Meet Monay Thomas of Glamgirl By Mo in Decatur

Today we’d like to introduce you to Monay Thomas.

Monay, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Hello!!! My name is Monay but I’m known to some as Mo. I’m 29 and I’m originally from Atlanta. I’m the second child of five but I was raised by my aunt so I didn’t grow up in the same household as my siblings. As a child, I struggled with a lot of things but not many people knew my struggles. I hid them very well. My mother was and still is today addicted to alcohol and drugs. With my mother being addicted to drugs I felt like my life was very complicated and at times I didn’t think I was given a fair chance at life. I didn’t think I could be myself. I didn’t know who I was but I never complained or mentioned that to anyone, I just knew how to keep going and how to make the best of every situation without explaining to people my mother’s addiction or why I was extremely emotional at times. As time passed, I learned to ignore what was going on and act like it never existed. I learned to cope without even knowing that I was holding in emotions that would catch up with me later in life in other aspects of life but that’s another story for a different day.

Fast forward in 2015, I worked for a mortgage company. I hated it. I dreaded going to work. I would take long breaks and leave early. I would sit at my desk all day and do any and everything except my work. I would look at lashes all day. I would talk to my co-workers about how much I loved lashes and I wish I had the money to take a Lash Class. Lol I told them that I would be so good at it not knowing what it takes to be a Lash Artist. As time went on I asked a couple of friends to invest in me. They all said No but I was still determined to make a way. I eventually I quit my job and became a substitute teacher for Atlanta Public Schools. I loved the schools, the children, and the people I came in contact with. As the months went on I became depressed. I felt like I wasn’t doing enough. I felt like I was more than a substitute teacher. I knew I was more than what I was doing at the moment. I was depressed without knowing. I started to feel unworthy which led to me going out and drinking more than I had before. By December, I realized I had a problem and told my grandma that I needed help. She told me I was fine.

Three days later, I had a car accident due to drunk driving. Thank God I didn’t kill myself or the two ladies that were in the vehicle that I hit. I was hospitalized for two days because my heart rate and anxiety was extremely high. To the point that I was on medication to decrease my heart rate. I knew my life was over. I thought I’d serve jail time and lose my job that I started a month before the car accident. I accepted a permanent position at an elementary school but God had other plans for me. While waiting to appear in court I became very depressed but I knew my life had purpose which is why I decided to invest in myself by taking a Lash Class. I knew that I had to start living for me and making decisions that I was happy with. After my Lash Class I was determined to become great and build a brand. During that time I didn’t know my brand but I knew my business was bigger than I could imagine. I knew building my business would take a lot of hard work and dedication.

While working in the school system I made sure everyday after work that I did someone’s lashes. I worked seven days a week. I was tired but I knew I had to do it. I knew I had to perfect my craft and become great. I worked long day and nights. Which brings me where I am today. Ive come a long way but I still have ways to go. I’m extremely proud of myself. As much as I wanted to quit I never gave up. I won’t say that I’m fully booked but I can say that I definitely have some awesome loyal clients and I would not trade them for the world. Lashing is my life, lashing is my peace, lashing is more than applying lashes to a beautiful face. It’s more like building a relationship while making another woman feel great. I hope to grow my brand but I haven’t figured out exactly how. I came up with the slogan Be You, Be Bold & Be A Glamgirl! Be yourself at all times. No matter what you’re going through or how your life looks at the moment. Be the best version of you. Be Bold because in life we will have to make bold decisions and there’s no need to be afraid or to care what others think. And at all times Be A Glamgirl. Just be Glamorous!

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It has not been a smooth road. I’ve struggled with being confident and trusting myself. At times I wanted to quit because in the beginning lashing was not easy. It was hard. Extremely hard! You have to have a lot of patience and know when to breathe and relax because not all eyelashes look the same and some people have lashes that are difficult to lash. Plus when you work for yourself it gets overwhelming. You have to do everything for your business, (manage website, possibly contact clients, market, send emails, weekly schedule) and not to mention have a personal/ social life, possibly work a part-time job, & do yoga. It’s not enough time in a day😩 . In the beginning, I also struggled because I felt like I didn’t get or have the support from people that were close to me but that doesn’t matter to me now. I know that I was getting the support from who I needed it from.

Please tell us about Glamgirl By Mo.
Glamgirl by Mo was created to make your everyday beauty needs affordable and simple. My mission is to make you feel glamourous even when you don’t feel like it. I specialize in Mink lash extensions. I’m known for creating nice, neat, natural lashes that aren’t over bearing and too much. As a company, I am most proud of sticking to what I believe in because as Lash Artist it is my overall goal is to ensure that my client’s natural lashes remain healthy while wearing lash extensions. I like to create each set of lashes based on the client’s natural lashes to enhance what you already have and when you decide that you no longer want to wear lash extensions or take a break you still have your natural lashes. What sets me apart from other lash artist is that I have my own style of lashing and I like to create an environment that’s private, relaxing, calm, and quiet for my clients to get the best lash nap ever!

If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
If I had to start over, I wouldn’t do to many things differently but I would have created a website in the beginning for online booking and management. A website makes your business easy to manage plus I absolutely hate getting text messages about appointments 😬 I would also be more stricter with my late policy because it’s hard to break old habits. Time is very important to me!

Contact Info:

• Address: 3290 Memorial Drive
  Decatur, Ga 30030 Ste B3
• Website: www.Glamgirlbymo.com
• Phone: 16784722303
• Email: mo@glamgirlbymo.com
• Instagram: Glamgirl_by_mo
• Facebook: Glamgirlbymo
• Twitter: Glamgirl_by_mo
• Yelp: https://yelp.to/qTKq/i2SFezf9ZY
• Other: Glamgirlbymo

Image Credit:
Photos taken by Monay Thomas

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