From the Mountains

I Always wanted to own my own business. Then one day I found nail dip powders.

I loved dipping my nails. There was just something about doing my nails, it made me feel so good. So much better than I had ever felt. The only downfall was it took so long to do. So I took to Facebook to find out how I could shorten the process.

In this process I made so many new friends. Finding groups to join. It was Covid and we all, well really didn’t have much to do at the time. Revel threw out reward points like candy to keep us coming back. And it worked. Because all you had to do was share that link and get people as hooked as you began to be.

What became was a network of women who all wanted to relieve stress, have pretty nails and connect. But it led to so much more for so many women.

While Revel sold powders for super affordable prices and they probably still do, we began to slowly learn about nail dips powders that sold well above what they were really worth. Enter: Zooty and HTF Sparkle and Co. colors.

Yall- these dips would sale for $40, $50, and $60 a jar. For like a quarter ounce of powder. It almost felt illegal. I knew I had to get my hands on that stuff! I had fomo bad and it ate me up. I began to buy nail dip powders.

But honestly I was facing a much bigger problem. I was spending hours upon hours doing my nails for them to pop off the next day. My nails were in terrible shape and I kept going. I was neglecting family time to sit and stare at nail dip groups (hence why I usually avoid my phone when I am with my guys!) and spend hours doing my nails. All for vanity. All for “self care” as we all called it. But it was so stressful.

I then knew the best thing to do was start my own company and sale my own nail dip powders. It was the most logical thing I could think of at the time! I was really good at making dip powders, or so all the ladies told me. It was very good for my ego!

As time went on I sold so many nail dip powders. I began to feel like a drug dealer though. I was trying to convince women to spend money on something they really didn’t need. I truly think that is where I started to feel some type of way about what I was doing. I was so good at convincing women they needed nail dip powders even though they weren’t using the ones they had.

It was so much fun! I really enjoyed going live, but none of it felt truly fulfilling. I truly needed to fill that hole I had. I felt like I was chasing something I just couldn’t catch. Like a crackhead chasing that dragon. I began to use crystals and learn about them. They were so pretty to me, so it was that next shiny thing I would begin to chase.

Except- I immediately wanted to go to the next level and sale them too. It was at this point that I started pulling a thread and I didn’t even realize it. I began to see how crystals were not much different than the dip powders I had been selling and I started to learn they were just a business too.

That was strange to me, because I had such an enchantment with crystals and I thought they were supposed to heal me. But how could they heal me if they were just another business venture? So I bought this crystal box off Etsy and that is where problems really began.

Our home was so chaotic and we just couldn’t figure out why. We were spinning out of control and we had no idea why. I had always been accepting of the paranormal, but honestly I doubted God. I doubted how any of what I had learned was true.

It was then that I began to truly wonder well, if there is evil and it causes this much ruckus in our home, where does it come from? We loved paranormal things, horror movies, Halloween, and all the activities associated with that day.

I always said, “I probably had ancestors that were witches”. I loved that “witchy”culture and I truly started nourishing that during this time. I walked into a shop to buy crystals and my first thought was “I’ll never mess with the dark side”. In fact I dressed as a witch for Halloween many many times.

I never put two and two together. I thought I was a Christian and what I was doing was ok. I had never truly read my Bible, so I had no clue what I was doing was wrong. I would share Bible verses, go to church and still participate in evil things. I was a lukewarm Christian. One day Jesus came to me and He opened my eyes.

I’ll never forget that day. I was driving. I didn’t really realize what happened that instance, but the conviction began to weigh in. I truly think someone was praying for me and it worked. I started crying and didn’t stop for 5 months.

What happened next is a story for another day. But I did turn to Jesus and He has changed my life. Funny it all started at dip powders. I don’t regret any of it. In fact- I am thankful for the experiences I have had and the friendships I have made.

~Danielle