What exactly is your business?
“Right now my focus is nails, mainly selling press ons but I also do acrylics.”

How did you learn?
“I taught myself. I have been into beauty and things like that since I was little. I would watch videos of people doing similar things and it inspired me to get into it more seriously. Also, I love art in general, so that helps me a lot when it comes to designing and painting nails. But for acrylics, I’m still learning and finding ways to perfect my technique and learning from other nail artists.”

What was it like in the very beginning of practicing doing nails?
“I started by just buying the supplies needed and doing nails on myself for practice. After I got a bit better, I would promote it on my social media. In the beginning [even though it is still the beginning for me], it was hard to get the design, lines, and details as perfect as I wanted them because the nail itself is such a small surface. And even though I paint a lot too, it’s still something that took a bit to get used to, along with learning how to paint with the curve or shape of the nail.”

When did you first start selling?
“My first order was in 2019 and it was for a friend but I wasn’t really promoting selling nails that much as I am now. My first order after I started focusing more on my business was around October 2020.”

What are your goals?
“To open my own salon where you can get everything done at the same place: your nails, hair, makeup, lashes, [and] things like that. I want to be able to open and run my own place and be able to do a bit of everything in the field of cosmetology.”

What keeps you motivated?
“Passion. I have so much love for this kind of career and it has always been something I enjoyed doing. The amount of effort I have put into this so far would be a waste if I didn’t feel passionate about it. Also, the people who order or schedule appointments keep me motivated because even though I still have a long way to go, the people who have ordered from my business and later told me how much they liked their nails always push me to continue what I am doing. Deep down I always have doubts about my skills and business, but those small words of appreciation keep my head up and moving forward towards what I have and want to work in the future.”