education will always be a foundational part of beauty school.

But today's students need more than technical skills alone.

They are entering an industry that asks a tremendous amount of them emotionally, mentally, and physically. Every day, they will interact with people who are celebrating milestones, navigating heartbreak, grieving losses, managing stress, and carrying burdens that often show up in the salon or spa chair.

The truth is, many beauty professionals have spent years learning how to care for others without ever being taught how to care for themselves.

The students going through the Vitality Project are learning something different. They are learning skills that will help them sustain a lifelong career.

They're Learning That Wellness Impacts Their Work

Adele, a cosmetology student at Taylor Andrews Academy-St. George, realized something that many licensed professionals do not discover until years into their careers: wellness directly impacts the quality of your work.

“If your head is in another area, then maybe your cut isn't going to be as precise as it could be if you were grounded while you're with your client. If you're not well, then you're not doing your job well.”

That realization shifts everything.

Wellness is no longer a separate category sitting outside of technical education. It becomes part of being an excellent beauty professional. Students are beginning to understand that slowing down, regulating their emotions, and being fully present are not distractions from their careers. They are part of what makes someone exceptional at their craft.

They're also beginning to recognize that how they feel about themselves influences every interaction they have throughout the day. The way they communicate, respond to challenges, and show up for others all starts with how they care for themselves first.

They're Learning How to Care Without Carrying It Home

For many students, one of the most impactful lessons has been learning that they can deeply care for their clients without absorbing everything those clients are carrying.

Maddie, an esthetics student at Taylor Andrews Academy-St. George, discovered this early in her education.

“I don't want to miss out on life because of work and school. Learning to set boundaries has helped me realize I can still give my clients everything I have without taking their struggles home with me.”

That lesson matters because the goal is not to care less. The goal is to care in a sustainable way. Students are learning that empathy does not have to come at the expense of their own wellbeing. In fact, protecting their energy may be one of the most important skills they ever develop.

Maddie also shared that she recently found herself talking with another esthetician who was already experiencing burnout. Despite still being a student herself, she realized she had tools that many professionals were never taught.

That realization says a lot. The lessons students are learning are not simply helping them survive beauty school. They are preparing them to build careers that can last.

They're Learning How to Hold Space

Alexandria, a master esthetics student at Taylor Andrews Academy-St. George, described discovering the importance of grounding herself before trying to support anyone else.

Meditation, which she once thought was silly, has become a practice she now relies on regularly.

“I can't help somebody feel a certain way if I'm feeling overwhelmed and stressed out myself.”

Beauty professionals are often expected to be listeners, encouragers, and safe spaces for the people they serve. But students are learning that in order to hold space for others, they must first learn how to hold space for themselves.

That is not a lesson that has historically been taught in beauty education, and yet it may be one of the most valuable.

Alexandria also shared that she has become more aware of how easy it can be to absorb other people's emotions and experiences. Rather than taking on someone else's negativity, she is learning to pause, reflect, and respond differently. Those moments of awareness may seem small, but they can completely change how someone moves through their day.

They're Learning That It's Okay to Pause

Dallas, a student at Taylor Andrews Academy-St. George, who is also a full-time working mom, shared that one of the greatest reminders the Vitality Project has given her is that it's okay to take time for herself.

“The Vitality Project reminds me that it's okay to take time for myself, create boundaries, and recharge so I can come back and be my best the next day.”

In an industry that has long celebrated hustle culture, this mindset creates a healthier foundation for a career that lasts.

Longevity is not built by constantly running on empty. Longevity is built by learning when to pause. It is built by creating habits that allow beauty professionals to show up tomorrow, next year, and decades from now with the same passion that brought them into the industry in the first place.

Students are beginning to understand that taking care of themselves is not selfish. It is part of becoming a sustainable professional.

Giving Students Something Previous Generations Never Had

Perhaps one of the most powerful perspectives comes from Rosa Montez, Clinic Service Manager at Ogle School, San Antonio.

After decades in the industry, she reflected on what it would have meant to have these tools when she was a student herself.

