I officially began my nail career in 2013. However, the desire sparked before high school. I've always had the desire & ability to do nails. One of the factors in choosing the high school I attended was that it had a vocational/technical program that included cosmetology. However, after finally making my decision to attend, I learned that the cosmetology slots were filled. I revisited the opportunity to pursue nails the summer after my senior year. I went to my parents after researching a nail program that was holding summer classes. At this point, my parents' resources and energies were to get me prepared to go away to college. So, I went on to complete my Bachelor of Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign. During that time, I also had my first child and got married. So starting my nail career wasn't at the forefront of my priorities. I worked for a few corporations before the nudge to pivot to my passion came. I attended Dudley Beauty College while working full-time as a manager for a Fortune 100 company. Upon completion of my nail program, I almost immediately took my licensing exam in April 2013. I resigned from that company in October 2013 and opened A Polished Work nail spa lounge. That's the short version.