"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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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!
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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.