What Are Your Goals?

[Sassy Hassy]

This is probably gonna sound really nasty, I love my daughter so much but after being stuck at home for 2 years and as Im a single parent aswell, Im just itching to get out and work! when Im doing any training I just feel really free, like my old self again because Im enjoying myself so much! And all my friends say to me when im doing their nails 'dont you get bored doing the same thing over and over' but I honestly dont. I get really into it and dont want to stop!

There's no hope for me! Im obviously a born geek...x

Honey you just sound human to me! I've been a single mum for the past 11 years and I love my girls to bits, but they are nearly 17 and 20 now and I am just feeling like I am starting to get my own life back (their dad didn't help me much with their upbringing). I am starting to take life less seriously as the responsiibility of looking after them 24/7 is getting less and less.

And I never get bored with doing nails either, no two hands are the same and no two clients are the same,and what we do has an artisitc skill to it. I love my job and I'm starting to live my life again so I so know where you are coming from - even though we're a generation apart.

You go girl!

 

[holliejayne]

Keira's dad left 7 months ago, I think even the most stable relationships can break down when kids come along! but Ive just about got over that now and I just want to go out and do something with my life, daytime tv just doesnt do it for me anymore! I think my main goal is to support myself and my daughter and get off these benefits cos Im so sick of being poor! and obviously the idea of making money doing something I love is very appealing!

 

[alana]

i have just enrolled on the pronails gel course and once i ahve done this i intend to do their xperts acrylic course and hopefully after some practise on friends and family go into the big wide world and offer my services as a mobile

my friend works in a salon and has a free table but i really dont know if i would be confident enough after just 2 courses
in my little dream world i would start mobile, then maybe work in a salon for a litttle while- year?? then ideally i would love to open my own salon- but i live i london and its so expensive- better start saving those pennies though as i want it so badly!!!!!

 

[Mrs.Clooney]

Keira's dad left 7 months ago, I think even the most stable relationships can break down when kids come along! but Ive just about got over that now and I just want to go out and do something with my life, daytime tv just doesnt do it for me anymore! I think my main goal is to support myself and my daughter and get off these benefits cos Im so sick of being poor! and obviously the idea of making money doing something I love is very appealing!

Such an open and honest post. Good on you for wanting the best for yourself and Keira and I hope you really succeed.

 

[holliejayne]

If my honesty can help someone else in the same situation then its worth it! Ive got nothing to be ashamed of. Chatting on here just feels like one big girly chat anyway so i find it quite easy to open up!

 

[Mrs.Clooney]

Yeah, my turn Kimmi! I know you can't realistically reply to everyone.... you'll be here forever, but I would really value your input.
Brief History:- Qualified as a professional nurse and married a doctor. He was working hard, studying, taking exams and although nursing was my calling I was not really fulfilled. Long unsociable hours, exhausting work in intensive care and a hubby who was never home. Had our first baby girl afterwhich I developed very serious post natal depression and felt like single parent due to hubby's work = serious strain on marriage. His work bought us to UK and with me on counselling and Prozac we fell in love again and took second honeymoon and had second baby girl. Depression absent this time and I learnt what it was to be a mum and so in love with my baby. Haven't nursed since leaving South Africa 8 years ago and didn't want to anyway but needed to find my niche which turn out to be nails. Happened upon NAILS quite by chance and have fallen in love with what is now my hobby and my part time job.
Hobby or profession? It's both. I consider myself a professional trying to gain experience as I am only 6 months into it now.
When will I go full time? Trying to build up my own business at the mo. Would love to go full time but am still marketing myself and trying to build clientel. Also have a 2 1/2 yr old in child care 4 days a week, but hubby won't pay for more and our 11 yr old is dyslexic and needs my support re her learning difficulties. Have just moved her out of a school where she was horribly bullied and not supported by staff and is due to start at a new private school which although mainstream, caters mostly for kids with learning difficulties. This has been a HUGE strain for me but hopefully she will get the help she needs now.
Do I want my own salon? Yes! Eventually I think I would really love that. I especially enjoy sharing knowledge and teaching so it would probably involve training techs.
Do I want to be mobile or home based? Home based preferably and only doing mobile now as I am building my business.
What's stopping me? Like Holliejayne, I ADORE being a mum and love my girls to bits, but 7 or so years in depression with an absent husband and moving country and home several times, I really need time for ME now. I'm 41 and although my husbands hours are better now he still works sooo hard. He's not happy at all in his job (NHS plus no funding plus politics etc....) and sometimes I feel guilty about loving what I do so much. Does this sound selfish? His salary, however, pays the bills (mortgage, schooling etc....) so I have to be available for the girls.
How do I intend to achieve my goal? Kids need to be more independant so that is a few years away yet. Hubby financed my buisness start up costs and although he does not want me to pay him back , I need to know that I have earned the equivalent of the start up costs, because anything after that is my profit.... something I have done myself. I am keeping records of my ins and outs, clients, stocks etc.... and keep marketing myself so that my client base grows. Also attending shows and keeping up to date with knowledge and trends.
When do I plan to achieve this? When kids are a bit older, more settled, client base built up and money permitting! In this lifetime I hope!

I would rep you for this thread. It's a damn good one but gave you one yesterday and can't rep you again yet. Sorry!

 

[holliejayne]

Just wanted to let all the geeks who gave me such fantastic advice to know, that aswell as already being on a manicure and pedicure course in september, I got a call yesterday from my local college offering me an interview for a place on the vtct nail treatments and nail technology course also in september.

