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What does Education REALLY mean?

The world has sure changed over my years in this industry. What I see more and more is social media having a huge part in every aspect of our lives. This is both scary and exciting. Exciting because we have SO much more information at our disposal, and scary for the exact same reason. All the information in the world is no good to us if we don’t know how to eliminate the nonsense from the truth. When it comes to the Beauty Industry what I am referring to is Nail Technicians, for example, taking YouTube videos as a form of Education. This is when I get this question. Why do I have to pay for Education from a Certified Educator when I can learn it ALL on YouTube?
The best way to explain the importance of Education is to talk about it ALL. Please remember that I am talking about the majority here…there is ALWAYS someone that can do things (art wise) without being formally taught. So please keep this in mind when I discuss this topic  Also keep in mind that the integrity of this industry starts and ends with us all working together. We are all in the BEAUTY BUSINESS to make money….this includes Manufactures selling products to Distributors, Distributors selling to YOU the Beauty Professional, reputable Educators using their knowledge, passion, and experience(5 years or more) to teach and troubleshoot most often for a Manufacturer, and of course ALL of the Nail Technicians working on the clientele, educating them on why professionals like us are necessary and not to trust all the DIY ideas out there.
PICTURE TUTORIALS WITH DESCRIPTION
This is an important resource to remember techniques that you have learned in a workshop. When looking at tutorials such as these, for the most part, there is information that will be lost in translation. Do NOT rely on these as 100% Education. Most picture tutorials can help you with a different design idea of a technique you already know, but most techs will have issues learning something new in this way and should ALWAYS remember that companies and Nail Professionals that take the time to do these tutorials do them in conjunction with the product they are selling and/or their expertise they have spent years and money acquiring the skills necessary to offer this service.

VIDEO TUTORIALS
Generally speaking, Video Tutorials are made to help Professionals in the industry understand how a product is used or to give a basic understanding of how you can do certain techniques in real time. The option of video tutorials is not there to replace good old fashioned EDUCATION. It is important to remember that your customers are able to watch these videos as well, so going to a workshop is most often necessary to learn ALL the proper techniques.
EDUCATION
Paying someone to teach you a skill, ANY skill is important to research as well….most often if you research the company associated with the Education provided you will learn through their reputation what type of education they provide.

If you know anything about me, I am an information fanatic. I ALWAYS find the best way to do something and I ALWAYS ask the questions no one else will. What I know for sure is that this industry can only survive when ALL levels, from the Manufacturer to the Retail Customer(Client), work together, trust and respect each level for the importance that they possess. I hope you enjoyed this read.
Lisa Leibel