VBP International

From Food to Feet: How NAJA Got Into Doing Nails!

"I grew up on the East Coast so I have that direct, 'to the point' Jersey vibe"

INSPIRATIONAIL.COM

HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO INTERVIEW NAJA

READ ABOUT:

HOW NAJA APPLIED HER SKILLS AS A GOURMET CHEF

TO HER CAREER AS...

CELEBRITY NAIL GURU

...and MINX!!!

CLICK HERE FOR THE INSIDE SCOOP!!!

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TELL US WHAT YOU THINK!!!

COMMENT BELOW

All things NAILZ

Hello, and thank you for the opportunity to submit my experience(s) to your blog.

Being a newbie to this industry has had its challenges, but I’m determined to find my niche and become a permanent fixture in the nail industry.

A little background about me. As a child, I loved to draw. My mother always told me I should one day become a children’s illustrator. Although I understood her vision, my vision was a bit different. Anyway, I’ve been what is described as a “girly girl” for as long as I can remember, so keeping up with the latest trends was my number one concern as a teenager.

So, at the age of 14, out of necessity from not being allowed to frequent nail salons,

I decided to do my own nails.

Some glue, false tips and voila! It was a hit. I remember it like it was yesterday. The designs were baby blue and pink dots atop a shiny top coat. Strangers and classmates alike were inquiring about the name and location of my nail technician. My thoughts were “surely these people have to know my nails aren’t professionally done.” I mean, I thought they were good, but not that exceptional. Nevertheless, my classmates disagreed. I had requests for full-sets with designs.

Now, Jump 14 years later. After doing everything society said I should do to obtain success, I’m back to nails. This road has not been easy and the lessons have been interesting to say the least, but I’m determined to learn, grow and succeed.

At this time, I have all but stopped working my 9-5 office job in pursuit of a career in the nail/beauty industry.

So, to those individuals out there that are just getting started

or may be reluctant to enter into this profession…JUST DO IT!

It’s never too late to live your dreams. After all, you can’t be successful, unless you try.

Next up: My first time working in a 60 hour a week nail salon!

By Jacqueline Glover
IG: Jackienails4u

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Thanks for your Blog Post Jackie!
VBP BLOG MASTER CALL TO ACTION:
COMMENT BELOW! Do you have any advice for Jackie's new adventure?
What was your start in the industry?

CONTRIBUTE. LEARN. SUCCEED.
-Dréa aka "The Blog Master"

We are our own worst enemy

I was the girl in High School who thought girls/women who got their nails done where "so vain".

Funny huh?

So I graduated HS in 1995. A year or so later I was working but had no idea what I was going to do with my life. I just wanted to find something to do, but also didn't want it to be too difficult.

The guy I was dating, his brothers girlfriend was in the local Jr College Nail Tech Class. When I heard this my first thought was “wow she is an idiot...if she can do that I bet I can.”

So I went to the college to see when the next class was. It was starting in 2 days and was full!!!!! I had to run all over campus to get heads of departments and teachers to sign paperwork to ok 1 more add.
So school got going it turned out I had a nack for nails.

I had to sell my Trombone to be able to get the supplies. I was given a list of the cheapest products on the market to learn on. I thought this was HORRIBLE! That is why I sold my instrument I knew if I was going to learn to do nails I wanted to learn with the best products on the market. I was very blessed that the teachers I had wanted us to be able to work. NOT just pass "state board".

They brought in educators from all different companies. Well one educator happen to tell the class about a new salon opening up in Houston. It was an all nails salon only. Owned by an Amercian couple who where both business majors (or something like that). A clean, slick, had the 1st autoclave to be used in a salon in Houston, top of the line and clean nail salon! I thought at that moment that I wanted to work in a place like that!

So 600+ hours later and after I had tested but before I knew if I passed or not I thought where do I go work? I looked at places around town, asked recent graduates and just couldn't find the vision I saw.

So what if I just applied at that super fancy place????

Oh wow could I do that. Those techs are so good and I am just out of school and didn't even have my license yet how could I do that? Then I remembered a lesson my mother taught me. Short version of story "What is the worse that could happen?"

They could say, NOOOOOOO!!!!

That wouldn't kill me."

So I applied, got the interview and...got the job. I was so freaking scared. It turned out to be the best experience ever. I learned lots about the industry, other techs and myself. I was super blessed to be mentored by one of the other tech’s. If not for her I am not sure I would have kept moving forward. I owe a huge thanks to her.

As I look back and think of this first job I had in this great industry I see a lesson I think we should all learn:

We are our own worst enemy. If we allow ourselves to be governed by fear (fear to apply for “the perfect job”) we will go no where. We won’t get anything done or ever move forward. So don’t be afraid, the worst that can happen is you are told “no”. I would rather be told no than never know.

By Geneva Holcomb

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Thanks for your Blog Post Geneva!

VBP BLOG MASTER CALL TO ACTION:

COMMENT BELOW! Have you ever been intimidated by a salon you wanted to work at?

What was your start in the industry?

CONTRIBUTE. LEARN. SUCCEED.

-Dréa aka "The Blog Master"

An Unsuspecting Nail Tech

My whole life it’s been driven into me that I need to be academically inclined and get my Masters, PhD or JD.

College wasn’t an option, it was a necessity.

My academics were nurtured by my father (the doctor) while my mother was an artistic hippie. I went to college for my bachelor’s degree and ended up with 2 Bachelors and 2 Minors in 4 years from CU Boulder, CO. I was on the fast track to law school and that’s what I assumed was going to be my future.

Things don’t always pan out how you planned. Fresh out of undergrad I was accepted into the University of Denver Sturm College of Law and I thought that was it for me. I was looking at a $250K education and 80 hour work weeks for the rest of my life.

