We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Marissa Bond a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Marissa, great to have you with us today and excited to have you share your wisdom with our readers. Over the years, after speaking with countless do-ers, makers, builders, entrepreneurs, artists and more we’ve noticed that the ability to take risks is central to almost all stories of triumph and so we’re really interested in hearing about your journey with risk and how you developed your risk-taking ability.
How will you know if you never try?
I don’t take risks blindly. I think about my actions and the logistics before starting, but starting can often be the scariest and riskiest part of achieving your goals. Nothing in life is going to be perfectly easy, and I have learned (and still am learning) to trust myself and my abilities to take on challenges and risks.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I found a passion for nail art when I was pretty young. During my junior year of high school, I went to nail school and graduated with my license in 2021.
In 2023 I went full-time as a self-employed nail tech and business owner at 18. I was a freshman in college and had two jobs at the time (one of which was a part-time position at a nail salon).
Now, in 2025, I have officially graduated college with two bachelor’s degrees (BS in sociology, BS in communication and journalism).
When I started doing nails, I went into it for the fun art aspect of things. Before stepping into the field, I would’ve never pictured myself in cosmetology. I wasn’t big into hair and makeup at the time– but I loved nails. The past four years of working in a salon quickly taught me how many other people shared the same love for nails I have.
I’ve watched my clients go through it all: breakups, marriages, babies, moving, graduating, you name it. Each set of nails represents a new phase in someone’s life (sometimes a lot can happen in three weeks, I’ve learned). Proving nail art as a powerful form of self-expression.
It is so exciting to collaborate with individuals every day to create nails that fit them. Or, as I say a lot, “match the vision,” that somebody has in their head and making it come true. I’ve learned a lot about being adaptable and I love keeping myself open to new creative ideas.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
1. Trusting yourself.
The most impactful quality in my journey that comes to mind is the ability to trust myself.
imposter syndrome is very real, and when I took the leap to become a business owner it was all consuming. My mind continued to race around all of the potential negative outcomes and losses. Despite this, I stayed true to my goals. I believe pushing myself in this way has helped me trust myself more.
From this experience, I strongly feel you must trust in your abilities and your intentions to successfully chase your dreams.
2. Stay loyal.
If you want loyalty, you must prove your own. There can be a lot of ways to build loyalty:
– Remember the little details about people and give people the space to talk about themselves. Be a listener, and allow your space to be a safe, judgement-free zone where people can fully relax.
– Communicate! Your clients are your community– keep them in your network. Essentially, don’t do anything you wouldn’t want a client doing to you. Be considerate of other’s time and busy schedules.
– If you are offering a service to somebody, make sure you are offering good ones. Find the service (or a few services) that you enjoy doing, and master it. Invest in the highest quality products and practice your skills every day.
3. Hold boundaries.
Boundaries goes hand-in-hand with trusting yourself and loyalty.
There will be circumstances you will go out of your way for clients, and, personally, I believe you should. Again, these are the people who hire you to do your job. But, too much flexibility sometimes can unfortunately result in a lack of structure, and can also cause a disruption in balancing work and life.
Make sure to take time off, have strong and clear policies, and try to turn work off outside of operating hours. From my experience, burnout can lead to resentment toward work, and it can be hard to find motivation again.
Who has been most helpful in helping you overcome challenges or build and develop the essential skills, qualities or knowledge you needed to be successful?
My success has been guided by everybody in my life. There is a lot to learn from others who surround us.
I am grateful to surround myself with a strong network of friends and family who have guided me through overcoming many challenges as a business owner, artist, student, and a human. They have taught me balance, patience, and strength.
Additionally, my clients, professors, peers, and neighbors have taught me many different skills. I’ve learned how to build strong interpersonal relationships, enhance my communication skills, and stay connected with my community.
Progress is cumulative, and I have stood on the shoulders of many to find my success. It would be impossible to do it alone.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://polishedmarissa.glossgenius.com/
- Instagram: @polishedmarissa
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marissabond/
Image Credits
Photo credit courtesy Caidence Openshaw (Orange headshot, nail polish swatches, painting picture, and nail polish bottle)
Photos of nails do not need to be credited.
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
