Meet Tosha Rae Jackson | Nail Artist and Entrepreneur

We had the good fortune of connecting with Tosha Rae Jackson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Tosha Rae, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I wanted to start my business because I love the idea that I’m in complete control of my own success and the outcome. I’m good at holding myself accountable. I believe in my abilities to make the most out of this opportunity.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I spent the majority of my work life in the mortgage industry. Corporate banks, mortgage companies, title companies. I fell into it early on in my career and stayed because it paid the bills and it was what I knew. It was a field I knew I could always find employment. It wasn’t fulfilling or exciting to me in any way, it was a job. Since I can’t draw for nothing and and I don’t play an instrument or sing all too well, I never considered myself an artist of any kind. I knew I can be creative. I’ve always had to be. I didn’t grow up with a silver soon in my mouth. I spent my high school years in pottery. Although, I never thought of that as a career path for myself. I didn’t have any examples in my life of anyone who took that talent and made something real out of it. YouTube has changed all of that though haven’t they?! Getting back to my little story, I was going along same old 9-5 job, clock in, clock out. when suddenly I woke up on July 4 2011 sick. I had this persistent rash on my arms and neck, a swollen face and i was exhausted. I headed to the urgent care center for some relief. That kinda started the ball rolling on discovering I have lupus and a few other fabulous inflammatory/autoimmune/connective tissue disorders. What a rude awakening that was. Rounds of anti malaria drugs, high doses of steroids being pumped into me, chemotherapy, pain meds, anti inflammatory drugs… The list is ridiculous! Things got so bad in 2012, I was actually told by my doctor that I probably wouldn’t make it to the end of the year. Here I am, 9 years later! Still here! Carving my own slice of life in whatever way I can! It manage to put me in early retirement at 42, in 2014. I had become disabled. However, as bad as it’s been at times, it’s taught me countless life lessons and I’ve acquired skills I would’ve never had without all the experiences. I know what it’s like to face a death sentence and find the courage and grace to make peace with that outcome should it occur. I know what it’s like to peel yourself off of the kitchen floor and find the strength to reach for the next rung to pull yourself up! It’s not easy but where there’s a will, there’s a way. Always. Don’t ever forget that. I leaned on God in tough times. I knew if he needed me here for some more work, there was nothing that was gonna take me out! It didn’t matter what the doctor’s or specialists said. He had the final say and I found great comfort in that. Along with the lupus come photosensitivity, extreme brain fog, a lack in my autonomic system to function correctly, pain, swelling, infections and fevers and a whole lot of extreme fatigue. I’m very sensitive to light. Light of any kind I’ve found. I’ve spent 12 years the dark. Minimal light in order to avoid horrible symptoms. I’ve been resting and recuperating. Doing everything I can to avoid causing symptoms to flare up. The symptoms can be horrific and debilitating. That’s the truth. You’re not gonna sugar coating that pill. It’s definitely taught me the importance of finding the funny wherever you can! I’ve become very particular about who I surround myself with and what I do. It’s so important to manage any unnecessary drama in life. While on bed rest for years now, I watched a whole lot of YouTube! I’m a big fan of the true crime, documentaries, anything suspenseful or creepy scary and I love to watch many different artist and creatives do their thing! I don’t know how I stumbled across nail content videos but when I did, I found a whole new passion and drive! I remember being amazed at all the new artistry this field was producing! I was blown away! I finally felt I had found a form of art I could really get in to! I’ve enjoyed sculpting and creating since my days of pottery class. Encapsulating, working with polymers and resins, this was right up my alley! I’ve always been fascinated with haute couture fashion, unusual beauty, and outlandish home decor. The more I learned the more excited I became to get in the game! November of last year I bought my first nail kit from “Suzie’s Nail Career Education.” It was an EZ hybrid gel kit, very nice! The first night I played around with it, I fiddled with it for 8 hours straight! I was hooked! I couldn’t wait to buy some acrylics! By January, I was researching nail schools in the area. Figuring out how I was gonna make this work. Texas requires 600 hours of training and ofc you have to pass the State Board exams. to become a licensed nail tech if you’re wanting to make a career out of nailing. That’s not too bad at all! I decided, I was gonna go for it! I’m not letting any disease or disability dictate how I spend my life. It’s not gonna stand in the way of me enjoy my life to the fullest! Not any longer! Not to say, I’m not gonna rest when I need to or take care of my health. All of that certainly plays a big part in being at your best. I know I’m creative enough and stubborn enough to find ways around it and make it work out. I’m documenting my journey via YouTube, TikTok, Instagram and other social media platforms. My goal is to hopefully encourage and inspire others to chase down their own dreams. Don’t let life’s drama distract you! Don’t let age scare you or prevent you from trying something brand new or changing the direction of your career. So many of us have to fight for the life we want. Remember, “where there’s a will… “ Shoot! Those little old ants do it everyday!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Must see’s of Dallas Texas and surrounding areas; Entertainment; House of Blues, The Granada Theatre, The Majestic Theatre, The Kessler Theatre are fabulous places to catch some popular live bands and performers. We have some amazing tours around town as well! Haunted Downtown Dallas Tours, Haunted Fort Worth Stockyards tours, tour the Stadiums, historic homes, distilleries, hotels, old jails, etc. Dont forget to check out the town centers of Grapevine, Plano, Grandbury…. Lots to see! On the weekends your sure to come across one of the small farmers markets that have local artisans selling their goods. As for food, where do I begin? We have the best of any City really. Mexican is a must. My favorite depends on what I’m on the hunt for. A great margarita and a good meal, old ElFenix or On the Border. Still love these two! Fajitas, Uncle Julio’s. Spicy hot sauce, Desperado’s. To name a few. Hungry for Pizza, Greenville Ave Pizza Company or Grimaldi’s Pizzaria. Burger, Snuffers. A romantic dinner, dinner and a burlesque show at The Foundation Room.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
First off, I have to give mega props to several artist and creators for encouraging me through their own journeys. YounganailsInc for continuously educating those of us in the nail game. They’re so good at showing us how to master the craft and their always creating new nail art to inspire us to think a little differently. They’ve been my main source of education since I started toying with the idea of nail artistry. Another great source has been several YouTube creators. Natali Carmona, Vee Nailedit Zulay’s Nails, Kirsty Meakin and Evie from Longhairprettynails to name a few. Each of these creators bring their own personal best to their socials and each has something very special to offer the nail artist community. Zulay and Kirsty are extremely talented and creative! They think outside the box and I love them for it! It really helps to keep me motivated and excited about all the possibilities. Natali, Vee and Evie have the type of successful career I strive for. They’ve shown me the steps to take and tools to utilize in order to get to where I wanna go! I’m following these folks lead and paving a new path of my own! Another goal I have for my YouTube channel is going to be to spotlight local artist around the DFW so be sure and stay tuned for more on that!

Instagram: https://instagram.com/tosharae_nailed?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Youtube: https://youtube.com/@ToshaRaeNailed

Other: TikTok tosharaenailed tosharaenailed

Image Credits
Tosha Rae