“I've been in this industry for 37 years, and if I had access to something like the Vitality Project when I was in beauty school, I truly believe my career would have looked different. It would have given me tools to build healthier habits, create more balance, and sustain myself throughout my career.”

That perspective is profound because this is not about fixing students. It's about equipping them. It's about giving today's students access to skills that many previous generations simply were never taught.

More Than Preparing Students for State Boards

Today's students are stepping into a very different beauty industry than previous generations did. Technical excellence will always matter, but so will knowing how to navigate stress, communicate with intention, protect their energy, and build habits that support them for years to come.

The Vitality Project is helping schools do more than prepare students for graduation day. It's helping them prepare for the reality of a career built around serving others every single day.

Long after students pass their state boards, they may not remember every technical lesson they learned in school. They will, however, remember the skills that helped them stay grounded, navigate hard seasons, and continue showing up for themselves and the people they serve.

Those are the skills that will carry them throughout their careers, no matter where life takes them.

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The Part of the Job Nobody Talks About

Maddie (Taylor Andrews Academy), Adele, Rosa Montez and Michelle Dietrich

Ask almost any beauty professional who's been behind the chair long enough, and they'll tell you there is a part of the job no one really prepared them for.

It isn't the long hours, the physical demands, or even the pressure of keeping a full book.

It's what people tell you once they sit down.

Relationship struggles. Family problems. Heartbreak. Grief. Financial stress. Health scares. Sometimes the conversation is joyful. Sometimes it's incredibly heavy. Sometimes it touches a part of your own story.

Then the appointment ends. You clean your station, reset the room, and welcome the next client.

That emotional transition is part of the job too. We just haven't always treated it that way.

The Emotional Labor We Rarely Name

There is an intimacy created when someone sits in your chair or lies on your treatment table. Over time, clients may share things they haven't told many other people. Beauty professionals become trusted confidants, sounding boards, cheerleaders, and sometimes the person who happens to be there during a particularly difficult season of someone's life.

That human connection is one of the most meaningful parts of this industry. It also requires something from the professional on the other side of the conversation.

The emotional demand isn't always created by one particularly heavy appointment. Often, it's cumulative. In a single day, a stylist may celebrate an engagement, listen to someone process a divorce, hear about a parent's diagnosis, encourage a client through a career change, and sit quietly with someone who simply needs a safe place to land.

All while formulating color, watching the clock, staying on schedule, performing highly skilled work, and preparing emotionally for whoever sits down next.

The client experiences one appointment. The beauty professional may experience eight different emotional worlds before going home.

Caring Doesn't Have to Mean Carrying

Historically, there hasn't been much conversation in our industry about what professionals are supposed to do with all of that. You listen. You empathize. You care. Then what?

There is an important distinction between being present with someone and becoming responsible for what they're going through. Empathy and emotional absorption are not the same thing.

The Vitality Project introduces beauty professionals to the practice of holding space: creating room for another person's experience without feeling responsible for fixing it, changing it, or carrying it yourself.

For a stylist, that could mean listening to a client going through a divorce without spending the rest of the day worrying about them. An esthetician can have compassion for someone's grief without bringing that grief into the next treatment. A nail tech can recognize when something a client shares hits close to home and know how to ground themself before moving forward with the day.

The relationship doesn't become less meaningful. The professional learns where their responsibility ends.

What Many Pros Learned Through Experience, Students Are Learning in School

Many established beauty professionals entered the industry without ever being taught how to navigate the emotional side of client relationships. For many, those boundaries only became clear after they had taken client stories home, tried to fix what wasn't theirs to fix, and felt the accumulated weight of caring for people day after day.

Some of today's future professionals are getting the opportunity to enter the industry with that awareness already in place.

At schools using The Vitality Project, students are learning that the emotional side of working with people deserves preparation too. They're having conversations about boundaries, emotional regulation, holding space, and how to remain compassionate without taking responsibility for everything a client is experiencing.

