Conversations with the Inspiring Christina Park

Today we’d like to introduce you to Christina Park.

Christina, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I first moved to Denver in 2008 to attend university. I didn’t know what I wanted to do so I ended up graduating with the sociology degree. I got a desk job right after and did that for three years before I decided to make a career change. At the time, I was getting my nails done by Dazzlin Digits (aka Rachael Waggoner – my mentor), when I decided I wanted to do nails too. I always loved doing my own nail art at home and it was something that I really enjoyed, so I figured what was there to lose? I wasted no time to get licensed and started practicing. Now, almost three years later, I’m in my own studio and get to do what I love, every day.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
There have definitely been moments of me thinking, “can I really do this?” It was stressful at the beginning with going to school and doubting if changing careers was the right choice. I sometimes struggled to manage my time with my desk job and taking clients to build up my clientele. Staying organized and making sure I had everything that I needed. Making mistakes and figuring out how to fix them; the list goes on. To those just starting, practice as much as you can, don’t make excuses, stay humble and hustle every day. You’ll find out new things about yourself and what you’re able to conquer.

Please tell us more about what you do, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
People know me as TwinkiePark and I am a nail technician in Aurora, Colorado. I specialize in nail art and 3-D nail art. Anything from glitter to crystals and even some hand drawing. Line work is my favorite. It takes a lot of focus and can be difficult, but it has a beautiful end result. I do what I do because I love making people happy. I love that I’ve created a space to where people can come and relax, vent and then leave with a set of nails that have them smiling from ear to ear. So many people have told me that they’ve been to places that made them feel uncomfortable or they were too scared/intimidated to ask for what they wanted. Getting your nails done should be fun and not stressful! I will always guarantee that.

Do you feel like there was something about the experiences you had growing up that played an outsized role in setting you up for success later in life?
Absolutely. My parents always taught me to be a hard worker. If I wanted something, I had to work for it. I also did sports and ROTC in high school and hustled hard to win. I can be a competitive person and this career path has given me something to always work towards. I compete against myself every single day. What can I do to better myself? How can I plan to be most effective? It’s a constant battle and I’m happy to fight it.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/twinkiepark/
• Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/twinkiepark/?ref=bookmarks

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