Allow me to introduce myself.

My name is Maggie. It isn’t really; it’s actually “Marjorie,” but when I finally got around to starting my career as a professional nail artist I decided “Maggie” conjured up a more attractive image than “Marge”— especially since I was only 22 at the time. I didn’t want people seeing my work on a client, asking who did their nails, and upon hearing “Marge” picturing an older woman with a bottle of Palmolive on her desk. So I officially started introducing myself as “Maggie” and the nickname has suited me just fine.

I have been doing nails for 16 years, professionally. Of course, like so many who find themselves behind the sculpting brush, I actually started doing nails long before I made it my profession.

I have been a booth renter, an employee, a salon owner, an employee, an independent contractor, a salon owner, and back to booth renter again. Currently I rent a booth at Attitudes Salon in my hometown of Visalia, Calif. I’ve been with Attitudes for a year and a half now. I work with three hairstylists, another nail tech, and ... my mom.

Some readers will recognize me from occasional mentions in NAILS Magazine and from the NailTech mailing list and message boards at BeautyTech.com where I’ve worked hard for nearly 10 years to build my reputation as a pot-stirrer with verbose and often controversial posts.

At home I have a boyfriend, two dogs, and a 1991 Jeep Cherokee named “Drippy.”