The “When Will I Ever Use This?” Question

As a mom raising two girls, 11 & 14, I hear a lot about how dumb school is and how they will never use half the stuff they are learning when they are adults.

Math is dumb. Science is boring. Vocabulary is pointless. Writing essays is the actual WORST.

And honestly... I get it. When you're sitting in class solving a word problem about trains leaving Chicago at different times, it is hard to imagine that helping you as an adult.

But here is the funny part. I run a nail polish company, and I use things I learned in school absolutely every. Single. Day.

So this is my tribute to all the lessons that stuck with me and somehow became the backbone of running a small business.

Math Class: Turns Out It Was Important

Math shows up constantly when you run a product based business, which is deeply ironic because I absolutely hated math in school. I mean really hated it, I think I still hate it; Math was actually one of the main reasons teachers started looking into whether I had ADHD. I had zero interest in it and could not understand why everyone insisted I needed to memorize things when I was completely convinced that one day we would all have calculators in our pockets anyway. Turns out I was right about that part. Psychic? Possibly.

Even though I hated it, math still shows up in my day to day work. One of the biggest ways I use it is calculating ingredient ratios when mixing polish. For example, if I need 1/16 teaspoon of pigment for one bottle of polish and each bottle is 0.43 fl oz, I still have to figure out how much pigment I need if I want to make a batch of 100 bottles.

The formula looks like this:

$$(\text{Pigment per bottle})\times (\text{Number of bottles})\; =\; total\; pigment$$

So:

 

 

 

That means I need 6.25 teaspoons of pigment for that batch.

Math shows up when I need to quickly figure out whether I have enough suspension base on hand to make a batch for a spontaneous launch or a random wholesale order that just came in. It also helps when calculating what percentage discount might drive sales while still protecting my profit margins, and again when estimating how many shipping boxes I will need to pack a large order (something I'll touch on shortly) with multiple shades.

Those math word problems everyone hated in school turn out to be surprisingly similar to real life business decisions.

Science Class: Mixing Polish Is Basically Chemistry

Making nail polish is part creativity and part science experiment.

Every time I mix a new formula I am thinking about how pigments disperse in a suspension base, how ingredients affect viscosity and drying time, and how certain pigments interact with each other. Some combinations look incredible while others turn muddy instantly, so there's a lot of testing, observing, and adjusting.

In a lot of ways, mixing polish follows the same logic as the scientific method. You form an idea, test it, observe the results, and tweek until it works.

Computer Skills: Businesses Run on Software Now

Running a business means living on a computer.

We built and maintain the website, manage my Shopify store, work inside design programs, run email marketing software, and juggle several tools that handle orders, inventory, and customer communication.

Being able to type efficiently and understand how software works saves an enormous amount of time. Chicken typing at the keyboard is simply not the vibe when your entire business operates online.

Computer literacy is not optional anymore. It is basic survival for running a modern business.

Art Class: Color Theory Is My Entire Job

Art class prepared me for more of my job than almost anything else.

Understanding color theory affects almost every polish I create. Knowing the difference between warm and cool tones, understanding complementary colors, and learning how to create muted or dusty shades directly impacts how I mix pigments.

Art class also helped me understand visual balance and cohesive design. When designing labels, styling product photos, or planning a collection launch, every element has to feel intentional and balanced. Colors need to work together, images need to feel visually stable, and the overall presentation should feel cohesive rather than chaotic.

Running a brand means constantly making visual decisions, and those art fundamentals show up everywhere.

Writing Class: Businesses Require a Lot of Words

A lot of people assume that running a nail polish brand means I spend all day mixing polish.

In reality, a large part of the job involves writing. I write product descriptions, blog posts, email newsletters, website pages, customer responses, and copy for social media posts.

If your entire business lives online, your words are how customers understand what you make and why they should care.

Writing clearly matters.

Vocabulary: Learn the Words, Bro

This one is a constant argument with my 14 year old.

She doesn't like learning new words and prefers using as few words as possible. To be fair, she is autistic and doesn't enjoy unnecessary complexity, which I get. But having a large vocabulary is SUPER important.

Imagine if I described every nail polish exactly the same way.

For example, I could say:
“Frog in a Blender is a green shard glitter in a clear suspension base.”

That description is technically accurate, but it is also painfully boring.

Words help people imagine the polish before they ever see it in person. If every polish description used the same handful of adjectives like glittery, sparkly, or shiny, everything would blur together.

A strong vocabulary gives you options. It lets you describe texture, depth, color shifts, and finishes in ways that actually bring the product to life.

Learn the words. Become a walking thesaurus.

Spatial Reasoning: The Art of Packing Boxes

Running a brand that tries to be environmentally responsible means thinking carefully about packaging.

I want to use recyclable materials while avoiding wasted space and unnecessary packing materials. That means figuring out what box size fits an order best, how to pack bottles safely without leaving huge empty spaces, and how to balance protection with efficiency. Honestly, I might have learned more about fitting things perfectly from years of playing Tetris than I did from school, but hey, it still counts as learning.

I simply don't have the time to repack something twelve times trying to get the perfect fit.

Spatial reasoning also becomes important when planning pop up displays. People naturally look at things at eye level first, and they also do not enjoy displays that feel overwhelming like an I-Spy book. Products need to be spaced clearly so customers can actually see them, but the table still needs personality and decoration to draw people in.

A display with just a couple of shelves of inventory sitting on a table feels lifeless. People are naturally drawn toward visual anchors like a cute bow garland, a prize spinner, or even a disco ball. The display needs to flow visually so customers can move across the table comfortably without feeling overloaded by clutter.

Too empty feels boring, but too busy feels stressful. Finding that balance is a design skill.

Problem Solving: The Skill School Was Secretly Teaching You

Math word problems are a migrane. Reading books can feel like a snorefest until you discover a genre you actually like.

Both train your brain to solve problems.

Running a business requires constant critical thinking. When something goes wrong, you have to analyze the situation, think through possible solutions, choose the best next step, and communicate clearly about what's happening.

Sometimes the solution is fixing the problem yourself. Sometimes the best solution is asking someone else for help. Either way, you need to know how to think through the situation and respond in a way that does not accidentally create even bigger problems.

Critical thinking might be one of the most valuable skills school ever teaches.

Time Management: The Lesson That Did Not Stick

School also tried to teach me time management.

Did it work?

Absolutely not.

I was late to school almost every day. My assignments were late IF I turned them in at all. I was honestly a terrible student. The only reason I graduated high school is because I am an excellent test taker. 🤓

At some point after getting my ADHD diagnosis, they made me take time management classes. Looking back as an adult, I can see how those lessons probably could have helped me.

Unfortunately the lesson still hasn't sunk in.

I regularly leave the house 4 minutes before I need to arrive somewhere that is 4 minutes away. I miss doctor appointments. I also miss many of my own self imposed deadlines.

I guess you can't win 'em all.

So When Will You Ever Use This?

School won't teach you exactly what job you will have someday.

What it will teach you are tools. Math, science, writing, art, computer skills, spatial reasoning, and problem solving all show up in real life in ways that are not so obvious when you are sitting in a classroom.

You may not use them exactly the way they showed up in your textbooks.

But if you end up running a business, even one that makes nail polish, you will probably use those lessons so much more than you think.

And yes, I will 💯 be sending this blog to my kids.