Italian entrepreneur Paola Spiga visited the UK 10 years ago to learn English – and did not return. Now she is vying for her second award within months of opening a new business, in Hockley Heath.

Once a beautician to the rich and famous, the 38-year-old has made a new life in Kenilworth, where she's not only conquered her second language, but has already made her mark on her industry.

And now she's been named as a finalist in The Solihull Awards' Outstanding Start-Up, Enterprise and Entrepreneurship category for her business Glam and Glow Beauty Lab in Hockley Heath.

It follows on the heels of her winning a national award - Start-Up of the Year in the Ladies First Professional Networking Awards, at The Dallas Burston Polo Club in Southam, last month.

She'll have to wait to September to find out if she's once again in the spotlight, when winners of the awards, organised by The Solihull Chamber of Commerce, will be announced at a special ceremony at Hilton Birmingham Metropole on September 13th.

It's a proud chapter for Paola who has spent years perfecting her skills, working with industry experts at salons in Florence and then Warwickshire.

She said: "I decided it wasn't for me and, at that point, didn't have a clue what I was going to do.

"I enrolled myself on loads of courses and eventually managed to land an apprentice position at a local salon where I lived in Sardinia, and worked there doing make-up and nails for free for seven months. This was the first time I'd seen a beautician at work and it was mind blowing for me. This is where my passion started."

A while after then landing her first paid apprenticeship, an exciting opportunity lured Paola to a beautician's job at the St Regis five-star hotel in Florence - while also continuing her studies part-time to further her skills.

"I was there for three years and my life was amazing. I absolutely loved the hotel and the spa was stunning. And when a client there says to you 'this is the best massage I've ever had' and you know, they've been all around the world, you feel fantastic," she recalls.

"I gave massages to the rich and famous and royalty from all corners of the globe. Most of my clients were extremely rich people. One of them even asked my colleague and I to join them on their yacht for six months as private masseurs. But I didn't want to do that. It was a completely different world.

"I want all my clients to feel like a prince or a princess while they're here."

She added: "Looking back, it was the most important time of my career. That incredibly high standard of service has stayed with me ever since. Everywhere I go now I notice a million different little things that for me are so important. I always think, if a prince walked in my door now, would I be able to aspire to those sort of standards with what I offer? Ultimately I want all my clients to feel like a prince or a princess while they're here, to feel like they've never felt in their lives."

In 2014 Paola relocated to Kenilworth, staying with her older sister who had moved there six years prior. For the next few months she enrolled at Warwickshire College and worked in kitchens and cafes to earn while she learned, but while never losing sight of her long term vision.

After nine years perfecting her skills in three local salons – including Clarins in the former House of Fraser department store in Leamington and Windmill Hotel in Coventry – Paola finally realised her entrepreneurial dream – and, in October last year, opened the doors to Glam and Glow Beauty Lab on Stratford Road.

She said: "I always knew I wanted to open my own salon but I was never sure of what to do because I didn't want to just go out there with no brand and have to rebuild

everything. But I believed in my skills. For me it was more about finding the right location and the best products to give the perfect service."

Hugely inspired by her mum's own five-year cancer journey, Paola is determined to give back by offering complimentary treatments to those battling the disease.

Her greatest reward is the feedback and five star reviews from clients.

She said: "Once they had their treatment, they said to me 'where have you been all of these years? You're my angel, you're my saviour.' And for me, that best sums up the reason why I love my job."

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