My nail tech changed all of that.

I was getting my nails done by a lovely Puerto Rican gal in Denver that was amazing. In casual conversation she mentioned that she had claimed $72K on her taxes and it got me seriously thinking about what I was about to get myself into. While I adore the legal field, a lot of my friends that are practicing attorneys would choose a different path if given the chance to start over. Their hefty student debt and stress have taken a toll on them. I didn’t want to be this statistic.

My plan was to go to nail school the summer before I started my JD program and learn how to do nails so that I could work on the side and make a little cash. What was supposed to be a “side gig” turned into a full-fledged career.

My university was kind enough to defer my enrollment a year so that I could figure out what I wanted to do. As I sit here I am writing to you as a nail tech. I abandoned my intentions of law school and embarked on one hell of a journey.

In the last 2.5 years I have had a wild ride of nail education, opportunities, travel and new relationships.

I couldn’t be happier with my choice and I absolutely adore my new found profession. My parents aren’t alive anymore but I believe that the fusion of my straight laced father and my whimsical and artistic mother have catapulted my career in such wonderful ways. I have structure, balance and a whole lot of glitter to top it off! I still get butterflies when I think about my “job”. I’m in a crazy and incredible relationship with my business and my clients that I’ve totally and utterly fallen in love with. I’m so abundantly lucky!

By Rachael Waggoner

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Thanks for your Blog Post Rachael!
VBP BLOG MASTER CALL TO ACTION:
COMMENT BELOW! Did you give up a different career for the Nail Industry?
What was your start in the industry?

CONTRIBUTE. LEARN. SUCCEED.
-Dréa aka "The Blog Master"

David Anthony... the one and only!

David was just interviewed on Inspirationail.com

Want to learn more about this industry leader?

Click Here

Find out about his background

Find out what he did before Valentino

"In 2009 after selling the businesses, I went full circle back into the beauty industry with my Father, except this time as a manufacturer."
Read more at http://www.inspirationail.com/david-anthony/#MsHHAjaIBS67d7Kr.99

Go find out who David looks up to and what a typical day is like in the life of David Anthony

"I’m very passionate about helping people and love seeing them succeed. Their success is my success. "

Thanks for all you do for the industry David, Congrats on the Interview.

David and Valentino Beauty Pure

If you don't know about

INSPIRATIONAIL.COM

Their blog offers noteworthy tips, industry interviews, products and resources geared towards " nail nuts of all skill levels"

Inspirationail featured a great article about Valentino Beauty Pure!

Find out why it's "Where Beauty Meets Health"

Click here to read the article on inspirationail.com

Learn the background behind the Valentino

Find out what inspired David Anthony to create such a unique product.

See how and why it has evolved into a system for every nail tech to be more efficient, healthy, and dust free!

Click here to read the article on insirationail.com

INSPIRATIONAIL.COM

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Can I just say I love my Valentino!
VBP BLOG MASTER CALL TO ACTION:
COMMENT BELOW! lets hear it. Do you Have a Valentino? Do you have any system for ventilation in the salon? Tell us what you think

CONTRIBUTE. LEARN. SUCCEED.
-Dréa aka "The Blog Master"

Embroidered Nails

Hello to all nail techs and nail lovers,

my name is Tatiana Litvinov

I am a nail technician and international educator from Republic of Moldova.

Today I would love to present you my patent nails which I named

“Embroidered Nails”

I called them Embroidered because this unique technique expresses the exact effect of a real embroidering but made on the nails. This new design in nail industry became loved by nail technicians and customers very fast, first of all because it’s flat what makes it easy wearable and second because it is so special that turns heads over!

Everybody is asking me: “how did you come out with this idea?”

Well, this is what happened – one day, me and my fiance were watching the D&G Fashion Show for Fall\Winter 2012-2013 and presented a fabulous collection full in embroidered elements so I just felt in love with it. My fiance told me that it would be so awesome if I could do something like this on the nails, and here it started. All my life I loved embroidering and actually I made few of them, my lovely grandmother taught this art.

So, I started thinking how I can do it on the nails…and any idea didn’t come out. But one day, I was working on a winter design for a nail magazine where I had frosty effect on the French with blue 3D roses, I needed some leafs for my roses but I couldn’t make them regular because my design had a little fantasy style, so I've used some tiny beads and I tried to make the leafs with it and here we go! I see that it comes right like an embroidering if make it in a certain way.

Next day I made our idea to born in a reality. For making this design you will need just those tiny bullions (which are smaller In a half than regular caviar) and clear or pink acrylic powder with monomer. It is very important to understand the elements of the real embroidering to get the same effect on the nails.

This technique is so awesome that you can do it flat or even 3D.

Doing it flat you will get an amazing and original design

which will make your customer feeling special.

Doing it 3D it will let you get the effect of

a fancy real lace ( the bow on the nails).

A lot of nail technicians around the world expressed their emotions and opinions regarding Embroidered Nails and came to learn it. This is a new style of nail design which is absolutely different from all what exists today in the nail industry, is a new trend in nail art which make me very proud and happy.

Embroidered Nails look great on all the lengths and shapes of the nails, just build a nice nail and add the design. Using this technique you can create not only nails for you and your customers, but accessories as well like rings, earrings and all the jewels what your creative soul likes.

I hope you will like my Embroidered Nails
and in case of any question you always can find me on Facebook.

With love Tatiana Litvinov

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Thanks for your Blog Post Tatiana! Creative and inspiring!
VBP BLOG MASTER CALL TO ACTION:
COMMENT BELOW! What do you think of Embroidered Nails?

CONTRIBUTE. LEARN. SUCCEED.
-Dréa aka "The Blog Master"