Influential Woman · Cosmetology

Alisa Oconnor

Nail Specialist/ Nail Consultant, Sugas Pampered Professional

Huntersville, NC

Certifications · Degrees · Memberships

Degree Junior High School in New York (typing Degree Business Degree Marketing Degree Cooking classes) Degree Cosmetology School Cert Medical Nail Technician Certification (Podiatrist Certified)

Her Story

About Alisa

I've been a nail tech specialist for 28 years, and it's been an incredible journey. I started in hair and did that for almost 20 years, but I had a passion for nails because I thought it was really intriguing at the time. There weren't hardly any melanated nail techs back then, so I wanted to dabble in that field. What really got me interested was when I took a trip to Detroit to watch a hair show. The girl I was working with was a nail tech who jumped into a competition last minute, and what I saw just blew me away. I saw the Brooklyn Bridge on someone's nails, and the guy who did it actually had lights on it. I'd never seen anything like it before, and that's when I knew this was my passion. I discovered that women pay the same amount for nails as they do for hair, so it was a great market. I also specialize in working with diabetic clients, which is something I'm really proud of. I worked alongside a podiatrist who trained me because he didn't know how to beautify the feet. I kept getting recertified under his podiatry practice, and that's what makes me able to deal with diabetics. My key responsibility is to make sure that my clients feel safe and comfortable and to make them happy. I listen to them and pay attention, because that's what really matters. One of my most amazing experiences was working with Taraji P. Henson at the Hard Rock, and she called me on my birthday. She's just as wonderful as you think she is. I can take my profession anywhere I go and make money, and I've done it so many times.

Her Interview

Ten minutes with Alisa

01What do you attribute your success to?

I attribute my success to my intelligence and being a quick learner. I pay attention, and that's really important. If you're going to learn something, you need to be quiet and look and listen. I'm going to be quiet and observe, and that's what's lacking with a lot of the younger generation. They're not paying attention, they're on their phones, and they're not focused on learning and growing. But I've always been someone who pays attention and learns quickly, and that's what has helped me succeed in this field for 28 years.

02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?

The best career advice I ever received was from a barber who told me to pace myself and keep my mind focused on my money, and that everything will come together. Those words really stuck with me because I just go, go, go, go, go all the time, and I forget to sleep sometimes. But he was telling me to take a deep breath, take my time, focus, and be centered. That advice about pacing myself has brought a lot of things into perspective for me, and I remember those words often.

03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?

Take it seriously. Don't play around with it, because you could be a millionaire from this. I've seen it happen. So take it seriously, get your license, and understand that it takes three years to get good. That's how long it really takes. YouTube will not teach you everything you need to know. Go to school and learn the aseptics, the do's, the don'ts. Learn all these things so that you could be valuable, because I'm telling you, I could take my profession anywhere I go and make money. I've done it before so many times. It's a great profession to be in, but you have to commit to learning it the right way.

04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?

I think the biggest challenge is being recognized and appreciated for the work we do. When I was working with Tyler Perry, I noticed that there wasn't really much appreciation for the nails. Everything else got recognized, but not the nails, even though they need it. They really don't appreciate it, and they didn't want to pay for it. When I've seen actors in movies, they mainly have very natural looks, just a little pinkish with a bit of French tips. Nowadays they're being requested to make press-ons, but nobody wants to pay for it. So I think there is a lack of recognition for the nail field, big time. We're not being recognized as much as we should be.

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