I never imagined I’d trade Excel spreadsheets for nail files and gel polish. But leaving my corporate job to build Naiyah Nails – a 5-star rated, Black-owned boutique nail salon in  London – was the first time I truly stepped into my power. 

Growing up, the path was clear: go to university, get a good job, climb the corporate ladder. I did that. I earned a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree, and landed in the City, working a stable career at a top firm. But as a Black woman, nobody tells you that this career path can be a lonely one, where no one in the entire office looks like you – let alone anyone in a senior position.

In my experience, working in the City as a Black woman felt like I was blazing a trail, as if I had accomplished the impossible and I was lucky to be there. The loneliness was real, and it wasn’t just imposter syndrome. I was the only Black woman in my team and could go days without seeing another Black person in the office, even in a global organisation with thousands of employees. I kept my head down, did the work, delivered results. But I was slowly losing myself in the process.