An Update

Wow! I can't believe it's been nearly 2 years since I posted to my blog. It's so easy to get overwhelmed and so busy working in my business that I don't make time to work on my business. And the more time that passes by, the more daunting it becomes. So, I'm just going to jump back in and do my best to keep up this time. Thank you so much to all of you who have followed me already.

I'm a nail technician and educator living and working in Wilmington, DE at Michael Christopher Salon. Michael Christopher is a very established in this city, and I'm so honored to work at a place with such a long history. They have been in business for over 35 years. And many of the clients I work on have been coming there more than half their lives. My teammates are all very talented and passionate about what they do. The standards are very high, so I feel like it's a place that's alligned with the level of service I strive to provide.

This salon is also ideal for me, because it gives me the opportunity to work for myself. I have the freedom to choose the products I want to use, design my own services, and set my own hours. Along with that freedom though, comes a lot of responsiblity. I can really only count on me to market myself and keep clients coming back. It's a huge, and at times overwhelming undertaking, doing all of this by myself.

The goal for my business is to balance my own clients with educating other nail technicians. It is my belief that through education we can raise the standards in the nail industry and hopefully one day nail technicians in the U.S. will get the respect they deserve in the beauty industry. In my last blog post, I mentioned joining the team at Hand and Nail Harmony. I've learned so much working for them! They gave me wonderful technical training that has raised the level of the service I provide to my clients.  I love making an impact in the lives of my students as their journey in the business is beginning.

Back with good news....

Hello everyone,

I'm so sorry to not have posted for a while. But a something great came along and I've had a lot of work to do to prepare. I've become an Educator for Hand and Nail Harmony! I'm so excited about this opportunity to share a wonderful product with Nail Technicians everywhere and help them grow their businesses.

I traveled to the headquarters for one of the top distributors in the country for nail products, Nail Tech Supply, to complete a wonderful training lead by someone I have admired for a long time, MaeLing Parrish. We completed all the components of Harmony's PhD Nail Stylist program. It was very intensive and informative. I learned everything there is to know about Harmony's product and all of the different systems they offer. I also gained some valuable knowledge about UV and LED technology and product chemistry. I'm a firm believer in the attitude of 'life-long learning' so this was a dream come true for me!

I'm so honored to have been selected from hundreds of Nail Techs from all over the country to be a part of this great group of talented Nail Professionals. I've been educating in various settings for a number of years now, but I really feel this is going to take that part of my business to the next level. I've had a great deal of success in my time in this industry. And I would love nothing more than to help Nail Techs all over the world create profitable and thriving businesses.

So, what's the next step? Right now we're reaching out to all the Cosmetology schools in my area and organizing classes for Distributors. Knowledge is power. And all the products in the world will do you no good if you don't know how to get the most out of them. I'm committed to perfecting my craft and staying on top of the latest trends and the most current knowledge on all aspects of the nail industry. I'm also honing my skills as an Educator through understanding students' different learning styles and reaching all of them.

I'm looking forward to sharing my journey with all of you as I set out to make a difference in the Nail Industry through my new position.

Thank you for reading!!

Is it time to get real with our clients about nail damage?

This topic was originally brought up on Salon Geek, by someone I really look up to and admire a great deal, Gigi Rouse. It really made me re-think my explanation to clients about the long term effects of wearing nail products.

Anytime we have a client for a gel polish or enhancement service, the first thing they ask  is "Will this ruin my nails like (insert other service they're not having)?" And we all come to the rescue of our accused products and methods with "It's not the tools, it's the fools", and in many cases, "That's only if you go to the chop shop." We can become a little defensive. When really our client is just asking, what will happen to her nails? What is the consequence of this service?

I want to explain what I mean by damage. I'm not talking about rings of fire from over-aggressive filing, or bacterial infections due to lifting, or dirty tools, etc. This is completely unacceptable. I'm talking about the change that happens to the natural nail when product is applied or removed.

To refer again to the Hair Industry, because I really think they represent the direction in which our industry needs to go; Hair Stylists do not apologize for, or ignore, the fact that chemical services 'compromise' the integrity of the hair. They simply sell the client the necessary home care items to minimize the damage and reiterate the importance of letting a professional do your hair. Women happily accept that if they want to have hair color service, they need to use conditioner at home.

