1. Nail School Is Not the Real World:
The goal of nail school is for you to finish nail school. Period, end of story.
It’s to teach you the basics of the Milady text and to help you pass the state board. Some schools offer upgraded programs (my school had the basic 400 hours and then an advanced 600 hours)- don’t waste your time, just take the basics. Connect with your instructors; ask questions and pay attention, usually if they see you are serious and interested they will invest more in you. One of my instructors, Jackie, was absolutely instrumental and crucial to me passing the State Board exam and I still consider her a friend.
Another thing to consider, it’s not uncommon for cosmetology instructors to be scouted as students and put straight through an instructor program as soon as they graduate. It stands to reason, you could have an instructor with very limited real-world salon or business experience.
You’re better off investing the money you didn’t spend upgrading your program on great, focused and refined education taught by professional artists and educators (more on that below). In additional to the amazing (and FREE) resources available on the internet there are also many reputable in person one-on-one educators and brand/technique certifications.
That being said, nail school is GREAT for learning how to interact with clients. Do yourself a favor and let it be known to your instructors that you WANT to work with clients.
A standard mock State Board Practical Exam set up.
2. The Learning (And Practicing) Never Stops:
Don’t get it twisted, in the beauty biz we are lifelong students. There will always be new products and techniques to master and ways to be better. However, it is SO important to do your research, ask your peers about the classes they’ve taken and their opinions on them. It’s surprisingly easy to weed out the duds if you just take the time to chat with your peers. I can personally vouch for several programs and educators, if you’d like to see that in a future post let me know in the comments!
3. Build A Community:
There is room for everybody at the top. While it’s natural to feel competitive, comparison is the thief of joy. You won’t be everybody’s cup of tea and everybody won’t be your cup of tea- don’t force it. it’s important to be a part of a like-minded community. I love that I have an amazing world-wide network of fellow manicurists that I can bounce ideas off, give advice to or ask for advice from. Nail friends just make everything better.
Taking classes are a great way to meet fellow manicurists AND to learn new skills- WIN WIN! This picture was taken at Katie’s Masterclass and I now count all of these ladies as friends! Left to Right: Sandy (@beachgirlmani), Katie (@nailthoughts), Brittany (@nailsnybrittany), Gwen (@hausofglewis_nails) and me (@rachel.messick) featuring some very dusty pants.
4. Buy It Nice or Buy It Twice:
Not to be like, a super snob but please don’t buy weird gel off amazon- if a gel is $1, that’s exactly what it’s worth. It doesn’t matter if you can get 100 colors for $50, most of that product is of questionable origin and can cause some serious allergic reactions. Product allergies are VERY real and can end your career QUICK. Buy from reputable brands that can provide you with SDS/MSDS sheets that can vouch for their product.
5. Products Are Not a Substitute for Skill:
If they were, we would all be out of a job. Remember the first time you did a gel manicure- yeah, it’s a LOT harder than it looks, it probably took you two hours and fell off the next day in the shower. There is no product in the world that will make you a good nail artist. There are products that can simplify certain tasks. There are products and tools that can elevate the work of a good artist. There is no substitute for skill.
I traveled a state over to take this class- when the educators are amazing it’s WORTH it. This was a joint Erica’s ATA & Luminary Certification with Candice Green and Hilary Hererra.
6. People Skills Matter:
People are the heartbeat of our profession- it’s imperative to learn how to read the room, when to speak, when to listen and how to navigate a conversation. Chances are, if you choose this profession, you probably like people- so you’re already halfway there.
7. How You Represent Yourself Matters:
We live in a different world today; your image consists of much more than your outfit. It’s about an experience. Keep things consistent every space that you represent yourself. We have more access to each other than ever- be yourself and have fun but keep it intentional and professional. You never know who’s watching. I highly recommend keeping separate personal social media pages and choosing very wisely who you allow into that space.
Very engaging Young Nails One Week Course
8. Know your Cost Per Service:
Don’t base your prices on what the salon down the street is charging. Know how much it actually costs you to perform a service, what you’d like to make an hour and your overhead. You can definitely look at what other artists are doing and how they structure their services, but at the end of the day you need to do what makes the most sense for YOU.
9. Create Boundaries:
Clients are not bad or naughty, however, it’s important for your well-being that boundaries are set and respected. People treat you how you allow them to. Do not, I repeat, do NOT wait to set personal and professional boundaries. Scheduling, safety guidelines, contact guidelines and preferences, late fees, no show fees, etc.… You’d be surprised how much mutual respect is achieved when you set boundaries.
10. The Beauty Business Is Still a Business:
It does not matter if you are an employee or a business owner, the only person who is responsible for YOUR business is YOU. That means making sure you know the ins-and-outs of the state and local guidelines/laws. That you are saving money for taxes and managing your business expenses. Get an EIN and a business checking, savings and credit card. Make sure you have appropriate liability insurance. Read all the fine print. Know your rights. Don’t get taken advantage of by shady salon owners.This business is the BEST, but it is a BUSINESS- don’t EVER forget that.
11. Don’t Be Afraid to Blaze Your Own Trail:
There are a lot of veteran manicurists with very strong opinions, some antiquated, some not. That’s ok. There are vets that won’t touch a product, no matter how good it is, if the product is retailed to the general public. There are vets that believe you should only use one and only one product line. There are vets that believe that hand-filing is the only way to file. This is an ever-changing industry and there is much to be learned from industry veterans, but there also plenty of trail to blaze.
12. You Don’t Have to Do Everything:
It’s good to know how to do things, but if you find yourself dreading a certain type of service- take it off the menu. While this may not be a reality if you work in a salon that offers many services, one of the benefits of working on my own is that I can set my own menu and attract the type of client that values those services. I specialize in gel nail art on natural nails, that’s all I do in my studio and I book out, every single month. I don’t do acrylic or pedicures; they just aren’t my bag.
What can I say? Natural nails are my numero uno
13. Advocate:
We are part of a much bigger picture, stay engaged in local and state politics- don’t get bamboozled. Don’t let a bunch of people (most of whom are old men have never worked in the beauty industry) choose your fate. Connect with your representatives don’t just sign a moveon.org petition or write a snarky post in your Facebook Nail Tech Group.