Good Neighbor Podcast: TN-WNC-SWVA

EP# 275: How Kingsport Academy of Hair Design is transforming beauty education one student at a time

• Skip Mauney & Angela Braan • Episode 275

Share episode

What makes Angela Braan a good neighbor?

Meet Angela Braan, owner of the vibrant "Pink School" - Kingsport Academy of Hair Design. Her remarkable journey from three decades in the beauty industry to school ownership happened almost by accident when she pursued her instructor's license in February 2023, only to purchase the entire school by December that same year.

What makes Angela's approach to beauty education refreshingly different is her emphasis on the full spectrum of professional success. While many students arrive with natural talent, she focuses on building the foundation that creates longevity in the industry - business acumen, professional integrity, and exceptional client care. As she eloquently puts it, "The talent doesn't get you so far, but the way you handle people, the way people feel when they leave you - those things are more important than the service you provide."

Angela passionately debunks industry misconceptions, particularly that cosmetology careers aren't financially viable. She reveals that skilled stylists can earn incomes comparable to medical professionals, while enjoying creative fulfillment and diverse career opportunities. Beyond traditional salon work, today's cosmetology graduates become educators, influencers, platform artists, and entertainment industry professionals. The beauty of this career path? Students can complete their training in just 13 months.

The school's signature pink environment reflects Angela's philosophy that learning should be enjoyable. Drawing from her personal experience balancing business ownership with raising six children (including supporting a daughter through brain surgery), she teaches students that success isn't about doing everything simultaneously, but giving appropriate attention to what matters most in each season of life. Ready to explore a creative career in a supportive environment? Visit kingsportacademyofhair.com to learn about upcoming enrollment opportunities.

To learn more about Kingsport Academy of Hair Design go to:

https://www.facebook.com/Kingsportacademyofhairdesign/

Kingsport Academy of Hair

(423) 246-4071





Speaker 1:

This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, Skip Monty.

Speaker 2:

Hello everyone and welcome to the Good Neighbor Podcast of the Tri-Cities. So today we've got a very special guest here in the studio with us, and we were just chatting before we started. I'm really excited to have her in with us and excited to learn all about her new business. And I'm sure you will be too, because today I have the pleasure of introducing your good neighbor, Miss Angela Braun, who is the owner operator of the Kingsport Academy of Hair Design. Angela, welcome to the show.

Speaker 3:

Yay Good audience here in Nevada.

Speaker 2:

Well, we are thrilled to have you with us today, absolutely and, like I said, excited to learn all about your new venture with the Kingsport Academy of Hair Design. So, if you don't mind, why don't you kick us off by telling us what you do? So if you, don't mind.

Speaker 3:

Why don't you kick us off by telling us what you do? Well, I own a one of the oldest beauty schools in Kingsport Kingsport Academy of Hair Design. I purchased the building in December of 2023. So I'm fairly new at owning this business. I've been in the beauty industry, though, for about 30 years, so I'm not new to the industry, but I'm absolutely new to being a school owner and operator, and so I'm excited to start this new journey in this part of my career.

Speaker 2:

Wow, 30 years. You don't look old enough to have been in any kind of business for 30 years. Speaking of that, how did you get into this business?

Speaker 3:

So, ironically, this is not something that I look for, to be completely honest and I know this isn't like the type of show it is, but I was. I knew I wanted to do something a little different. I was kind of tired of being behind the chair. I had began teaching a couple of classes outside of doing hair actually servicing clients and so I thought, you know what, in order for me to kind of teach these clients, teach some of our other local stylists, let me get my instructor's license. So I got on the hunt to get my instructor's license. I ended up at Kingswood Academy to get my instructor's license and I started those classes in February of 2023, which was, matter of fact, on Valentine's Day.

Speaker 3:

I started and the owner was here. She had been the owner for over 40 years. As I said, the school had had a couple of different names, but has been in existence, from my understanding, like since the 60s, and so I just began to work. Honestly, I did not have an intention on purchasing the building at first or purchasing the business at first, um, but as time went on, uh, the business began to grow, students began to enroll and I became kind of the influence for people to come Um, and so the owner, long story short, the owner got sick and the family wanted to sell the business, and so this is kind of how I ended up with it, and so in December of the same year I went from student to owner within a year, and so it's been a great journey.

