From Nail Bar to New Beginnings: 17 Years, One Wild Ride

 

From Nail Bar to New Beginnings: 17 Years, One Wild Ride

A few more years passed, and I was still at the nail bar — actually, quite a few more. I loved being a supervisor. I loved being with my girls. There was something special about that space, that energy — like a little bubble of laughter, tears, and ten different shades of pink polish.

So, what was life looking like by then?

Well, I had the house already, didn’t I? Renovating that place was no joke — it took a while (she was a bit of a witch, if I’m honest), but it was so worth it. I was juggling the work routine, building my life, keeping it all spinning. And then, because I clearly didn’t have enough on my plate… I decided to get married.

Because of course I did.

My ladies at work had seen it all — literally watched me grow up. From that wide-eyed younger version of me, through holidays with the girls, boyfriends, heartbreaks, passing my driving test, meeting the one, buying a house, getting married, and eventually… having children.

Some of those ladies? I still see them today — seventeen years later. That blows my mind.

It makes them feel old, and it makes me realise how fast life really flies.

Then Came Baby… and a Big Shift

Fast forward a year from my wedding, and I was pregnant with my eldest — my boy. That’s when things at work started to shift.

The girls were still amazing. But management? Not so much. Something started to drift. I had no idea why. I was still putting in the hours, still taking calls, doing paperwork, running the show — everything short of sleeping there.

But something had changed in me. I’d started to see things more clearly. I knew what was right, and what wasn’t. And I was no longer going to stand for what didn’t feel right.

Maybe that’s what ruffled a few feathers — I wasn’t a pushover anymore.

I had to make a few stands for myself. Because now, it wasn’t just about me. I had someone else to think about — and that changed everything.

Looking Back, Looking Forward

Seventeen years. One job. One house. One wedding. One baby (well, more than one now, but let’s not jump ahead!).

It’s wild to look back on that girl I used to be — full of dreams, insecurities, hustle, heartbreak, and hope. And it’s even more wild to see how far she’s come.

Sometimes we don’t realise we’re growing until we look behind us and see how far we’ve climbed.