Life & Work with Amber Hannah

Amber, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I started playing with nails during our first lockdown for covid. I was bored just working from home and figured I needed to pick up a new hobby so I went to my nearest beauty supply store and purchased the basics, some practice fingers, nail tips, acrylic powder, and monomer. I went home that night to my small apartment and practiced. [Can you imagine how strong the smell was in there? Lol] I was actually better at it than I thought I would be, so I decided to practice every day. I began to realize that not only was I good at it, but I felt at peace while doing so. I noticed that it allowed me to tap into a creative side that I didn’t know I had. A few months passed and I decided to do nails as a career but I first needed the proper training and to obtain my Nail Technician license. I started nail school June of 2020 and completely fell in love with everything nails. I participated in different activities my school offered such as nail competitions and fashion shows. Unfortunately, due to scams, etc. at the school I chose, I was forced to unenroll from the school. I was devastated and lost because I was in love with it but didn’t know where to turn next. The thing was, I already obtained an associates degree from The Art Institute of Atlanta so I wasn’t able to take out another student loan and after paying for the previous school out of pocket, I didn’t know where to turn next. But thankfully, I found another school by January 2021 and was able to fully complete the school and obtain my certificate by April. I studied HARD for both of my stateboard exams and got my Nail technician license in September 2021. Since then, I have worked in a salon and from home. I also began to make custom press on nails for clients who requested them. I am still learning and growing in my career and have big dreams for the years to come.Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?

It has not been a smooth road at all. As I mentioned previously, I endured a time at my first nail school where I was scammed out of my money. I was paying for school out of pocket and for the institution to do that to me was devastating and made me want to give up. It was a disaster. But a little voice told me to keep pushing and I did!As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?

I am a nail technician and I specialize in acrylic nails. I am actually originally known for my baking because I started off with a cupcake business. I am most proud of my creativity because I tend to step out of the box and see what hand-crafted designs I can do. My favorite time was creating a set of press on nails with a hand-crafted design inspired by the Netflix series “Squid Games” because of the detail being so intricate and fun. I am at peace when I’m designing. What sets me apart from others is the way I care for my clients. I’m not the nail tech who’s just doing it for the money, I actually love what I do and I genuinely care about the health and wellness of my client’s nails.Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?

The most important lessons I’ve learned was to be patient and do everything with love. Patience is a virtue and when working in a field like mine, if you don’t have patience, you won’t succeed.