Today we’d like to introduce you to Richael Corr.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
We all had “that girl” in our friend group growing up. The one that got in trouble for wearing mascara or having earrings too long (against dress code in private elementary school) or the one that was constantly changing her hair, or experimenting with outrageous pink and purple eye shadows in high school years. I cringe still at the amateur pixie cut and weird makeup combo with braces that I used to think I was pulling off as a teen. Well I was totally that girl- the friend that would braid people’s hair before volleyball games, and the one that would do everyone’s makeup before hitting the clubs in college. Even as young as I can remember- I only wanted to play with Barbie’s to braid the hair, and my first lie I told to my mother was about NOT wearing her blush (about age 6- and I was MOST DEFINITELY wearing her blush). I graduated from private high school (St. Thomas Aquinas High School Dover, NH) with excellent academic achievements. I had a natural knack for school and to my parents chagrin I begged to go to beauty school after graduation. I had been awarded an academic scholarship to Emmanuel College in Boston, MA that covered 75% of my tuition and despite my stubbornness I relented that it was an opportunity that couldn’t be missed.
My time in college was nothing to regret. I had a hard time picking a major, and finally settled on Psychology because it at least held my interest, but not my passion. I ended up interning at Tufts University Graduate Campus Human Resources Department. I graduated with Bachelors in Developmental Psychology in 2005 and later worked at WGBH Boston’s Human Resource office. I also was waitressing and bartending in Boston’s Faneuil Hall (Purple Shamrock) to afford my Boston life and loved and thrived off the social interaction I found in that industry.
After a few years I moved back home to Dover and kept bartending locally. I had a son in 2009 and when I returned to bartending after becoming a mother I decided I needed a change was looking to the universe to solve my career crisis when an opportunity fell in my lap. I was waiting on a couple ladies at the bar and being my usual sarcastic yet hilarious self, hit it off with them in a bit of banter and we talked quite a bit that night. One woman owned a salon locally and was looking for part time reception help and asked me if I’d be interested in interviewing for the position. I was taken a back and remembered back 8 years ago when I had wished and wished to go to beauty school and pursue a career there but went down a different path that had led me to this moment. I decided to take a chance and go check it out. I was offered the position, then offered full time, the promoted to manager and later director of operations. After about 3 years of managing a full service salon and spa I was asked if I had any interest in doing nails. We had been searching for a qualified nail technician with no luck. I laughed and brushed it off. Me, touch feet all day? No thank you. But after a little nudging I reconsidered. What really was the harm in learning a new skill? If I hated it then I hated it. But if I loved it then, more opportunity. I completed my nail apprenticeship and passed my boards to be a fully licensed nail professional in 2013.
After a bit of what I call “exposure therapy” I got over my fear of touching toes and began to enjoy it. But I reeeeealllly thrived when it came to doing nails. I fell in love with a product call CND Shellac and found out that they offered continuing education. In typical Richael fashion I felt the desire to be at the top of my class (so to speak) when it came to doing nail and I sought out every nail class in a 3hour radius. There were several educators that inspired me on my path, but one of the CND Educators, Lynn Cote, really lit a spark in me. She was flawless with her skill, inspiring in her message and absolutely confident and comedic in her demeanor. I remember having a moment in one of her classes thinking “she’s what I want to be when I grow up.” I befriended Lynn and she really took me under her wing and encouraged me to keep honing my skills and perfecting my craft. In about 9 months I was a Certified Grand Master with CND and in 2014 I put in a bid to become and Educator with the company. They typically seek out nail professionals with at least 3 years of experience however with just 1 year under my belt; I was offered the chance to become an educator. It is nothing less than applying to work at the pentagon. It took a series of phone interviews, photos of nail work, weeks of at home assignments and then a 9 day sun up to sun down eat, sleep, breathe, nails, product, and public speaking bootcamp out in San Diego. I questioned every step of the way if I was good enough, but just kept on going and giving my absolute best.
Today, I have won awards with the company, I’ve been places I would have never dreamed of going to as a single mother, and my skill set has skyrocketed in such a short amount of time with the opportunity to work with, learn from, and become friends with the best of the best nail professionals from across the world.
Has it been a smooth road?