Speaker 3:

I love the students here. I'm a mom at heart, so all of the young girls, and I do have my first male student. Now they become my babies and I kind of just enjoy watching them grow. I get most of them kind of young. For the most part they're in their early late teens, early twenties. So I get to kind of help, groom and mentor and I so far Very cool.

Speaker 2:

Well, I'm sure it's rewarding, especially when you're getting young people started in life with a good career. So is it do you teach like cosmetology?

Speaker 3:

Yes, so we teach cosmetology and we also have a nail program.

Speaker 3:

I love it because most of the girls that come here already have a nick and a talent for it. So I tell girls all the time I can't necessarily teach talent, but I can absolutely teach you how to run your business, integrity in the business, all of those types of things that are really important in the foundation of what it really means to have a cosmetology license or nail tech license, because there are tons of, there are tons of hairdressers Like let's, let's be honest, and so what I get to teach is what it takes to really sustain and have longevity in this business, because the talent doesn't get you so far, but the way you handle people, the way people feel when they leave you all of those things are more important than the service that you provide. And so, yes, we do, we have cosmetology and nail program, but my heart in the business is really to teach us how to just be kind, to have great customer service and to make people know that they're important, and that's how I believe you keep and maintain and get clients.

Speaker 2:

Absolutely, and that's the word of mouth, advertising too. So what are some myths? I'm sure there are some myths or misconceptions in the cosmetology school business.

Speaker 3:

One of the biggest myths that I hear is that cosmetology school is full of drama and just chaos and you get a whole bunch of women in one building. Something is liable to pop off. But because of the way we handle and the way we care for our students, I tell people all the time I don't get the horror stories that I hear from so many other myths, and it doesn't have to be that way. Everybody can have their own talent, their own skill, and we can work together and make school fun. Another myth that I hear about people coming to cosmetology school is that hairdressers don't make a lot of money, so don't go into that field or don't go into that business, when in actuality, some hairdressers make just as much as doctors do. It just really depends on how you handle people, and so I'm excited that I get to debunk that myth and invite these girls into a world where not only do you have fun at work, but you get to make money and sustain a lifestyle.

Speaker 2:

That's got to be very rewarding, I would think, for you. So, target customers. I don't know. Do you have a target customer that you shoot for?

Speaker 3:

Whoever loves this, whoever feels like their niche is hair, their niche is hair. If they feel like you know, as a young girl, I knew I wanted to do hair at like 11. I was what you would call the neighborhood hairdresser, so everybody would want their hair done. So I knew for a long time that hair was something that I wanted to get into.

Speaker 3:

Now, what I love about the industry is it's not limited to just sitting behind a chair. So those who don't really want that type of career now there's so many different options. You have online education. You can be an influencer now. You can be an instructor, you can be a platform stylist, you can be in movies like all of the different avenues. Now that is in the beauty industry. We're not limited to just sit behind a chair, stand behind a chair for 35 years and then retire with your body broke down, you know. So anybody who feels like that, they want to get into this industry, we are excited. I call us creatives. So any creatives out there that really want to make a mark in the industry, come and see us.

Speaker 2:

Very good. Yeah Well if, if you ever don't work outside of work, what do you do for fun?

Speaker 3:

I love church. That's probably my biggest thing Ministry. I have six kids, so I have four grown daughters and two minor boys, so I love to spend time with my family. My family skates a lot we love the skating rink so I really just and I enjoy community work. It just kind of anything that makes you feel fulfilled. You know, now that I'm older, you know you realize that some of the other things that we did really it's okay, but now, as an older lady, I understand that what you give out really is better than what you can take in, and so I really do enjoy just you know being around people. I love people. I'm one of those mom types of girls so I'm going to make you feel like you're one of my kids. I love to mentor young girls. I just whatever anything has to do with people, that's one of my hobbies. I absolutely love it.

