Women's History Month Spotlight: Gloria Williams

1. What inspired you to join the professional nail industry?
   “I was inspired to join the professional nail industry because of my love for taking care of people, and I always wanted to be a manicurist who focused on foot care.”
2. When and how did you get started in your career?
    “I got started in my career in 1984. I was a secretary and wanted a change into my dream career.”
3. As a female leader/professional, what are some obstacles you experienced, and how did you overcome them? Have you confronted gender-related roadblocks in your career?
    “As a female, the only careers were a secretary, teacher or nurse. So, choosing to be a manicurist was considered crazy and a waste of knowledge. I overcame that obstacle by leaving my secretarial job and decided to become a manicurist without mentioning the change to anyone.”
4. How can women support other women in this industry?
   “I believe the best way women can support women is by sharing some information that could help another woman in her business. There are many people who believe showing support is by shopping with each other, but I believe you can show some support by shopping, but sharing knowledge on how to obtain more clients may be even more valuable.”
5. Tell me about another woman who has inspired you.
   “Another woman who inspired me is Jamie Kern Lima. Jamie was the co-founder and chief of IT Cosmetics and was told ‘no’ over 20 times only to continue to go back to those companies seeking a YES. Her determination let me know I was not working hard enough, and since then, I have seen amazing YES results from companies.”
6. What is one thing you know now you wish you would have known when you started in this business? 
   “One thing I wish I would have known when I started my business was to try and create ONE product and push the marketing for at least two years before introducing my next product. This push would have earned my brand more value early on in my business.”
7. What other key learnings and practices do you wish you to share with other professionals?
   “I learned to become a better listener and sign up for knowledgeable free podcasts, YouTube videos and free seminars on business. If you are struggling in your business for more revenue, try cutting back as much as you can on things that are not helping strengthen your business growth.”

Related: Women's History Month Spotlight: Katharin von Gavel