Maddie, an esthetics student at Taylor Andrews Academy in St. George, Utah, began recognizing this reality once she started working with clients on her treatment table.

“I've had clients who get so much more personal when they're on your table. Learning to set boundaries has helped me realize I can still give my clients everything I have without taking their struggles home with me.”

She's learning before graduation what many professionals have spent years trying to figure out: you can be present without absorbing.

Fellow Taylor Andrews cosmetology student Adele has begun noticing another part of the equation: what she brings into an interaction matters too.

“If you're not well, then you're not doing your job well.”

Adele described noticing what happens when she carries her own stress into an interaction. A small comment can hit differently. Her tone can change. Her patience can become shorter. When she gives herself a moment to reset first, she can approach the conversation differently.

These students aren't being taught to avoid the emotional realities of the profession. They're learning how to meet them.

What Happens Between One Client and the Next

A client leaves after an emotionally heavy appointment. There are five minutes before the next client arrives. This is one of the moments no one sees.

There isn't always time for a long break or an opportunity to fully process what was just shared. The schedule keeps moving, which means beauty professionals need ways to create a transition when the work itself rarely provides one.

For some, that may be a few intentional breaths. For others, it may be noticing the tension in their body, putting their feet on the ground, and taking a moment to come back to themselves.

The Vitality Project teaches a visualization called the Golden Bubble, designed to help create an emotional boundary while still allowing someone to remain compassionate and present.

The practice reinforces a simple idea: I can care about what I just heard without carrying it into the next appointment.

These practices don't require a major interruption to the day. They create a moment of transition where one might not otherwise exist.

A Generation Entering the Industry With Different Tools

There is something especially powerful about hearing students talk about these skills when you consider how many experienced professionals were never given them.

Rosa Montez, a beauty professional who has spent 37 years in the industry, reflected on the wellness education students have access to today and what it might have meant for her own career had those resources been available earlier.

“If I could have had this back when I was in beauty school, I think my life would be in a totally different area now.”

That perspective says a lot.

One generation largely learned through experience. Another has an opportunity to begin with language, tools, and conversations that haven't historically been part of preparing someone for this profession.

Michelle Dietrich, Senior Director of Campus Operations with Ogle School, sees that preparation as part of equipping students for the reality of working with clients. Through Vitality, she has watched students and instructors develop tools that can help future professionals navigate the emotional side of those relationships and become, in her words, better equipped to handle that too and not take it home with them.

The Privilege of Being Trusted

There is a reason clients tell their beauty professionals things they don't tell everyone else.

The chair and treatment room can become places where people feel seen. The relationship is personal. The conversations are real. Being trusted in that way is one of the great privileges of working in this industry.

It is also possible to honor that trust without becoming responsible for everything someone places in your hands.

Beauty professionals can offer compassion and a listening ear while still recognizing the boundaries of their professional role. Holding space isn't about having the right advice or fixing the problem. It's about being present while recognizing what is, and isn't, yours to carry.

The emotional side of this work has always existed. What's changing is our willingness to acknowledge it and prepare beauty professionals for it.

For those who have spent years behind the chair, that may mean finally having language for something they've felt throughout their careers. For the next generation, it may mean entering the industry with tools many professionals wish they'd had from the beginning.

The stories will always be part of the work. Now, we're getting better at preparing for what it means to be the person trusted to hear them.

The full story

Today's Beauty Students Are Different. So Is the World They're Entering.

Tara Montez · Educator, TSPA San Antonio

Every generation of beauty professionals has stories about how they got started.

The long days. The difficult clients. The expectations they learned to meet. The things they had to figure out on their own.

Those experiences shaped them, and there is tremendous value in what experienced professionals have learned along the way.

But there is one phrase that can quietly get in the way of preparing the next generation: When I was getting started...

Not because those experiences don't matter. They do. But today's students aren't getting started in the same world.

We Can't Separate the Student From the World Around Them

The way people communicate has changed. The way they build careers has changed. Their relationship with technology is different. Clients have changed. Expectations around work, wellbeing, boundaries, and leadership have changed.

