We were lucky to catch up with Di Tran recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Di thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

I came to the United States as a teenager with no English and no connections. I worked day and night, learned engineering, started small businesses, and found joy in serving others. Over the years, I met many immigrants, working mothers, and underrepresented individuals who had incredible talent in beauty but lacked access to education — often because of language barriers, life responsibilities, or fear.

I realized there was a gap no one was addressing: beauty education that was humanized — simple, accessible, compassionate, and culturally sensitive. With my engineering mindset and servant heart, I envisioned a school built not just to license professionals but to elevate human beings.

Louisville Beauty Academy was born from that vision. I started from scratch — cleaning, building, filing paperwork, teaching, and mentoring. I knew it would work because beauty is universal, and when you pair education with empathy, you unlock potential. Today, nearly 2,000 graduates contribute $20–50M annually to our state’s economy, and the model is inspiring a new era of workforce development.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I came to the United States as a teenager with no English, no money, and no connections. Through years of relentless work, faith, and learning, I became a computer engineer, small business owner, author, and educator. My journey has always been centered on one core belief: human potential is limitless when education is accessible and delivered with compassion.

I founded Louisville Beauty Academy, a Kentucky state-licensed and nationally recognized beauty college, to serve immigrants, working mothers, and underserved communities who often felt left out of traditional education systems. We focus on humanized beauty education—making licensing pathways simple, supportive, and culturally inclusive. Since our founding, we’ve graduated nearly 2,000 licensed beauty professionals, contributing $20–50 million annually to Kentucky’s economy.

Alongside the academy, I created Di Tran University – College of Humanization, focusing on developing practical, AI-proof skills and mindset training for the workforce of tomorrow. I’ve also authored over 120 self-help, business, and beauty books, produce motivational music, and actively mentor youth through community programs.

What sets us apart is our holistic, people-first approach. We don’t just teach technical skills—we elevate human beings through discipline, empathy, and faith. My greatest pride is seeing students—many of whom started with fear and little English—graduate, build businesses, and become leaders in their families and communities.

I want the world to know that beauty is not just skin deep—it’s a vehicle for economic empowerment and human transformation. Louisville Beauty Academy and Di Tran University are living proof that one person’s “Yes, I can” can ignite thousands of others.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

When I first started Louisville Beauty Academy, I had no investors, no network in the beauty industry, and English was still my second language. I remember waking up at 5 AM every morning to clean, file paperwork, and build the school piece by piece—sometimes literally with my own hands. There were moments when state regulations felt overwhelming, when funds were low, and when people doubted that an immigrant like me could run a state-accredited institution.

But I leaned into resilience—the belief that 1 action equals 1 win. Instead of focusing on the mountain, I focused on the next step: one student, one form, one classroom. Slowly, those micro-actions added up. Today, Louisville Beauty Academy has graduated nearly 2,000 students, many of them immigrants, single parents, or individuals who had been told “no” their whole lives.

Resilience, for me, isn’t about never falling—it’s about standing back up with gratitude, faith, and service. That mindset has carried me from a boy who couldn’t speak English to a founder recognized among America’s Top 100 Small Businesses.

Have you ever had to pivot?

One of the biggest pivots in my journey happened when I realized that the traditional beauty education model didn’t work for many of the students I wanted to serve — especially immigrants, working mothers, and people learning English. Initially, Louisville Beauty Academy followed a standard, one-size-fits-all structure. But I saw that many passionate students were dropping out or feeling overwhelmed because the system wasn’t built for them.

Instead of accepting that as “the way it is,” I made a bold pivot: we redesigned our approach around humanization. We simplified licensing pathways, introduced flexible schedules, focused on emotional support, and delivered education in culturally sensitive, compassionate ways. We didn’t lower standards—we made the journey more accessible and humane.

That pivot completely transformed the school. Enrollment grew, retention skyrocketed, and students who once felt left behind began graduating, opening businesses, and inspiring others. It was a reminder that sometimes the smartest pivot isn’t about chasing trends—it’s about listening deeply to the people you serve and building systems that fit them, not the other way around.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://louisvillebeautyacademy.net/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/louisvillebeautyacademy/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LouisvilleBeautyAcademy/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/school/12953824/admin/dashboard/
• Twitter: https://x.com/LouBAcademy
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@louisvillebeautyacademy