Today we’d like to introduce you to Destinee Thomas.
Destinee, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I was born and raised in Montgomery, AL where I attended performing arts schools. I started to study dance and take it seriously in the sixth grade. I had been passionate about dancing and performing since I could walk. Needless to say, I decided that I wanted to be a professional dancer at an early age. Once it was time to apply for colleges, I had the most inspiring teacher of all of my years in school. It was then that I realized my passion for science. My passion for dance had faded and I fell in love with Auburn University, so that is where I chose to study science. While in college at Auburn University (main campus) earning my Bachelor of Science degree, women showed interest in my hair. I had been styling my own hair since kindergarten. I thought that was normal for all girls and expected. My friends let me know that it was not. It was a gift. The more women I met in college who expressed to me that they had no clue how to manage and care for their own hair, the more I regarded my hair care knowledge and abilities as a talent. Inspired by YouTube, I started my natural hair journey during my freshman year of college. I was constantly asked how I achieved styles, what products I used, and if I had a hair page on social media platforms like YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. I finally got fed up with saying no I did not post about hair, so I started an Instagram page, @tresstoimpress, in 2012. I posted pictorials and product reviews. It was so simple to snap pics of styles I did on my hair every day anyway and post. I did not take It seriously or expect it to expand beyond the people I directly shared the page with. Some of the posts started going viral (which was very different back then). Pages with thousands of followers and huge hair care companies started reposting my pictures. My friends started sending me pictures of myself from webpages I was not affiliated with. I was amazed, to say the least. The pictures were all selfies and the posts were thrown together and people loved it. I also saw dollar signs, so I began doing my colleagues’ hair for extra money while I was in school. This also provided content for @tresstoimpress. Currently, the Tress to Impress mission is to inspire women to embrace and flaunt their natural hair while supplying them with the tools and the survival guide to doing it.
As years passed, school got stressful and Instagram changed tremendously. I stopped posting around 2014 and stopped doing hair. Upon graduating and starting a career as a science teacher, I wanted to get back to learning to navigate the new Instagram and start Youtubing in my free time. I had no idea how time-consuming it was, but I was excited about being selected for brand ambassadorships and making money for posting pictures that I would normally post anyway. I fell off of the social media map yet again while earning my Master of Education from Auburn University at Montgomery. Now that I have completed that degree, I am rechanneling some of my energy to hair and learning how to turn that passion into a paycheck. It has been difficult to maintain my passion for science education and hair care, but I have learned that focusing on one without the other leaves a void in my heart.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It has not been a smooth road at all. Life never is! I have been sick almost to the point of death and doctors could not diagnose the illness. This led me to lose a job and the biggest college scholarship I was awarded in undergraduate school. I lost friends. I lost the love of my life, but God restores me after every loss. He gave me 2 degrees, better friends, and an engagement to my first love. (Won’t He do it?!) I get discouraged by daily obstacles. Not to mention, keeping up with social media changes is exhausting.
Above all, you have to remind yourself that what is for you cannot be granted to anyone else. So, you can take your time accomplishing your goals in life. Those who seek your blessings will not find them, and when you fail, you have only lost a blessing that is intended for someone else. Know your talents, choose the ones you are passionate about, and create your goals from there.
Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
First and foremost, I am a secondary science teacher (Class A Certificate). I teach middle school full-time. I love learning from others, and I love gifting my knowledge to others. I share knowledge (give and take) with my students every day. Even more than teaching science, I am sure that my students would agree that I am passionate about inspiring the youth to seek science for themselves and pursue careers in STEM (science, math, tech, and engineering). I prepare students for the ACT (college entry exam) part-time.
I am a certified lash technician. This requires me to customize individual lash extensions for my clients. I am currently servicing the Montgomery, AL area. Direct message me on Instagram if you are interested in services.
I am the creator of @tresstoimpress on Instagram and YouTube. I partner with brands to sponsor giveaways and provide natural hair inspiration. Creating the content on Instagram has afforded me the most recent opportunity of becoming a Top Mielle Maven for Mielle Organics Haircare. So, shop mielleorganics.com and use the discount code “Destinee” at checkout whenever you are ready to grow long, healthy tresses. I am a brand ambassador for other smaller companies as well. Follow my page for discount codes.
Finding a mentor and building a network are often cited in studies as a major factor impacting one’s success. Do you have any advice or lessons to share regarding finding a mentor or networking in general?
The best mentor is one who has reached the level of success you dream of. When you find those people start building personal relationships with them. For me, mentors are always people I have naturally crossed but never looked for. When you pinpoint good mentors, quickly determine what you can bring to the table so the mentorship is an exchange rather than one-sided. It has been my experience that mentors are more invested when I (as the mentee) have had the knowledge to offer as well. My goal is to reach success while I am still young; so, I keep in touch with my mentors and absorb as much as I can in hopes that I may reach some goals they did, but faster.
I seek personal advice from those proven to be trustworthy. Keep in touch with the people you meet. I have scheduled appointments with old college instructors who were complete strangers to me for career advice simply because they have been in the positions I wish to be in. Do not be afraid to build relationships at work. I separate personal friendships and work relationships. It is important to be comfortable in your own skin at work, but it is not necessary to completely be yourself and let your guard down.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5g6DC_Y2VIT6cAe9ixrdIQ?view_as=subscriber
- Email: tresses334@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tresstoimpress/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/destinee.thomas.98434
Image Credit:
@revived_photography, @director_tpipp, @tresstoimpress
Getting in touch: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
