Success, recognition, and financial opportunities have not always been with me. My journey began in the small country of Moldova, where I worked as a manicure master in an ordinary beauty salon. I know what poverty feels like, and I promised myself I would never return to a state of financial struggle.
In 2013, my family and I moved to the USA, and it was here that I gained recognition. What started as a dream turned into a goal and, one day, became a reality through hard work and, most importantly, faith in myself, despite many obstacles. I built a successful career out of the simple profession of "manicure master."
I began building my career in 2016 when I started teaching as a sought-after nail artist in Brooklyn. This led to the opening of the first branch of my school in New York – Kristina’s Beauty Education Center. Soon after, a second branch opened in Miami. These centers became cornerstones for aspiring nail artists, providing them with the knowledge, skills, confidence, and tools to achieve success. Over 4,500 students have graduated from my schools, many of whom have become top professionals and successful businesswomen. My graduates include studio and salon owners, manicure instructors, and renowned nail designers creating manicures for the red carpet.
From 2016 to 2023, I founded material supply businesses for nail technicians – Nail Market USA and Top Nail Shop. In 2021, I launched two of my own nail brands – Sophié•R and MISHÁ New York.
Throughout this time, I never stopped learning, teaching, managing stores, creating my brands, and participating in competitions. Nothing could stop me on my path to victory. From 2020 to 2022, I became a winner 125 times in countries like Korea, Georgia, Italy, France, Russia, Canada, and Azerbaijan. I defeated the masters I once feared. They were once stronger and braver than I was, and looking at their work, I doubted my own abilities. But I overcame my fears and reached high standards. The triumphant result was 6 Grand Prix awards, titles like “Best Champion of the Best” and “Olympic Nail Champion,” and 80% of my trophies are first-place wins. The indescribable feeling of holding a trophy that reflects your hard work and skill, recognized on a global level, is a true honor.
This success led me to the next level in my career – I became an invited judge at world-renowned competitions such as Nailympia, Brilliant World Cup, and others. This is the highest reward for ambitious professionals. In the chain of professional growth, ambitious goals are crucial, and being a judge was one of those goals. Education has always been my best investment, and this has undoubtedly paid off.
Without the support of my family, it would have been much more difficult to achieve these successes, and I am deeply grateful to them for their patience, motivation, and belief in me. They are proud of me, and that is my greatest support and reward.
Mission and Goals
I have traveled extensively and learned from the best instructors new, bold, and innovative techniques to implement them in the U.S. nail industry. I firmly believe that every nail technician can achieve remarkable results – you don't have to be special, you just need the desire and the will to change your life. When I started, I didn’t have a role model to follow. I learned from my mistakes and achieved success on my own. Today, it's much easier – you can acquire someone else's experience and follow it as a script to success.
The skills and knowledge I gained led me to create an online education platform – onlinenaileducation.com. Now my courses are available not only offline in New York but also online, allowing anyone, regardless of location, to take my lessons and benefit from my experience. Each lesson is filled with nuances that helped me become the best version of myself, and this is not just about learning manicure – it’s about sharing my experience, without the mistakes I’ve already overcome.
My mission is clear: to show nail artists that they can build a successful and meaningful career. A manicure master can become a nail artist, a nail designer, and even famous. My goal is to inspire professionals to create amazing art, not be afraid to stand out, and produce high-quality work that astonishes and attracts attention. For me, manicure is more than just nails. It's an art form, a way to express creativity, and a path to a successful career.