It’s always a struggle when you go through periods of time of not earning much income to build a business from scratch, from second guessing your every decision, to wondering if you can ever build a life actually doing something you love. But little by little, the successes start piling up. Things start moving. And you start believing that there’s actually something to that motivating catch phrase on your coffee mug.
They say behind every great man is an even greater woman. Well I say behind every great mom is an either greater mother. At the hopes of not making this sound like an Oscar acceptance speech, I couldn’t possibly talk about my career successes without mentioning the help and sacrifice of my own mother and the rest of my family. Always willing to jump in so I can spend 9 days in San Diego to pursue my career and every minute I miss with my son I know that he’s gaining precious moments with my mom, (or my dad, or a sister) and it’s in those moments that you realize that there should more meaningful words for “thank you” and “gratitude” in our language.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Nails by Richael – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
In my salon life, I work full time as a booth renting nail professional at Chemistry Hair Studio in Dover, NH. After working for other people for the first few years of my nail career, I decided I needed to be able to make my own schedule and balance working full time and being a mother. I struck out to develop my own clientele in 2016 with about a handful of people that had been able to find me after I left my spa job. In just under two years I had a full book- often times with a wait list. I specialize in Shellac and nail art. I had always craved some sort of outlet for artistic expression which is what I believed is what drew me to the beauty industry when I was young. As an adult, I’ve found it perfectly marries my love for socializing, making others happy and being able to make beautiful art. It is sincerely my dream job. Many of my clients have become very dear to me. When you do someone’s nails it’s a very intimate experience. You hold their hands every two weeks for over an hour. You learn about each other, share laughs, sometimes tears, and truly know that you’ve improved their day- it doesn’t matter if it was the glitter or the conversation.
One of my most booked and my personal favorite service to perform is called the “Artist’s Choice Manicure.” It’s a 90 minute service where all your choices go out the window and you give up your nails completely to me. It is SO FUN as a nail artist to have people trust you so much. Women have to make so many choices every day and the mental load of juggling work, husbands, partners, children, puppies, schools, meals, all of these things are exhausting and I love giving them a little respite from decision making. It also allows me to original nails instead of copying work of Pinterest all the time. And honestly, clients don’t know all the choices there are – I’m constantly being inspired by fashion, nature, wallpaper— even TV shows such as Game of Thrones have patterns dripping throughout that inspire me to put on nails.
I joke with first time clients that I don’t do an Artist’s Choice session on a first date- we barely know each other so how can I create a custom manicure that I know they’ll love? And that is the ultimate goal- I do choose everything, I sometimes ask if they are in a certain color mood, or want their mani to put out a particular vibe, but really I know my clients well enough to make all the choices, but know they’ll leave getting the perfect mani they didn’t even know they needed.
Being a nail artist is much more than just being talented at your craft. I truly believe that my success is based a lot on my ability to connect with people. Maybe it’s a combination of skills I developed from being a Psych major, a human resources assistant, a bartender– or maybe its innate in me to get people laughing and feeling good for an hour- but whatever the reason, if you can’t connect with people in this industry then I’m not sure you will be truly successful at what you do.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I spent some of my favorite years of my life in Boston. I spent 4 years of college and 2 years afterward there. I love how faithful people are in our sports teams (even though I’m not the biggest sports fan); I love the sense of family that can permeate in the community. I love the nostalgia I feel every time I go back to visit my siblings that live there now.
What I like least is some of the change… Some of the green spaces are so lovely but I lived in the North End for a few years and it’s so different now than it used to be. But you can’t blame the city for that- I don’t like change anywhere in my life, but really- how else does anything grow?
New England in general is a magical place to live (ask me this again in January tho !!) we experience all 4 seasons, your close to the woods, the mountains, the beach, lakes, small towns and big cities alike. I can’t imagine living anywhere else sometimes. And then it snows.
Pricing:
- One Color Shellac Manicure $40
- Artist’s Choice Shellac Maicure $50
- Shellac with Custom Nail Art $60
Contact Info:
- Address: Nails by Richael at
Chemistry Hair Studio
278 Central Avenue
Dover, NH
03820 - Website: www.glitter4breakfast.co
- Phone: 617-406-9738
- Email: richael.corr@gmail.com
- Instagram: glitter4_breakfast
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/RichaelCND
Image Credit:
Wendy Haas
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