FEATURE
woman to watch on FINDING LOVE (AGAIN):
My husband, Stuart, and I are college sweethearts from Michigan State University. We met in the dorms and, for the record, I asked him out on our first date! We slowly grew apart after three years of dating. He moved to North Carolina, and I went south to Buckeye-land to pursue my career in retail. Seven years later, I called him to say hello, and the rest is history. We fell in love again, got married, and have two sons and a daughter – Benjamin (13), Miles (11), and Emery (9). With our kids and two Vizsla puppies, our life is full of chaos!
on BUILDING A CAREER:
I have spent half of my life defining and designing consumer experiences for retail, restaurants, and hospitality. To say retailing is my “muse” is an understatement! I have always longed to do something on my own. My college sorority sister founded PAINT Nail Bar in Sarasota in 2015, and after a year she announced that she was franchising the concept. From the moment I walked into PAINT Sarasota, I felt this indescribable energy that you cannot get from great design alone. The camaraderie of the staff and owners was unlike any other nail salon I have experienced. In the first five minutes of my visit, I knew this was something I wanted to be a part of.
on GROWTH & SUCCESS:
I knew this decision to own PAINT would be life-changing for me, personally and professionally—and for all women (and men) seeking a luxury experience with cleaner and safer nail care products. We opened our first PAINT Nail Bar in Birkdale Village in September 2018, and we will be opening a second PAINT at Atherton (South End) later this year.
nicole rehfuss PAINT NAIL BAR Huntersville
on LEARNING LIFE LESSONS:
nicole
REHFUSS
LKNW RECOGNIZES A WOMAN DOING EXCEPTIONAL WORK IN THE
L A K E N O R M A N C O M M U N I T Y, A L E A D E R W H O I S PA V I N G T H E W AY T O
I live by “what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.” Whether faced with life’s many challenges, taking risks, or living a life full of spontaneity, you always have to be resilient, open to learning, willing to try, and be gracious for the lessons learned along the way. Once you take even the smallest step out of your comfort zone, you will be amazed at what exists out there! w Nicole Rehfuss is the owner of PAINT Nail Bar Charlotte located at 8712 Lindholm Drive, Suite 100, in Huntersville. You can reach her at 704-343-8400 or visit their website at PaintNailBar.com.
C H A N G I N G O U R AT T I T U D E S A N D I N S P I R I N G C O N F I D E N C E I N T H E F U T U R E .
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46 LKN
MARCH 2019
WRITER MICHELLE LOVE
PHOTOGRAPHER CHELSEA BREN