Today's students have also grown up with something previous generations never experienced in the same way: a world that follows them everywhere.

School doesn't necessarily end when they walk out the door. Social comparison doesn't stop when they go home. Client feedback can become public. A difficult interaction can follow someone online. They are building careers in an environment where they can be connected, observed, influenced, and accessible almost constantly.

That doesn't mean this generation is incapable of handling hard things. It means the hard things don't always look the way they used to.

And if beauty education is preparing students for the profession they're actually entering, the way we teach has to continue evolving too.

“I Went Through It” Isn't a Teaching Strategy

There can be a temptation in any industry to measure the next generation against the experience of the one before it.

We worked longer hours. We didn't need that. No one taught us how to deal with stress. We just figured it out.

Some of those things may be true. But surviving without a resource isn't necessarily a reason to withhold it from the person coming next.

In fact, one of the greatest opportunities experienced educators have is to take what they learned the hard way and make it easier for the next generation to learn with intention.

Beauty education has always evolved this way technically. We teach new techniques. We adapt to new products. We respond to changes in technology, trends, safety, and the expectations of clients. The human side of the profession deserves the same evolution.

Meeting Students Where They Are Doesn't Mean Lowering the Bar

This distinction matters.

Supporting today's students isn't about removing expectations, avoiding accountability, or making beauty school easier. It's about asking a better question: What will actually help this student develop the skills to meet the expectations of this profession?

Sometimes that requires teaching something previous generations were simply expected to know. How do you regulate yourself before responding emotionally? How do you communicate through conflict? How do you recognize what is happening in different areas of your wellbeing before one struggling area begins affecting everything else? How do you create boundaries while still delivering an exceptional client experience?

Those aren't ways around professional expectations. They're tools for meeting them.

What This Can Look Like in a Real Classroom

Tara Montez has been seeing this firsthand while teaching The Vitality Project at TSPA San Antonio.

When she first introduced practices like breathwork and Mindful Moments, not every student immediately participated. She recognized that slowing down and doing something vulnerable in front of classmates could feel unfamiliar, so she continued creating opportunities without forcing the experience.

Then one day, during a Mindful Moment, Tara opened her eyes. The students were deeply engaged in the breathwork.

Over time, she has watched them become more willing to share, journal, participate, and connect with one another.

“It's been really great to see how much friendship is being built through the process.”

She has also made the curriculum her own. If the room needs movement, she gets students up to stretch. Now they'll remind her not to forget to stretch in the morning.

The students didn't need the expectations removed. They needed an invitation into the learning that made sense for them.

The Teacher Gets to Evolve Too

Perhaps one of the most important things about Tara's experience is that she doesn't position herself as the person at the front of the room who has mastered everything she's teaching.

“I'm a student first myself.”

While facilitating Vitality, Tara has found herself using and learning from the curriculum too. That creates a different kind of classroom leadership.

An educator can still hold standards, maintain boundaries, and lead the room while being willing to remain curious about the people sitting in front of them.

“They're getting a glimpse of my heart, and I get a glimpse of their hearts too.”

That isn't a loss of authority, it's connection. And connection can give an educator greater insight into how to help a student grow.

Preparing Students for Their World, Not Ours

The purpose of beauty school isn't to recreate the experience previous generations had. It's to prepare someone for the career they're about to have.

Technical excellence will always matter. Professionalism matters. Accountability matters. Showing up, developing resilience, learning how to work with people all matter. But we can hold those expectations while acknowledging that the environment surrounding today's students has changed.

The Vitality Project gives schools a way to bring some of those conversations into education intentionally. Instead of hoping students eventually figure out communication, boundaries, stress regulation, self-awareness, and sustainable ways of working through experience alone, we can begin giving them language and tools while they're still learning how to become professionals.

Because “that's how we did it” can teach us a lot about where we've been, but it shouldn't be the only thing determining how we prepare students for where they're going.

