Scratch Stars Educator of the Year 2025 shares secrets to nail industry success

Michelle Brookes is an award-winning nail technician & educator who won Scratch Stars Educator of the Year for the second time in July. She tells Scratch what makes a good educator, how her processes have evolved and what’s next for her career…

“Winning the Scratch Stars Educator of the Year award 2025 was a huge honour,” Michelle smiles. “I was up against some incredible educators, and I honestly felt it could have been anyone’s year. That’s why it means the world to me.”

Michelle Brookes is no stranger to a Scratch Star, having won previously in 2022, and she raves about the process, especially the awards ceremony. “It truly is the best night of the year for the nail industry. The atmosphere, the celebrations, the pride, the joy – it gives me goosebumps every time.”

As a renowned education specialist, Michelle has honed her craft over the years. She gives Scratch insight into what makes her approach to education unique: “I believe my attention to detail is what truly sets me apart. Most of my courses are long and in-depth. For example, one of my most popular courses is NVQ Level 3 Nail Services, aimed at students who have completed basic training and want to upskill to a full qualification. I ensure all units are challenging for my learners.”

She continues: “Initial assessments are a key part of my process – something I find many educators skip. I can spend the first two to three weeks assessing learners and creating tailored lesson plans to push them throughout the programme. I make sure all resources are up-to-date, and I regularly refresh them. I also film my lessons so students can revisit the material whenever they need to.”

Michelle notes that a successful educator ‘needs to understand that their students are not competition once qualified’. She believes they ‘should share everything they know and hold nothing back’. She adds that patience is another essential trait, stating: “Only around 30% of what is taught is retained the first time. This means repetition, asking ‘why’ and testing throughout are key to ensuring lasting learning.”

Teaching brings Michelle a sense of joy and fulfilment. She tells Scratch about a recent experience where she was able to improve a student’s time management skills. With Michelle’s guidance, the student was able to go from taking six hours to complete a nail set, to just two hours. “Not only did this give her a huge sense of achievement, but it also tripled her income and made her work-life balance so much better,” Michelle comments. “Moments like that are exactly why I teach.”

Looking to the future, Michelle hopes to continue educating others, saying that she has been offered the ‘opportunity to mentor other educators and develop both them and their courses’. She adds: “This feels like the natural next step for me.”

In terms of the Scratch Stars Awards, Michelle says she would love to win Educator of the Year one more time and make it into the Hall Of Fame. In the meantime, she is preparing for her September intake of Nail Services students and will be delivering new Artistic Nail Design conversion courses for Sweet Squared.

Keep up-to-date with Michelle on Instagram, Facebook and via her website.