Claire Crone set up The Finishing School when she saw a gap in the market for teaching invaluable skills to equip teenagers and adults alike with extra confidence. A qualified and experienced Quantity Surveyor, Claire decided to pursue her passion for grooming and etiquette in 2010.

This passion was first stoked when, as a teenager, Claire thoroughly enjoyed attending Bev Livingstone's Finishing School in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. It gave her the knowledge and confidence to take on opportunities that arose, without apprehension. The skills learnt, put her in good stead and it opened up other doors that she knew she wouldn't have seized had she not had the relevant skills and confidence.

Claire has direct experience with all the course topics. Here is a brief run-down of Claire Crone before she set up The Finishing School:

-  At the age of 18, Claire was approached, at the University of Port Elizabeth,
    to participate in her first pageant. Two crownings, subsequently led to her
    participation in the week-long finals of two National pageants;
    representing Port Elizabeth at “Miss South Africa: Eastern Cape" finals and
    “Miss China South Africa”.

-  She worked for over 10 years in her family-run restaurant & take-away
    business in Port Elizabeth. She knows from first hand experience what
    going the extra mile - in terms of service & presentation - does for
    customer retention, building relationships and getting tips!

-  She worked in a department store while at college so again learned that
    presentation, grooming and manners can make a huge difference when
    dealing with general public and earning extra commission.

-  Claire worked for 11 years as a quantity surveyor, managing multi-million
    Euro projects, focusing on decision- making as an associate director,
    working with peers of different cultures, and selling to potential clients.

With all this experience, Claire can speak about the importance of grooming, etiquette, deportment and responding to questions in high pressure situations. With her unique perspective, Claire will give advice and mentor young women to complete their "whole package".

Claire holds a certificate for 'Teaching Etiquette to Teenagers', participated in the Miss South Africa workshop, and has knowledge gained over 20 years.

In one sentence, Claire summarises the ethos of The Finishing School "A desire that all people are confident & sufficiently prepared with the personal skills (inward and outward) to excel in the real world; especially young people who have their whole lives ahead."  

Click here to read our Core Values

Find Claire Crone on Linked-In