“My mom had the best fall back career talents. She managed to make ends meet doing things she loved.”

 

Growing up, I admired my mom for having talents that made our life better and easier. In my eyes, she was born to thrive and accomplish things that most people considered impossible. My mom transformed fashion to meet the demands of the runway. Home improvement on a dime was her specialty. She even sold her favorite desserts at local mom and pop stores. Resilience should have been her middle name. We loved her for having no limits.

Eighteen years ago, I remember sitting with my mom reminiscing about the tailored outfits she made my siblings and me, super cool home decorations, and endless desserts to eat.  From hand-made pillow covers to mirrored walls, she tried it all. Often times, she replicated her talents in the homes of family and friends for a fraction of the cost. She loved bragging about dressing girls for prom, styling local events and handing out samples of her carrot cakes and sweet potato pies.

It was easy to sit on the back deck talking, drinking tea and planning the next project. I loved trying on clothes and getting alterations for the next season. I wasn’t always fond of digging in the flower and vegetable garden but the end result was beautiful. My finger nails would be a mess. It took hours to reshape and polish my nails the right shade with my cheap fifty cent polish.

After another full weekend of getting things done, it hit me.  My mom had the best fall back career talents. She managed to make ends meet doing things she loved. I had an a-ha moment and thought I should do the same. I researched the requirements to become a licensed nail technician and was lucky to find two of the best instructors in Illinois.  Tammy and Gert!

I remember the first night I attended class, Tammy asked us to introduce ourselves, tell the staff what brought us to nail technician training and our future plans. Most of the women in the room were working other full-time jobs and wanted a fall back career. Tammy and Gert listened intently and then told us we picked the perfect fall back career.  In fact, we chose a career that can easily be a full time job.

Becoming a licensed Nail Technician has been one of the best decisions I made for the following reasons:

Extra money

Flexible schedule

An opportunity to have hours of girl talk

Pampering others is therapeutic

 

What’s your fall back career?

 

 

Follow crystal on Twitter @TousanaC & www.crys2sana.com