Students learn to perm, dye, braid and everything in between. (Rhett Brady/Community Impact)
A lifelong passion for hair and beauty can translate into many things, but for Etta Webb-Whitley, her passion turned into a launching pad for a school to help others follow their dreams.
How we got here
A native of Brenham, Webb-Whitley grew up in a household where her family took an interest in their appearance. Her passion started early and continued through grade school, where she did hair during seventh-grade football games.
“You are a product of your environment, and the fragrance of your life smells like the people you’re around,” Webb-Whitley said. “I am my mother, father, my siblings and Jesus.”
Webb-Whitley’s experience doing hair unlicensed led her to become a licensed cosmetologist and barber. The desire to open a school, however, came later.
After working at the post office and helping her sister open a school in Brenham, she set out to open her own business.
“I learned how to pivot,” Webb-Whitley said. “I could always go back to the post office. COVID is what made me see that people in your workspace don’t care about you. I didn’t just want to try this time.”
Webb-Whitley said the COVID-19 pandemic was transformative for her mindset and drive. Her story of perseverance and entrepreneurship in a difficult time for the industry led her to continue pivoting in unique ways.
“I was so sick and I thought my home was going to be my casket,” she said. “I started to sell and drink organic teas after my sickness and it helped me feel a lot better. That made me want to do more.”
Cassy Galizia, lead nail tech instructor, and Etta Webb-Whitley, Finetta owner, teach aspiring cosmetology professionals the fundamentals to the finish line. (Rhett Brady/Community Impact)(Rhett Brady/Community Impact)
A closer look
Before and since opening the Finetta Barber and Beauty Academy in College Station in 2021, Webb-Whitley was an advocate for getting licensed and keeping up with trends and licensure practices. The experience of now working with students led her to learn more about the practices in depth.
“You’ve gotta keep your finger on the pulse of what’s going on,” Webb-Whitley said. “It is important to be exposed to theory and practicum. We want to develop more professionals.”
The desire to create more professionals has influenced what she teaches and the way she prices the course. Webb-Whitley said she doesn’t want to price people out of following their dreams.
“We have students of all ages and backgrounds here,” Webb-Whitley said. “A lot of them have various barriers to entry to overcome: age, education, citizenship. Our prices are obtainable.”
Another point of view
Along with offering education for aspiring barbers and cosmetologists, the school offers nail tech, esthetician and eyelash training courses. Cassy Galizia, the lead nail tech instructor, is someone Webb-Whitley said she was extremely proud of.
“I finished my coursework here two years ago and then immediately started working here right after,” Galizia said. “Etta [Webb-Whitley] has been nothing but amazing to me and has helped me a lot.”
Etta Webb-Whitley's passion turned into a launching pad to help others follow their dreams. (Rhett Brady/Community Impact)(Rhett Brady/Community Impact)
Going forward
Having operated the school since 2021, Webb-Whitley said she doesn’t see herself slowing down in helping others develop themselves professionally and personally. She said her main goals are to “dominate, grow and build” the people who invest in her as much as she invests in them.
“If there’s something you want to do, don’t let your age, background or other factors stop you,” Webb-Whitley said. “Do not stop until you are living the life you dream of. We lead by example here.”
The Finetta Barber & Beauty Academy has two locations, with one in College Station and the other in Hearne. The school is currently accepting applications.