The full story

More Than a Lesson: When Vitality Becomes Part of Everyday Life

Journei Bales · Advanced Esthetics Educator, Crave Beauty Academy

In many beauty and wellness schools, programs are introduced with a clear goal: improve student outcomes, increase engagement, and better prepare future professionals for the realities of the industry.

But sometimes, something deeper happens. The tools do not just stay in the classroom. They follow people home. That is what Journei Bales, an Advanced Esthetics Educator, experienced after teaching the Vitality Project at Crave Beauty Academy.

When It Becomes Personal

At first, the work looked like what most beauty and wellness school educators expect: guiding students through Mindful Moments, journaling exercises, and conversations designed to build awareness and resilience. But over time, something shifted. What Journei was teaching her students started showing up in her own life.

“I've used the concepts I was teaching in Vitality outside of school and work. My little sister is 13, and I had her do the tapping Mindful Moment with me.”

It started simply by just sharing a tool. But it did not stop there.

When It Moves Into Real Life

As Journei continued using the practices, they began to create moments that went beyond what typically happens in a classroom. Journei reflected on sharing a special moment with her mom.

“My mom and I sat down one day and did the journaling activity from one of the lessons together. We ended up having a really meaningful conversation, and she cried. It was good.”

These moments are not structured lessons, but are real conversations. Moments that do not come from being told what to say, but from having the tools to open the door.

Information Versus Integration

There is a difference between information and integration.

Every beauty and wellness school teaches information. Students learn techniques, procedures, product knowledge, and professional standards. Educators deliver lessons every day that are designed to help students succeed in their careers. But the lessons that create lasting change are the ones people continue using long after the class is over.

That is what stands out in Journei's experience. The tools she was introducing in the classroom did not stay there. They became part of conversations with her family. They became something she reached for in her personal life. They became practices she trusted enough to share with the people she cared about most.

For school leaders, that distinction matters. When students and educators voluntarily bring something into their everyday lives, it is often a sign that the learning has moved beyond participation and into genuine adoption.

Why Educators Need This Too

In beauty and wellness education, so much focus is placed on students' growth, their success, and their future in the industry. Beauty and wellness educators are at the center of all of it. They are the ones holding space, managing energy, guiding conversations, and mentoring students through some of the most formative moments of their lives. To do that well, they need support too.

How an educator feels directly impacts how they show up. How they show up shapes the experience their students have every single day.

There is a simple truth in human behavior: people mirror what they see. Students are constantly observing how their educators handle stress, communicate, regulate their emotions, and take care of themselves.

When educators prioritize their own wellbeing, when they use tools that help them feel more grounded, more present, and more supported, students notice. And more importantly, they begin to model it.

From Learning to Living

That is what makes this kind of work so impactful. It does not stay contained to a lesson plan and it becomes something that is lived.

“I even make my boyfriend do it with me sometimes, and I told my therapist about it.”

This is where the shift happens. It is no longer something you teach. It becomes something you trust. Trust is not something that can be mandated. It cannot be created through a policy, a presentation, or a checklist. It develops through experience.

The reason Journei continues to use these tools outside of school is not because someone asked her to. It is because she experienced their value firsthand. The practices became useful in moments that mattered to her, which transformed them from classroom exercises into personal resources.

That is often where the greatest impact happens. Not when someone completes a lesson, but when they remember it weeks or months later and choose to use it on their own.

A Different Kind of Impact

When educators begin to use these tools in their own lives, something important changes. They do not just teach the material, they understand it. That understanding creates more authenticity, more connection, and more trust with students. Students can feel the difference between something being taught and something being lived. When educators feel better, more supported, and more regulated, they are able to do what they came into this industry to do: guide, mentor, and change lives.

For school leaders, stories like Journei's offer an important reminder. The most meaningful educational experiences are not always reflected in a report or a metric. Sometimes their impact appears in places you never expected to see it: a conversation between a mother and daughter, a wellness practice shared with a sibling, or a tool that becomes part of someone's personal support system.

Those moments may happen outside the classroom, but they are evidence that something meaningful happened inside it.