Issue link: https://www.ascpskindeepdigital.com/i/1544125
Expand your offerings safely with Advanced Esthetics Insurance at ascpskincare.com 65 [As I approached fi nishing my program], my students would always ask me, "Miss A, when are you going to go on maternity leave?" I would say, "I'm gonna work up until my water breaks." That didn't happen. I was in the hospital when my water broke. My son came four weeks early, and I ended up getting diagnosed with preeclampsia at the end. SD: It sounds like your family is a huge part of your professional journey. AC: I tell people all the time that my son helped me through two state boards—my state board and my instructor state board— because I was pregnant through both. Every time I felt like I was second-guessing myself or getting ready to change an answer, he would kick me. I would say to him, "Fine, I'll leave it alone." He's been my motivation to keep going because, yeah, he's a kid. He didn't ask to be here, and I want to be able to give him everything that he wants and needs, and more. I also have a stepdaughter. She's 14. She pushes me because she is [growing up] in that social media age. The world is evolving—social media is taking over, and TikTok is the biggest thing. She keeps me up to date on a lot of trends. My husband is the biggest part of my journey. When I was teaching at Paul Mitchell, I was getting to the point where I was burned out—I was exhausted and wasn't happy anymore. My husband sat me down and said, "Why don't you focus on your business?" I couldn't because it wasn't bringing in any major money. His words to me were, "I got you." And that was weird because I was so used to having to provide for my son and me. And he was like, "I got both of you." SD: Do you prefer the hands-on work in the treatment room or being an educator? AC: Education is truly my passion. I love teaching people. When I went into my instructor program, I had to get out of the mindset of "I'm not learning esthetics"—I'm learning how to teach people anything, any type of person. I'm educating students or licensed beauty professionals on how to grow a business, how to take clientele, how to work on skin of color. And on the fl ip side, I'm educating my clients on how to take care of their skin and how to reach their skin goals. For me, it all falls under: Am I able to teach somebody something? If the answer is yes, then I'm fulfi lling my purpose and my mission in life. Armenthia with her family: Langston (husband), McKinley (stepdaughter, 14), and Alijah (son, 7).