Speaker 2:

I'm learning, though, as I get older, that rest is a great hobby to have yes, it doesn't happen enough yes, I try to get some of that in whenever I can well, the older I get, the more I realize that I get it. I tell you we get it. So let's switch gears for a. Can you describe a hardship or a life challenge that you've overcome and how it made you stronger in the end?

Speaker 3:

I would say one of my greatest hardships would be when my youngest daughter needed brain surgery and I was trying to battle. I was a foster mom at the time, my husband and I were fostering and I was trying to run a business. I had just opened a salon here in Kingsport and Colonial Heights and I was trying to maneuver on how to handle and balance it all. That was probably one of the hardest things that I think I went through. However, it did teach me that sometimes in balance, it's not about doing it all at the same time, it's about giving priority to what's needed at the time.

Speaker 3:

And so I've learned that sometimes some things don't need all of your attention, that balance doesn't necessarily mean I balance everything at the same time, but that I give attention to what's important right now. And so that season taught me a lot about patience, a lot about priority, and that things will be there when you need them to be there again. Sometimes we think, when challenges come up, we think we're losing when in actuality we're gaining, and so through that trial and through that hardship, my daughter and I became very, very close through doctor's appointments and things like that, and when she came out of surgery, we just now have a relationship that we just didn't have before, and though she was only 16, I really do appreciate that time now, because it really taught me a lot of good life lessons.

Speaker 2:

So how's she today?

Speaker 3:

She's's well. She's actually about to get her license and natural hair and kind of do kind of some of the things that you know. Three out of four of my daughters are in the industry, so I'm excited to see what she does next awesome, awesome.

Speaker 2:

That's great, it's great news. Yeah, well, if, uh, angela, if you could think of one thing that you'd like our listeners to remember about you and Kingsport Academy of Hair Design, the school, what would that be?

Speaker 3:

We are the pink school, if you, as you can see in the background, my favorite color is pink, and so most of the girls that that walk in and do a walk through for the school. We are the school of pink the walls are pink, some of our equipment is the school of pink. The walls are pink, some of our equipment is pink, some of the chairs here are pink. And because it's such a lively color, such a fun color, it really does represent who we are here. We like to have fun, we laugh, we make things you know enjoyable, and so this isn't like a dreaded oh my gosh, I got to go to school today.

Speaker 3:

We really do try to make learning fun and because the industry is so broad with social media and all of the things, we now have an opportunity to do that Even our microphones are pink you see what I'm saying, so people know it says the pink school and I enjoy it because it sets us apart from from everybody else and it really does just make us feel good when we walk into our building.

Speaker 2:

Awesome, very good thing to remember. Absolutely, you're going to feel good when you come in and everything's going to be good, especially, if you love pink. Well, for those of us who you know might be interested in a career, or just curious, how can we learn more?

Speaker 3:

Go to our website at kingsportacademyofhaircom and shoot us a quick message Right now. We are at capacity. We will have openings starting in September. I think right now, because of who I have graduating in August, we should have three slots available and I'm very much excited to get the next few girls enrolled so that we can get your career started. The great thing about cosmetology school is you can be done within 13 months if you come every day and you apply yourself. So within about a year you can start a whole new career that you absolutely love about a year you can start a whole new career that you absolutely love.

Speaker 3:

Very good, you heard it here guys especially, only a year, right, only a year.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, only a year and you can have a new profession and have a great appreciation, a better appreciation, for pink. Yes, absolutely, absolutely Well, angela, I can't tell you how much I appreciate you taking time out of your busy schedule. It sounds like to spend some time with us and tell us all about your school and your new venture, and then we appreciate that and wish you and your family and your business and school all the best moving forward.

Speaker 3:

Thank you so much, skip, I appreciate you.

Speaker 2:

I appreciate you. Maybe we can have you back sometime.

Speaker 3:

Yes, sir, absolutely.

Speaker 2:

All right, sounds good. Thanks so much.

Speaker 3:

Yes, sir, bye-bye.

Speaker 1:

Bye-bye. Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor Podcast. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to gnptry-citiescom. That's gnptry-citiescom, or call 423-719-5873.