Our associate editor, Diane Diaz, was the winner of the #IHeartCNDSweeps contest on social media. She collected her grand prize this past weekend at America’s Beauty Show. We asked her to write about her experience, as we usually don’t hear about what happens after someone wins such a giant prize. Our many thanks to Diane for sharing her experience, and to CND for showing us an amazing time at the show.
Take it away, Diane!
-Ashley
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Growing up on Disney movies and always wishing for a “Once upon a time…” moment in my life, this was a close second. Except in this case, Jan Arnold and her team were the ones that stole my heart. This was a once in a lifetime experience!
Creative Nail Design (CND) held a social media sweepstakes at the end of the summer last year. Here were the details: create a 15 second video on why you love CND Shellac and post on a social media platform. Four weekly winners were to receive a CND Shellac Brand Complete Wardrobe Kit and one grand prize winner was to receive an exclusive VIP experience at ISSE Long Beach that included a Shellac Wardrobe Kit, roundtrip transportation to Los Angeles, an in-booth shopping spree for $750 and a one-on-one private brunch with none other than the CND Co-founder and Style Director, Jan Arnold.
Of course, I crossed my fingers and toes in the hopes to win, but I’m one of those “I never win anything” people. A couple of days before the entry deadline, I saw an opportunity to create my video. At midnight, with no makeup, hair in a crazy, messy bun with the only light from the flash on my phone and silence. Yes, with two girls under the age of five, silence was definitely the motivator at the top of the list. Not knowing about the world of editing, take after take, I attempted to cram all of my beliefs into 15 seconds, (which was not the easiest I must say.) I put myself in the shoes of a client and thought, “What would I say to someone who has never attempted a Shellac service and either lives a busy lifestyle, stays at home with kids, endless list of chores, constant travel, etcetera?!” That’s when it clicked! Check out the video here.
I saw the weekly winners announced week after week and threw my hands in the air, another contest lost. Low and behold, I forgot about the grand prize winner to be announced the following week and there it was…the Instagram notification! Have you ever read something over and over in awe wondering if you are going crazy seeing things?! Well if you haven’t, your heart starts beating super fast, you wish someone was next to you to verify that you read correctly, then wish someone was around who understood the gravity of what you were even reading! It read something like “Congratulations to @canvasnailstudio for winning the #IHeartCNDSweeps Grand Prize!” Immediately I responded to @cndworld thanking them for this amazing opportunity, although I still couldn’t believe it was actually my video that was chosen. Then, I remembered the no makeup, hair in a crazy, messy bun at midnight and thought “Oh my gosh!”
About a week after, I received the CND Shellac Wardrobe Kit, CND Shellac Xpress 5 Top Coat and the new CND LED Lamp that were part of the initial prize! A short time after, I received information from their public relations company regarding the details of the grand prize. I was told that I would be awarded the grand prize mentioned and also the education courses to be held at the trade show. At first I thought it was a typo, but then it was clarified that the original grand prize was to take place at ISSE Long Beach, California, but they since changed their plan and decided to focus their attention to Americas Beauty Show (ABS) in Chicago, my hometown. My initial reaction was “Aww man, no trip to Los Angeles”, but that faded very quickly as I was thankful to have been chosen to be a part of this great experience no matter where it took place! To checkout the initial prize, watch the video here.
