We were lucky to catch up with Sania Ferguson recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Sania thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Parents can play a significant role in affecting how our lives and careers turn out – and so we think it’s important to look back and have conversations about what our parents did that affected us positive (or negatively) so that we can learn from the billions of experiences in each generation. What’s something you feel your parents did right that impacted you positively.
My parents, Jolee and Walton Ferguson, are two of the most loving, hard-working, honest, caring, humble, and accepting humans I know. I am confident that this is reflected in the woman I am today. They have always accepted my free spirit lifestyle, which allowed me to explore life without the usual restraints parents can have for their children. I realized early on that I was fortunate to have parents that encouraged me to be my authentic self. They just wanted me to be safe, healthy, and happy. I came out to my parents when I was 19 years old. I remember being so terrified that they would reject me forever. Being a part of the LGBT+ community was not something many openly discussed with their parents, especially in my age group and in the black community. My parents may not have fully understood my sexual orientation, but they loved and treated me the same, and today I can say they genuinely love my partner, Fernanda. This impacted my life positively because it pushed me to continue to do the things in life that make me happy, and I knew I would always have their support. Just as in 2017, it didn’t matter to them that I was 28 years old and changing careers, from being a hairstylist to an esthetician. They told me to do like always, to follow my heart. I did just that, and now I have a successful business to call my own. I greatly appreciate the fact that they never let their expectations of me outweigh my personal growth, which made it easier for me to figure out my identity and career. Both are so proud of me, and it is rewarding for me in many ways.
Sania, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
My name is Sania Ferguson, but most people call me “Sunny.” I am a Miami native of Bahamian descent and grew up in the communities of Goulds and Richmond Heights. I once thought my love for the beauty industry and all things glam started with my passion for makeup. Looking back now, I realize it actually began with seeing my mom constantly changing her hair and literally nailing every single style. I was always amazed by her natural beauty. We had bi-weekly hair appointments, and even though I dreaded the relaxer process, I loved walking into my first look at a black woman owning and operating a business in the 90s. I would flip through the hairstyle lookbooks and watch women come in one way and leave out with a completely new look. It was amazing! My mom was never into makeup, so this obsession came from my two besties, Tiff and Tanya, later in middle school. By the time I was in high school, I wanted control over my hair, so I began doing it myself. YEARS LATER, when I moved to Atlanta, Georgia, I was exposed to so many more fun hairstyles I could try out. Before I knew it, I was a human chameleon, shape-shifting through colors and styles. This continued throughout my early twenties into today.
In 2014, I returned home from South Carolina to continue the cosmetology journey that I had started once before in 2010. While in school, I worked as a salon receptionist at an upscale salon in Coral Gables and eventually became a makeup artist and hairstylist. In 2017, I realized I was not as passionate about hair and began interviewing for makeup artist jobs. There was an opportunity that I was so excited about and was honestly made to believe I had the job, but it fell through so
I decided to stick it out a little longer with hairstyling. I began developing some skin concerns, primarily acne & hyperpigmentation, and one of the salon’s clients happened to be an esthetician, so I scheduled my first ever facial. I was very intrigued, and not too long after, I had the chance to be a model for permanent makeup training at a really cool salon in Wynwood. I was obsessed with this place and its eccentric environment. I went home and looked at the Instagram page of the spa portion, and I wanted in. A week later, they posted a job ad for an esthetician position, and I got it with almost no experience in skincare, but my work ethic and personality sold them. Skills at the end of the day can be taught, and I am forever grateful to the owner and spa director for taking a chance on me. Fast forward to today, I now have my own beauty studio called GB Aesthetics near the same area where it all started.
I am a “multicultural skin therapist” but also a pre-nursing student. I provide services for all skin types and tones, but I focus on treating acne and hyperpigmentation in darker skin tones. I quickly realized the lack of representation in the skincare industry for skin of color, and I knew I wanted this to be my specialty. It is my responsibility to educate my clients and ethically perform services to enhance the overall health of their skin. I also offer natural-looking beauty enhancements such as permanent makeup, lash lifts, and brow shaping. As a nurse practitioner, I hope to provide hormone replacement therapy services with advanced skin services, specifically for those in the LGBT+ community. I want to create a luxury but affordable wellness/beauty center for those who have been often overlooked. I am so proud that I can provide a safe space for clients from all social and ethnic backgrounds, genders, and sexual orientations. I also take pride in promoting the idea that you don’t need to have a million bucks to look and feel like a million bucks. When you enter GB Aesthetics, it is more than just a beauty studio; it is an experience that you will remember forever.
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
I think my eagerness to learn helped build my reputation within my market. Whether it was doing my best to stay on top of knowing what’s current in my industry, learning new techniques, or studying products and ingredients, I have always understood that it is a disservice to my clients and me if I stop learning. Knowledge builds trust and provides the client with high-quality services that produce results. Showcasing those excellent results generated even more clients and boosted my reputation. My continuing education also kept me from making big mistakes that could have potentially harmed a client and ruined my reputation. I will always feel like there is more to learn, and relying on my knowledge is a huge factor in my growth.
What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?
The best source of new clients has been Instagram for me. Keeping up with my Instagram presence has been easier for me than on any other social media platform. I understand how to use it, and I know my insights and how to use it to my advantage. Potential clients get to know me a little more and bring in clients that match my energy, essential to me.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.linktree.com/glowbae_
- Instagram: @glowbae_
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GBAestheticsMiami