Vanessa Ungvarsky of Taylor Made on creating her unique custom nail polish kits

Describe your business in a few words:

Taylor Made Polish brings elevated experiences to savvy clean beauty enthusiasts with our patent-pending Custom Nail Polish kits and 15 Minute Organic Manicure sets.  

Anchored in historic downtown Easton, Taylor Made sits at the intersection of scrappy and stylish. We are deeply connected to our community and if there’s one silver lining from the pandemic, it’s that our community has expanded to include 39 states and 5 countries. Every elevated clean-beauty experience is cause for celebration. Even if it’s the first step for an individual discovering that perfect shade, that vibrant hue, that feeling of empowerment from mixing, wearing, or sharing our products – we celebrate because we embrace all paths into bespoke clean beauty.

My rare path through the military, corporate world, motherhood, and entrepreneurship formulates Taylor Made’s understanding that in a hectic world, the simplest moments can create life’s most meaningful memories. Whether you’re a nail novice or a mixing master, love is what you’ll feel when your perfect shade is made. Our premium ingredients are Vegan, Certified Cruelty Free, 10-Free, eco-friendly, and long-lasting so your polish pride can last up to two weeks! Taylor Made is Woman/Veteran-Owned, and we put our money where our values are – directly into Women-Owned and Eco-friendly suppliers. We’re not here for a long time, we’re here for a good time – let’s blend together!

What was your background prior to starting your own business?

I proudly served four years of active duty in the United States Air Force.  While enlisted I went to school at night to earn my bachelor’s degree.  After my enlistment, I began my career in corporate pharmaceuticals and loved my experience with new product management and supply chain.  This positioned me to start my business Taylor Made Polish as our success has been heavily dependent on my ability to source and innovatively manage our supply chain. 

Did you always know you wanted to be an entrepreneur?

I didn’t, only because I’m not sure that was a term that was as widely known or “accepted” as a possible career track when I was considering my options.  What I did know was that I loved creating in my spare time.  And in my career, I very much enjoyed the business and finding solutions to the inherent challenges, as well as the strategy and planning for bringing products to market.  I think the combination made entrepreneurship a natural fit for me. 

Take us back to when you first launched your business, what was your marketing strategy to get the word out and did it go as planned?

My marketing strategy was locally focused and relied heavily on in-person events.  We traveled as well through the tri-state area and it went well until we encountered the pandemic and were forced to shut down.  Over the past two years, we never returned to our original model and instead focused heavily on our product offerings and putting our “make your own polish” concept into kits. 

What is the accomplishment you are the most proud of to date?

For me personally, it is being the first in my family to go to college. 

Do you believe in work/life balance? What are some of your best tips?

I do believe we need balance but it’s not always perfect.  My best tip is recognizing when things aren’t balanced and having resources or “backup” plans in place when the “ish” inevitably hits the fan. 

What have you achieved recently that you’d like to celebrate with our community?

We were just featured in Cindy Eckert’s “Pink Box”.  Being featured with the other Pink Ceiling brands was a “pinch me” moment!

What’s next for your business? What can we expect to see over the next few years?

We’re launching two new Custom Polish kits!

What excites you about being an Entreprenista League member?

Connecting with other female founders!

Learn more about the Entreprenista League and join today!