Debbie Taylor - Boss Lady

Debbie Taylor - Boss Lady

Hi... My name is Debbie Taylor and I am the Owner/Director of NZ Nail Academy Ltd and have been in the nail industry for the past 24+ years and hold more than 50 international certificates.  In 2001 I was invited to become part of the Education team for EzFlow Nail Systems NZ and travelled to Australia to attend an intense 5 day education seminar which I am proud to say I passed with flying colours. My educating knowledge and skills were further proven when in 2004 I won "Educator of the Year Award".   

I credit my career growth to having had amazing mentors - training with the world's most Elite Nail Artist's and Educators like Tom Holcomb - 10 times World Champion, 9 time Japan, Tom Bachik - celebrity man-icurist's to the stars - Alisha Romando-Botero - (Artistic Nail Design), Viv Simmonds Australia, Sam Biddle, Sarah Elmaz (Get Buffed Australia and most recently Trinity Beauty International Guru Educators such as Viktoriia Klopotova - European and World Championship winner, Susumu Urehara, Berry Shum, Monica Palezzi, Erin Eng Trinity USA plus many more.... 

I have also been one of the 3 judges for the NZ Nail Tech of the Year Awards for the past 3 times running, I am very proud of what I have achieved and am always striving to do better and bring the most up to date products and training to our students and nail professionals throughout NZ. 

I have used and educated for a fair few brands over my years and I have to say that I am pretty excited about the product ranges that I have to offer nail techs... I am always on the hunt for amazing products that will make your job so much easier and I believe the brands that we have do just that.  We offer full support for all the products we sell and I give you my 100% guarantee that we will always be here to fix a problem if you have it and that goes with our education classes.  We are always here for our students, all you have to do it ask and we will be there for you to guide you as much as we can. 

I love to see others achieve so much from their hard work, it makes me proud to have past students end up in a new career that they can enjoy and be passionate about as much as I am. 

I believe that we create our own reality, dream big and big things happen... 

Jill Roberts - New Plymouth

Head Educator/Master Nail Artist

Jill Roberts from Nail Design Ltd began her career in the Nail industry in 1999, and achieved  a Masters in Nail Technology and Artistry by 2005. Jill has been an educator both nationally and internationally, and has worked with some amazing top brands and Nail artists  within the industry over the years . Jill has won and placed in many Nail Competitions  and courses both nationally and internationally, receiving over 100 certificates for her efforts and achievements  Jill has been part of the judging panel for the NZ Nail comps in 2015 and 2023. After 24 years in the industry , and owning / directing her own business ( Nail Design ltd ) , Jill still feels extremely passionate about all things "Nails" .Jill is also  one of the two co- founders/admins  of the Nail Central Facebook group developed as a support group for nail techs throughout NZ. Jill is also  one of the co-founders/admins  of the Nail Central Nail Expo NZ, an expo for all distributors across NZ to exhibit their brands, supporting comraderie within the industry . Jill is in charge of our Education Team both here in NZ and Australia , and we are very proud to be working alongside Jill. 

Amy Groot - Putaruru

Hi, I’m Amy and I trained with NZ Nail Academy in 2017. I opened my own business in Putaruru shortly after and have never looked back. I absolutely love what I do and feel extremely lucky to work in a job that excites me daily. I have also been Internationally trained with Sarah Elmaz from Get Buffed and Erin Eng from Trinity Beauty USA.

Serena Wilkins - Hastings

Hi, I’m Serena and my nickname is ‘Pinky’! I love all things pink, sparkles and nails! 

My passion for nails turned from a hobby into a full-time career!  I am an internationally trained, award winning published nail tech who is passionate about all thing’s nails!

 I started out doing my own nails in 2013 after being a client for the previous 10 years.  My passion for nail art grew quickly, and I started doing nails part time in 2016, whilst working a full-time retail managers job.

In March 2017 I became qualified in gel polish, during the year I would take time off my regular job to go and do nail courses around the country! 

One day in October 2017, I was at a nail course in Wellington and it was at this course that I decided I was going to quit my full-time job and do nails full-time!

In November 2017 I went full-time in my home salon, “Glitter & Gloss Nail Art Studio”.  And I’ve never looked back since – taking that leap of faith was scary at the time but it’s been oh so rewarding!  In 2018 I travelled to Canada to complete a week-long course with top educator Suzie Moskal.  I have also done training with other top international nail artists/educators including Sarah Elmaz, Viv Simmonds, Max Estrada. 

In June 2020 I co-founded the Nail Central Facebook group for Nail Professionals, which is a support group for New Zealand and International Nail Technicians and Professionals.  In 2022 we held our first stand-alone Nail Central Nail Expo with huge success!  We are currently planning the next one for 2024, and plan to hold these regularly in the future!    I live in Hastings, Hawkes Bay with my husband and 2 gorgeous Burmese Cats.  We have 2 adult kids that live in Hastings, who we see every week for family nights!   

I can’t wait to have lots of fun working with the amazing NZNA team!

Andrea Zander - Palmerston North

Hi my name is Andrea and this is a little of my story,

My love of nails started from an early age having grown up with a Mum who always had beautifully manicured and painted nails.

I started my acrylic nail journey in the 90's as a student where I learnt how to take care of them to extend the time between backfills. 

It took until 2019 to invest and book in to do a Nail Technician Course which I completed with Debbie and NZ Nail Academy in 2020.

From here I set up from home and was pleasantly surprised at the response and new clients that booked with me.  Then Lockdown happened and I wasn't sure what would happen, but in June when we reached Level 2, I opened up my new salon room at home and have gone from strength to strength since. I love nail art and recently entered my first amateur art competition and placed first and third which boosted my confidence and want to keep doing more.  I work my business part time around work and my family, but working towards being a full time gig.

I can not fault the support from Debbie during the course and after leading up to the practical exam.  I love the products from NZ Nail Academy and the new products always being introduced.  I look forward to further training myself and to becoming part of the NZNA team and sharing the knowledge.

Jamie Armstrong - Canterbury 

Hi everyone, 

My name is Jamie Armstrong and I represent the beautiful Canterbury area in the South Island. 

My journey into this fabulous industry started when my youngest was still cooking in my belly. I completed a correspondence course through Broadway Nailz in 2007 and that was enough of a taste to know this was my path in life.  From there in 2008 I enrolled with Ezflow Nail Systems and completed two courses covering Natural Nail care and Liquid/Powder Enhancements.

And while I learnt a lot through Ezflow I was hungry for more so 2009 I signed up with CND Creative Nails System and completed a Masters Course in Liquid/Powder. 

With 2 children under 5 I somehow managed to open a successful Beauty Salon in the heart of Hokitika on the WestCoast of the SouthIsland where I beautified woman for 14 years. 

Within those years I furthered myself in a variety of training courses that covered a wide range within the beauty industry but nails always came first. They were and still are the backbone of my success. 

2022 My children and I relocated to Canterbury specifically Kaiapoi for a fresh start and better education for my girls, not to mention there may of been a certain someone over these ways as well (wink wink) 

And so became the birth of Beauty HQ.  16 years I’ve been fine tuning my skills and keeping up with the latest trends.  I’m a big advocate for social media and have found platforms like Facebook, TikTok, Instagram and Pinterest have really taken the nail artistry to the next level. 

I’m passionate about teaching people tips and tricks that only come with many years of experience.  It’s been a great way to interact to the public showcasing the latest and greatest and how enjoyable this great industry is. 

And now, I have the amazing opportunity to do it for you lovely ladies. I’m so excited to be coming on board as an Ambassador/educator and share my experience with you