Meet NAILS' new student blogger, Gregory Fletcher

Please allow me to introduce myself:

My name is Gregory Fletcher and I live in San Diego. While I am hardly a man of wealth and taste... I do have a dream. Yes, like all you lovely folks, I have a dream!

And that dream is to become a professional nail technician.

Some background information about me.

No, I did not wake up one morning and decide to attend nail school. I have been on the periphery of the nail industry for some time. I have long been fascinated with the creativity that permeates the nail industry, and as I became acquainted with more nail professionals, I was constantly struck by how imaginative and generous nail technicians can be. So now, after an extensive career in the financial services industry, I will embark on what will be my encore career. At last I am taking the important step to get off the sidelines and become a licensed nail professional. I can’t wait to be a full-fledged member of the nail community!

I have been preparing for classroom nail instruction by taking online classes from The Academy of Nail Design. (California requires 400 classroom hours and does not recognize online instruction as a substitute.) At this point I feel fairly confident with my knowledge of the theoretical aspects of being a nail technician (sanitation, anatomy, etc.); however, my opportunities to experience practical applications have been limited. So I am a bit apprehensive about performing extensions, etc. But I am willing to put in the effort, so I know I will succeed. Remember, I have a dream!

So, what’s the plan?

I will begin evening nail classes in September 2019 at San Diego City College. Only part-time classes are offered this semester so I plan to graduate in early 2020 and complete the California licensing requirements sometime in mid-2020. After licensing I hope to find employment at a busy salon with patient experienced nail technicians to mentor me in the Real World of Nails. In the meantime I will also attend various nail shows and outside classes as time allows. Please say hello if you happen to see me. (I won’t be that hard to spot since I’m one of the handful of males in attendance.)

I hope you will follow along with my adventures in nail school over the next few months. Also, feel free to express feedback and (hopefully) support via Instagram. My handle is aladunsane.

By the way: I know the photo has nothing to do with being a nail technician. I would like to show a picture of our student nail kit; however, the kit is in a sealed box with strict instructions not to open until class. Therefore, I’ve attached a recent photo of me at the D23 Disney fan event held biannually in Anaheim. I had a wonderful, yet busy time attending panels, visiting booths, and just plain people watching. I also had a marvelous time hanging out at the Star Wars Cosplay Photo Shoot. (If you were there, I was the third Obi-Wan Kenobi on the right.)

May the Force be with you.