Celebrity nail tech Tom Bachik knows a thing or two about winning competitions. (He captured the top spot on the NAILS Top 25 List in 1995 and 2004.) And lately, when he’s not doing the nails of models and top celebrities (he was on his way to Victoria Beckham’s house to do her nails after our shoot), he’s supporting his kids in their own world of competition. We’ve profiled Tom many times in the pages of NAILS, but did you know that in addition to being an amazing nail tech, he’s also a very proud dad?

When I asked him what he likes to do when he’s not doing nails, he replied: “I enjoy spending time with my family. Liz and I have three kids that keep us plenty busy with sports and dance.”

His oldest son Gage, a freshman in high school, plays football. And his youngest two, Brenden and Zoie, compete on a hip hop dance crew. “They qualified to compete for the Hip Hop International World Hip Hop Dance Championships in Las Vegas.” (Sound familiar? Tom’s had many of his own wins in Vegas.) “They competed against crews from around the country. We had a great time and they even got to take classes from a couple of professional crews from MTV’s America’s Best Dance Crew. They were in heaven.”

Family is definitely one of the reasons he loves being a nail tech. “My favorite part of being a nail tech are the unlimited opportunities it offers,” says Tom, who has flown around the world, been on private jets, hung out on movie and video sets, and been invited into the homes of Hollywood’s elite. “I can’t think of many career choices that would allow a person to become part of so many families, share in their experiences and watch them grow before your very eyes.”

Here’s how you can do these nails:

Prep natural nails and apply tips. Shape tips and prepare nails for product application.

Apply clear, pink, or natural liquid and powder or product of choice. Refine the shape with a 180-grit file and buff.

Seal and shine with a gel top seal — cure for however long it says on the bottle.

Polish with two coats and apply top coat.

Use a gel adhesive to apply rhinestones in a sporadic pattern starting from the middle finger and dripping downward onto the others.