So let’s fast forward a bit. The big day was finally here and the butterflies in my stomach had taken control the night before. Due to the change in the trade show location from ISSE to ABS, CND was kind enough to provide a black car service to and from the show for the next three days! It was like a waive of a wand turned a pumpkin into a carriage outside of my home. I made my way that first morning bright and early to give some time to calm my nerves. My brunch with Jan Arnold was to take place on day one of ABS and the grand prize to be awarded immediately after. What would I say to Jan? How would I respond to her questions with eloquence? Well, this was going to be a moment to remember for sure and the best I could do was be true to myself and exude confidence as a professional and as a Nail Technician. Prior to brunch, I was attending a CND Press Event with Ashley. As we walked in, we were greeted by the public relations team that welcomed us with open arms. I was finally able to meet Kathleen, who was my contact during the time that led up to this day, which was the first exciting moment of many to come. As we walked around the room with minutes left before the presentation, SHE walked in. (“She” meaning Jan Arnold in the flesh!) She walked in gracefully and took her place at the front of the room. My nerves set in immediately once again. I wasn’t prepared for this, I thought I had time! We walked over, took our seats in the front row (yes, we are those kind of geeks) and Ashley took a few steps to approach Jan and say hello. Both were all smiles and happy to be in each others presence once again, when Ashley glanced at Jan, then turned to me and said, “Jan, this is Diane Diaz, your IHeartCNDSweeps winner.” Jan looked over at me and I felt the smile taking over my face, trying to hold back on the cartwheels that turned in my head. I think I said something like “I love you and I love you and you are the greatest, a leader and most influential professional in the industry today and Jan, did I say I love you?!” Well, okay, maybe I just shook her hand and said, “It is a pleasure to meet you!” Jan’s response was, “We are having brunch together a bit later!” I just about died and went to heaven.
A couple of hours later, I waited outside of our meeting place for brunch as Jan approached with one of her team members. We walked in together to an intimate setting. At a round table, a beautiful spread of food was set up, as well as a variety of beverages, including champagne. Jan suggested that before we get started it would be a good idea to open up the champagne and say cheers to the occasion. We were then left alone to get acquainted and enjoy each other’s company. As our brunch went on, it was only natural for the nerves to float away. Jan is so down to earth and made me feel as I were the only person that mattered in that moment. Granted she was left alone with me, but that feeling continued throughout my experience, no matter how many people were around us. We spoke of our experiences, personal and professional, bonded over our history within the dental industry and talked about our travels as we sipped on our champagne and took bites of our delicious quiche. Time flew by and before we knew it, we were in overtime! I enjoyed every moment and wished I could freeze time as I felt we could have continued for hours. But wait! We couldn’t, as I had a shopping spree awaiting!
The team escorted us to the exhibit hall and continued our journey with a photo to document our experience together. I was then paired up with my personal shopper, the amazing Zsanea Hatcher, CND Education Ambassador. Nea was just the person I needed to get me under control. You put a kid in a candy store, they are are going to go gaga over everything in sight! I took it one product at a time and over the course of an hour or so, I racked up a $750 bill, all paid for by CND. What did I get you ask? A whole lot of everything! Shellac, Vinylux, Brisa Sculpting Gel/Brush, Additives, Retention+ Liquid and Powder/Brush, the new Spa Soak, Scrub, Masque and Lotion in Bright Citron and Gardenia Woods, as well as Cucumber Heel Therapy and Intensive Moisturizer. At checkout, I was met by Beth Livesay from Nails Magazine to document the shopping spree and check out the winnings! We were both in awe of what just happened and at all the fun stuff that was in my basket! Once again, I met with Jan, Nea and my shopping bags to pose for a photo. Words cannot express how I felt in that moment. Not only Jan, but her entire team made me feel as if I was being welcomed into their home on the exhibit floor, making sure that all went well and that I was happy with my selections. I almost didn’t want to say yes, because I knew then the experience would be over. But it wasn’t as a day full of CND Education was right around the corner! CND Seasonal Trend Class, CND Spa Class, Secrets to Success with Retention+ Liquid and Powder and Nailing your Future with Industry Experts. Education is definitely important to me as it keeps me motivated to keep moving forward, brings experience back to my client relationships and services, and allows me to be up to date on the latest products. Once again, I felt like a special guest in the CND family.
Needless to say, my face hurt from smiling so much during my time with Jan Arnold and her team. I’m so thankful for the experiences they brought to realization. It was like a dream come true. I joked with them saying that on my way home, the black car was going to turn back into a pumpkin and my experience was sadly going to be over. I think that couldn’t be further from the truth. Not only did I walk away with some of the best products in our industry, but I walked away with new friends and an experience of a lifetime!