We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Sheena Morning a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Sheena thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Have you ever had an amazing boss? What did you learn from them? Maybe you can share a story that illustrates the kind of boss they were or maybe you can share your thoughts on what you think made them an awesome person to work for?
Tanya Dickens… I will never forget her as long as I live. Tanya gave me my first job as a hairstylist after graduating from Mitchell’s Hairstyling Academy. Now, I was practically raised in the salon environment. My Great-Aunt was a cosmetologist and cosmetology school owner, and my mother is a retired cosmetologist and cosmetology instructor. However, my experience working with Tanya was different. From a business perspective, she ran her salon in a way that I had never witnessed before. She definitely assisted me in cultivating my craft as a stylist, but she also taught me the importance of being a professional businesswoman. During my “down time” at the salon, Tanya required me to read books that pertain to self-development, do entry level bookkeeping for the business, teach classes amongst other things. Tanya also saw the gift of public speaking that I have and encouraged me to join the ToastMasters organization to help hone my gift as a speaker, in which I did. Tanya also encouraged me to enroll in the local Community College and take business classes, which has been beneficial to me to this very day. To be completely honest, I did not have the capacity to appreciate her business acumen and leadership in the way that I do now. Hindsight is 20/20, and when I reflect back on my time with her, she was such a vital example and person in my life that served as a glimpse of the caliber of woman that I aspire to be.
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 background and context?
My name is Sheena Morning and I was born and raised in Raleigh, NC. I often say that I was “raised” in the salon environment due to my great-aunt and mom being cosmetologists, which is ultimately how I got into the cosmetology industry. What I am most proud of is that I am continuing a legacy that began with my late great-aunt in the 1950’s.
Civella Beauty Academy is a post-secondary learning institution which offers courses in Cosmetology and Natura Hair Care. Our students complete our programs anywhere from 6-15 months. At Civella, we prepare them to sit for their written and practical North Carolina State Board Exams. Once our students successfully pass their boards, they are licensed to practice by the state of North Carolina. I would say that Civella’s superpower is the learning and growth environment. The students don’t just learn about beauty and hair. They also learn more about who they are as individuals which fosters a beautiful growth experience. Very rarely are they the same person when they exit Civella. What I would love for people to know about Civella is that our students gain working knowledge and practical skills that allow them to contribute to mankind by providing services that promote beauty, self-confidence, self-love and so much more to the men and women they serve. Also, the trade of cosmetology positions them to become successful and productive entrepreneurs. The skills they take away allows them to provide for themselves and their current/future families. Civella Beauty Academy is all about planting seeds in the lives of our students that will one day blossom into amazing legacies.
The work that I do extends far beyond hair and beauty. I literally witness our students fulfill their dreams.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
Resilience, it is a must have for this journey called entrepreneurship because we never know what we are going to encounter along the way. When I embarked upon the Civella journey in 2018, I was married at the time. Although the dream and vision of owning a cosmetology school became alive within me way before I got married, there was a sense of safety to begin this huge endeavor with someone who believed in my vision versus trying to do this all on my own. Well, in 2019 we decided to separate which led to divorce. Again, this was a dream and vision that I had well before getting married, so I had to decide if I was going to keep moving forward with my dream. For anyone who has gone through a divorce, you know that it is one of the most grueling things that a person can experience. Now, add on top of that the HUGE responsibility of a brand new business, a post-secondary learning institution at that. I stepped out on faith and I made the decision to move forward with what I believe to be one of my purpose driven dreams. It was so hard! I was stressed on so many levels. I wore all the hats within the business (sometimes that’s what it takes) while trying to maintain my mentality. One thing’s for sure that I know is that God’s grace and mercy will get me through any situation. As time went on, the sun began to shine and my business started taking a turn for the better, as did my personal life. Without the inner resilience that I had to keep going no matter what, I would not be here sharing my story with you today.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
Pivot, I love that word because it’s such a reflection of life. I’ve had to pivot so many times, especially since I opened Civella Beauty Academy. I had to pivot personally for the sake of my business. When I started my business, I gave my all. I’m talking physical, emotional and financial. When I separated from the marriage, I made the decision to move back home with my mom in order to maintain my business financially, That was a hard pivot at 36 years old. However, I’m so grateful to have a mom that allowed me that opportunity during such a hard season of my life. I also had to pivot and readjust the way I operated my business during the pandemic. The crazy thing is right before Covid hits us as a new business we’re starting to gain traction and find our rhythm and then boom, we’re all shut down. So for a period of time, we relied heavily on distance and virtual learning. Although we don’t offer nearly as much distance learning, it is now part of our ongoing curriculum at Civella. This new edition has been very beneficial for our staff, students and the overall efficiency of our academy. So I heavily believe in the power of the pivot.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.civellabeautyacademy.com
- Instagram: civellabeautyacademy
- Facebook: Civella Beauty Academy
- Linkedin: Sheena Morning
Image Credits
Pharen Lopez of Pharenheit Photography