“I work based on convenience,” she explains.
“I specialize in convenience.”
GOING FULL TIME
Dudley, 29, began in the nail business 11
years ago, learning the trade over the course
of a decade in a couple of salons. After she
converted the shuttle, she left her position as
a pharmacy tech to sculpt, shape and polish
customers’ nails full time. The Cedartown
native and travels to the Atlanta area to serve
customers most days, but she says she’d love
to be more local. She typically books clients
individually and meets them at their homes,
but she’s willing to take on new clientele in
Polk and Floyd counties, and she’d like to find
a place close to home to park so she can serve
multiple customers without needing to move
the shuttle.
The rolling salon, which is naturally smaller
than a traditional walk-in space, allows for a
quiet, personalized experience that she says
customers generally like. The pandemic has
been notoriously hard on small businesses, but
Dudley’s mode of operation lends itself well to
those who need to steer clear of public places
for health reasons. The general rise in caution
was a catalyst for her business’s popularity in
its first year.
“With COVID going around, people are really,
really skeptical (about getting out),” she says.
AN ARRAY OF SERVICES
Many of Dudley’s customers are individuals
needing a new set of acrylics or a fill-in, but
she also offers a party option. Adult groups can
rent the shuttle and travel to a few destinations
during a four-hour period, or Dudley can set up
a princess party for children. It’s through these
events that she has been able to see how much
her work impacts people.
She recalls a gathering she thinks was a
surprise for a woman who had recently lost her
husband. The woman’s daughter orchestrated
the event, and the whole family came. Dudley
saw her manicures become a treasured
memory as the group circled its matriarch and
lifted her up in a time of need.
“She was just so sweet,” Dudley recalls. “All
the family came in (the shuttle). It was a party.
The support was amazing. She needed it.”
Dudley’s acrylic designs range from jewelencrusted
stilettos to coffin-shaped, sleek
French creations. She particularly enjoys
creating her original designs on a long stiletto
or a tapered square nail — her website
features eye-catching rainbow, tie-dye and
crystal-lined creations.
She’s happy to shift for customers wanting
subtler designs or a different type of manicure.
“I can do a whole lot more,” she says.
Prospective customers can see her portfolio
with its glittering, customized offerings on her
web site, thetravelingnailbar.com.
THE SHUTTLE
On the website, folks can also get a look at
22 Rome Life | MAY 2021
/thetravelingnailbar.com