Perhaps if we were more realistic with our clients about the fact that nails do become dehydrated after extended wear of any nail product, clients would take our home care recommendation of daily cuticle oil use more seriously. And they would keep up with their appointments and begin to see the difference between a professional service and just walking into any old discount salon for their nails.

Part of the problem is that for years Manufacturers have been telling us that nail products cause no damage to the nail when applied and cared for properly. I think they're referring to the above-mentioned damage. But the nail is dehydrated before application of any product. And the continued 2 or 3 week wear of a nail coating does trap moisture and cause temporary softening of the nail. To say that the nail is in exactly the same condition after this is unrealistic. And when clients see this for themselves over time, we as Nail Technicians begin to appear either in denial, or at worst, intentionally deceptive. Either one is not a good impression. And I think this is the number one reason women give up on enhancement services.

I can already say that being more straight-forward with my clients about the effect that wearing nail products will have, and the fact that it's temporary and can be minimized with good home care, has earned me a lot of respect. And you'd be surprised how nonchalant they are. They're re-assured that you're aware of the risk and have the tools to combat it.

So just try it, the next time a client asks you "Does this product damage my nail?" Just shrug your shoulders and say "They'll be dehydrated but you just need to use cuticle oil every day." Your client will appreciate your honesty.

Nail Techs need to show more self confidence!

The recent debate about Gelish being sold in Sally's has highlighted to me a big problem with our Nail Industry and what may be holding us back. I think there is a huge lack of confidence that Nail Technicians have in their worth, and what they have to offer to the general public. This lack of confidence manifests itself in the outrage that Nail Technicians express every time one of our beloved products finds its way from the status of Pro Only to being legitimately available to the general public for use at home.

Clients do not patronize professional beauty salons (for any service) because they cannot get their hands on the products needed to perform these services at home. They visit the salon because they know that they lack the skill, or the desire, to recreate the results that a true professional can achieve. A woman, with enough money, can purchase anything she needs to look her best at any local pharmacy. Hair Color and Perms have been available for general public use for decades. Yet, Hair Stylist are the highest paid beauty professionals in the business. The availability of these products in the pharmacies has increased the customers awareness of these services and boosted sales of the professional service. A great deal of business is generated just by correcting the mistakes clients make with these products at home.

Clients have always been able to buy everything they need to perform their own manicure and pedicure at home. This has not stopped the nail business from growing year after year. Why?? Because they can't apply polish as well as we can! Or they don't care to take the time. Why should this be any different with gel polish? The only difference between a manicure and a gel polish manicure is the use of a UV lamp and the lasting power of the end result. What makes or breaks either service is accurate and complete cuticle detailing, perfect shaping of the nails and precise polish application. This takes skill, practice and good education. That's where the professional Nail Tech comes in.

Every day in my salon, I meet clients who have never heard of gel polish. Do you know why? I think it's because it's not available at the drug store yet. Unless they have been to a nail salon in the last year, they have not heard about this service. They know about 'nail foils',  thanks to Sally Hansen. And guess what? I get messages  from potential clients asking if I offer that service all the time. I think the exposure that we stand to gain from this product going public will far outweigh any consequence or business we may lose due to some frugal clients trying this at home. And we won't lose them for long...

Now, there is an exception. If you know in your heart that your manicure skills need some work. If your polish application is sloppy, and your client can achieve better results on her own, you may be in trouble. It's time for you to step up your game. But if you have clients watch you in awe as you transform the look of their hands, what are you afraid of?

By having confidence in your work, not just your products, but what you can do with your hands, you empower yourself to succeed. You take away the power that manufacturers have to threaten your business, by changing the availability of the products you use. You take away the ability of  discount salons to lure your clients away with a cheap offer. Confidence is infectious. Clients can feel it radiating  from you. They also can feel insecurity, doubt and jealousy.

My hope for the future of our industry is to see us rise to the level of hair stylists. We are only going to achieve this by raising the bar, and giving our best to our clients. Not by complaining about a product being available here or there, or complaining about another person who chooses to work cheap! This, in my opinion, is focusing on the negative.

I'd like to thank you all for reading this, my first blog. I hope to continue to share my perspective and my experience and I hope that it helps anyone out there get to the next level. I've enjoyed great success in the 10 years I've been a nail tech. And I'm very excited about where our industry stands now, and I'm proud to be a part of it.