In Jordan, the first group of blind beauty students have become certified to work as beauticians. The truth of the matter is that those who are disabled have very little chance to make a living in Jordan and even those who find jobs, struggle to fit in in the workforce. That’s when Maram Nawas came up with the idea to teach blind women a skill with a beauty career.

At first, Nawas was met with extreme criticism and no one took her idea seriously, claiming she simply had too much time on her hands. The idea, to most, was preposterous. How could you teach blind individuals to work in a career that depends on helping another by enhancing their appearance to the general eye?

It seems that Nawas has been successful and she is working hard to go further. Her first group of beauty students have become certified and she is looking to get them eventually licensed as well. She has also just started another class for new students and an advanced class for returning beauty students. For these women who have been met with adversity in their lives, they are finally being given a chance to give something of themselves to the world. One student expressed her excitement at the prospect of becoming a hairdresser’s assistant.

These beauty students in this Jordan beauty school were mainly instructed to apply makeup and complete basic hairstyling tasks simply by touch. You can imagine that there is a learning curve with these things and Nawas has worked hard to instruct her students. It is by her example and this pioneer group of beauty students that will hopefully change the lives of these blind ladies for the better.

-Amanda Fornecker

One of the best ways to understand a career is to get in and experience it yourself. But in order to know if you want to even try your hand at something, you may find it helpful to hear stories about those that have been there and done that before you. I really do believe that reading a person’s story and journey to where they are today is truly inspirational. Many people take straight-and-narrow paths, while others have a bit more of a windy Yellow Brick Road experience. And that’s what makes these stories interesting.

The “Work It” section of SpaBeautySchools is a great place to find stories of those that have stories as to how they achieved success in their professional lives. Here, we have stories of an artistic colorist who is a master in his own trade, makeup artists who have been involved in special effects, and others. These are just some of the inspiring stories within our grand scope of concentrations on our site. But it makes sense to do your homework and read up on a potential new career possibility. And remember that career changes are possible and very popular these days. Though it may seem daunting to start from square one, once you get started on a new career, the time will fly by and you’ll get into your new life’s calling sooner than you think.

Research is key! Good luck in your search!

-Amanda Fornecker

So what do you do on a weekend where you find yourself in the midst of a record-breaking snowstorm? Sure, you can snuggle in bed and catch up on your shows or watch some of your favorite movies, but why not take advantage of this time to research a new career? And while I realize that most of you are not experiencing this record-breaking snowfall the way I am, you may still want to take your free time to check out these fun career paths.

As someone very interested in speech therapy, I am one to know the definite advantages of both occupational and physical therapy. This career is one in which you certainly help others feel better and rehabilitate. In fact, the National Opinion Research Center named physical therapy as the number two career in which its employees are most satisfied. Not too shabby!

A fitness school education may be extremely beneficial, especially during hard times like these. Lots of people who have been laid off have found themselves with a plethora of extra time and are taking this opportunity to get back in shape. That means that fitness instructors and maybe even personal trainers will be in higher demand. And the best part of a fitness career is that you get to stay in shape for a living!

For proof that you can change careers and still be successful, check out this beauty career story. Success stories don’t always come out of a first job, you know. The old saying goes: “If at first you don’t succeed, try try again.” I think those are great words to live by. Keep up your dreams and go for what you really want. It’s the best way to be happy in life.

There are lots of reasons to go to nail school. Check out 10 reasons that we’ve come up with here at SBS. And those aren’t the only reasons. But it’s a good place to start so check them out!

Lastly, be sure to see some of the school profiles we’ve featured in beauty and spa/wellness…

Good luck, stay warm, and use your time wisely!

-Amanda Fornecker

I miss the days of the old Disney cartoon movies. I grew up on The Little Mermaid, Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, and others. These are some of the greatest movies of my childhood and when I think of them a little deeper, I can see some great lessons…

Cinderella
OK, so we may not all have a fairy godmother, but this can be seen as a lesson (although extreme) in paying your dues. Sometimes, you may feel that you have been working up your way for quite some time at your job. But one day, your prince will also come and you’ll finally flourish into the princess you’ve always been. So with a little hard work and some patience, the clock striking midnight will not turn the carriage back into the pumpkin, but may indicate your advancement in your beauty career. Don’t let your evil stepmother get you down!

The Little Mermaid
We all know that Ariel wanted more and what’s wrong with thinking outside of the box (or the ocean)? Although you may sometimes need to make sacrifices to get where you want to be, it can be worth it in the end. Obstacles come up (let’s just hope they’re not as scary and crazy as Ursula) and you can overcome them with a little perseverance, honesty, and hard work. Maybe a little rearranging of your life may be in order, but just think of how happy you can be in the end when you finally get your yummy Eric.

Beauty and the Beast
Yes, this was certainly a lesson in beauty being more than just skin deep and going beyond first impressions. But it was also about taking chances, standing up for what you believe in, and even hitting the books. Belle loved books and got everything she wanted. Of course, she had to overcome some tough situations, but her curiosity and zest for life (and beasts) helped her to get her gorgeous golden gown and her gallant gent (even though he was kind of a giant gargoyle before…).

These were all Disney love stories between two people, but your love affair can be translated to a beauty or spa career. Do what you love, work hard, and you will triumph in the end.

-Amanda Fornecker