"What's Your Story?"
- Joe Lindsted
The Journey
My name is Nancy Okon. I was raised in Orland Park, Illinois where my childhood can best be described as an episode of Shameless-wild, unpredictable and unforgettable. At 18, I became a mom. While the traditional college route wasn’t in the cards, I attended a business school and became a legal secretary and promptly never used it.
Life then took me down a crazy path that included rough biker crowds and dating the president of the notorious biker “club”. Even when it was the most chaotic, I loved to get my nails done. I started to think, “why can’t I do this for a living?” I approached my dad and asked if he would help fund nail school, which would allow me to finally become independent and support my daughter financially, he did without any hesitation.
In 2003 I opened my own salon in Orland Hills, Illinois. Around this time I met my husband, who is way too smart and level headed for me but exactly what I need! He is a muscle car fanatic and mechanical engineer, he can spot an imperfection in a nail design like he is looking down the side of a car’s paint job. He and I blended our families and also had two more children.
In 2019, after doing nails full time for so many years without an efile, I needed major hand and wrist surgery. I had torn cartilage, tendons and ligaments and my wrist needed to be pinned back together. I was off work for almost a year! I truly believed my career that I worked so hard at and absolutely loved was over. After months of physical therapy, I was back to work and nearly every single client waited for me, their loyalty and encouragement meant the world! I also got into nail art and competing.
My designs have been published in two different books, I made it into the Top 100 One Shot Nail Awards, I have medaled in Nailympion Argentina and also in Nailympia London and was a finalist in the North American Star Nail Artist Competition. I was also a recipient of a Beauty Changes Lives (BCL) scholarship which helped me to take art and education classes to further my skills and to this day I pay it forward by volunteering for BCL.
The Next Chapter
Includes You
I want to help the next generation of nail technicians. When I started out I had to blindly figure things out. I want to be the mentor that I never had. I want to be the teacher that I wish I had.
I love to pop into nail schools and do free demos of products. I have taught at trade shows all across the country. I have held classes of my own.
My most recent accomplishment is that I am an Illinois Continuing Education sponsor. I can offer classes to nail professionals while fulfilling their license requirements. Like life, my classes are hands on and messy!
No sitting, watching and just taking notes. I want everyone to leave my class inspired and excited to bring what they have learned back to their clients.