The only problem is they are both on monday. So i'll have to drop my daughter at nursery at 8.30, be at the vtct course for 9.30 - 5.30 then run to the train station and get to the other college 15 miles away 5 mins before the mani/pedi course starts at 6! and this is for 4 months!

Hopefully this is my big break though and after this i can get out there and work again!

I'll let you all know how i get on.


I have one problem though that i need advice on pleeeeease.....
I have naturally very long nails and I never wear enhancments but for the purpose of impressing the person interviewing me someone from the college told me to do my own nails, but I dont really want to ruin mine cos they are very soft and even buffing them too much can make them split so does anyone have any ideas as to what else i could do???

 

[Fingertips ND]

I would do a very subtle natural nail overlay in gel!

 

[Northern Nails]

Hi, just read you message in the shout box, so i hunted you down...lol.


Anyhow back to your question about doing you own nails. I personally wouldn't think it would make an ounce of difference to the tutor wether you did you own nails or not, to be honest with you as in my opinion as long as you are willing to put the time and comittment into your course i think that is all the tutor will be wanting. there are alot of nail techs who do do their own nails, this dosen't mean that they can't do a fab set.

As far as your own nails go keep them at a workable length and buff them to a high shine, maybe a top coat or a french manicure, i don't really think it matters. And if the tutor does look at yur nails which she probably wont anyway, at least you can say that you have natural healthy nails and this is the main thing.

As for dong both the courses, do yu really need to?

 

[Glorsclaws]

Woah! hold on a mo...am I reading this right???
Why do you need to have your nails done to 'impress the person' teaching?
Youre going to college to learn...not to impress!
When I did my nail enhancement course at college we were specifically asked not to wear enahancements as we would be working on each other and anyway...if you knew how to 'do enahancements' you wouldnt need to be on the course in the first place!
If i were you, I would make your lovely natural nails look the best you can with either a french mani or a lovely colour on them, maybe a little subtle nail art (flick or flower).
Just my opinion hun but I certainly wouldnt go enahncing as youll only have to get the product off to be worked on by other students anyway. x

 

[Glorsclaws]

Ooh I have just re read your post again hun.
Dont want to pour cold water cos I can see you really want to get your teeth into this but, I dont see how doing the 2 courses side by side can work.
For it to work you will need to remove any enhancements put on in your Enahancements course ready for the next manicure course, as in manicure you wont be allowed to wear them because the emphasis is on looking after the natural nails.
I might be wrong here...but thats how it was at my college. You may need to clarify this with your mani tutor before you start. Either way hun, its going to be hard on you....such a lot to take in, as well as childcare and work on your own nails.
Is it not possible to do the mani course first & start the enhancements after Xmas, wont be so hard on you or your little girl then either! :hug:

 

[holliejayne]

Thats a good point, I didnt think of that! The main problem is, the vtct course is better because it covers a lot more subjects but the mani/pedi course is already paid for and I dont know if I'll be able to get my money back if I cancel. Im gonna have to rethink this!

Thankyou so much for that, I couldnt of really messed things up if I hadnt thought of that!

 

[rainbowstar]

So, I'd love to hear what your goals are...
Kimmi, my goals are as follows;
Short-term, to be able to do a job I enjoy and which provides me with a high level of job satisfaction/self-confidence and contributes to the household income, and do it on my own terms i.e. self-employed so I can also enjoy my children while they are young - being a mum is still my main priority but becoming a nail tech is something I've wanted to do for a while and it's something I want to do for myself which I can build on in coming years. It's also financially draining with 2 kids let alone 3, and we are finding it harder than ever to live on one wage, so if I were able to contribute a few quid a week it'd come in very handy.
Long term, I would love to expand to include a few beauty treatments and grow my business once the kids are a little older and starting school. I would absolutely love to reach a very high standard and become a Master Technician/Educator.

Hobby or Profession?
Haven't even started training yet but am determined this will be a profession.

When do you intend to start working either full-time or part-time as a proper, grown-up nail tech?
I will be working as many hours as I can fit in around family commitments as soon as I've finished the foundation course - I know this will start off with many hours of practising but all will be aiming towards the day I can confidently call myself a professional, self-confident, "grown-up" tech!

Do you want your own salon?
Just want to get qualified at the moment! I don't have a burning desire for a salon, this may change though.

Do you want to be mobile/home based?
Will be setting up small home salon and would prefer to work there, but will perhaps do a couple of evenings mobile per week if clients require it.

What's stopping you?
At the moment, it's a question of money and timing. I need to save up to do my Creative Foundation Course, which I am determined to save over the next few months. Also, I have 2 pre-school boys (ages 2 and 4) plus a new baby due in 2.5 weeks, so I can't commit to training until probably the start of next year - this is because I will be feeding the baby myself so I need to wait and see if bub will take a bottle from Daddy so I can go off and do my training/start my business, and I don't want to introduce a bottle until the wee one is at least 2 or 3 months old (sorry for all the baby talk)

How do you intend to achieve your goal?
By sticking in and getting in the hours of practice I know will be required, by not letting the bad days/hiccups, small failures or doubts knock my confidence, by always believing in myself and by taking a new course whenever I can afford it to keep my education current and increase the services I can offer.

When do you plan to achieve your goal?
If I start training at the beginning of 2006, I would like have my home-salon up and running with a handful of regular clients by next spring/summer (or sooner if I'm lucky!), and build from there.

It's a scary but exhilerating time for me just now with another new baby and a potential new career both coming into my life over the next little while - I know I will be busy, will have to stay focused and not wander away from my goals -I am very determined to do it, and can't wait for the day I can post to let you all know about my first completed training course, my first client, and of course whether our new addition to the family is pink or blue!