Who Would Have Ever Guessed?

Sometimes you think you know a person, but it turns out there is more than meets the eye. We gave our six AVA Nail Technician of the Year finalists a few questions for them to ponder. Some of their answers may surprise you.

Name	Patricia Yankee-Williams, second runner-up
Age	42
Years doing nails	20
Children	Son Devin, 10
If there were no nail jobs	Would be teaching, either in a regular school setting or in a dance school
Life outside of doing nails	Loves spending time with her son, attending church, and baking. She evens sells her baked goods at her salon.
How much do you charge for pink-and-whites?	$75
Full set acrylics?	$60
Basic manicure?	$22
Gels?	$60
Wraps?	$60
How do you wear your nails?	Natural.
You'd never guess	Grew up on a farm with 11 brothers and sisters, bailing hay and caring for animals
Favorite trade show	IBS New York
Favorite polish color	Neutral shades, French manicure colors
How do you stay motivated?	Prayer keeps her going, as well as reading and networking and talking to people
Best advice ever received?	"Trust God first and build integrity by having open, honest communication and being truthful." (from her parents)

Name	Maise Dunbar, honorable mention
Age	36
Years doing nails	10
Children	Son
If there were no nail jobs	Would most likely work in the computer field
Life outside of doing nails	Loves to spend time with family, attend church, and read and keep up-to-date with the beauty industry.
How much do you charge for pink-and-whites?	$75 and up
Full set acrylics?	$60 and up
Basic manicure?	$25
Gels?	doesn't offer them
Wraps?	$80
How do you wear your nails?	Natural.
You'd never guess	Hails from Africa
Favorite trade show	Premiere Beauty Show/Orlando
Favorite polish color	Natural pink
How do you stay motivated?	Education, prayer, and constant reinvention
Best advice you ever received?	"Start small and watch the business grow." (from Creative's Jan Arnold)