We had the good fortune of connecting with Natalie Lamorena and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Natalie, is there a quote or affirmation that’s meaningful to you?
My favorite quote is “live by faith, not by sight.” I didn’t realize how important this was until I started my journey to opening Polished Pub. While I was opening, I wanted this specific space very badly, however for whatever reason my application kept getting denied. Naturally, I kept looking elsewhere. Out of no where, that very space I wanted contacted me when I was about to sign another lease and offered me the space. And now I have my dream salon, in my dream location ◡̈
This taught me what’s meant to be will be. And even when things look like they’re not going to work out, as long as you believe it will and it’s yours, it is !

Please tell us more about your work. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
Getting to where I am today definitely was not easy! I signed my lease exactly two weeks before the infamous pandemic of 2020 after literally almost begging my landlords to give me my location.

Back story- the first time I saw my space was June 2019. I put in my LOI in September and got denied when they decided to use the space for a pharmacy.. which is a little irionic because it’s actually my family business. However that wasn’t going to stop me. The same building had two other places open, so I applied for those … and also got denied. I think it was because I was a first time business owner and only 26.
So I began desperately looking and found a space I was clearly settling for, but at this point I just wanted anything. As I’m getting ready to sign my lease for this space , my now landlord text me- the man who I submitted the 3 applications to- and asks if I’m still interested in his space in the same exact minute I opened my other lease for signature. I told him yes!!! And the rest is history (literally a pandemic lol)

That lead to me signing my lease 3/4/2020 and we couldn’t start building until June because of restrictions.

It took us 6 months to open from then because of all shipping delays. But it literally all worked out more perfect than I ever could have imagined. The night before we opened, I made my first tiktok and it for 1million views in a night ! So as soon as we opened we were blessed.

This whole process taught me to trust time and be patient, because everything that’s meant to be yours will always be yours. You just need to know it and believe it.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My mom. My mom has been my biggest supporter probably since before I was even born. There were times where I was literally doing horrible in college, and she would just tell me about how successful she knew I was going to be. She believed in my vision with Polished Pub and supported me more than anyone can imagine. If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t be who I am

Website: www.polishedpub.com

Instagram: Polishedpub

Facebook: Polishedpub

Yelp: Polishedpub

Other: Twitter.com/polishedpub

Image Credits
Photo credit: Charissa Hyong

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