We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Aries Moschino a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Aries, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Are you happier as a business owner? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job?

I have been noticeably happier since I started working for myself full-time. Although I have owned my business for about 3 years now, I have always had 1-2 additional employers and odd jobs since I was 17 years old. Working for myself has encouraged me to put myself and my health first. Working for a traditional employer has always led to burnout and sacrificing my needs, wellness and interests. Too many employers have exploited power dynamics and my labor for the sake of advancing the interests of the business, and too many times I have been afraid of disappointing said employers. Now, I will never work for someone else’s dream without considering myself and accessibility first. I’m much more comfortable disappointing others because I am sure about supporting myself. Being in the beauty industry has taught me a lot about how our society devalues self care. In the case of working for a nail salon, I quickly realized that working ‘under’ someone else was not going to be sustainable for me. 99% of my clients who go to traditional nail salons have negative experiences. Ie. Condescension, rushing, discrimination based on gender identity and presentation, dishonesty about service technique and materials, improper use of tools and sanitation practices, etc. Now, I can create a space that welcomes confusion and questions. I always ask my clients’ pronouns and have options for self identification on my website. At every session I talk through each step and which brands/ingredients I use. I do all of this to put my clients at ease and it’s shown to sustain my peace and my relationships with reoccurring clients. Knowing that holistic care and education are at the center of my practice, I am so much happier and my clients can tell! Some clients who have known me for 10 years, even before learning anything about nails, can see the difference in my energy. I know I’ll be ok because I believe in my ability to ask for help and that my community will hold me in whatever transition I go through.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Hey y’all! My name is Aries Moschino and I use any pronouns (he, she, they, mxmi). I used to go to the nail salon with my mom to get her acrylics growing up. She would let me get my nails done, but I could only get a pink, red or some type of nude lacquer. I always wanted a sparkly blue, but she never let me!! I would bite and tear my cuticles when I had high levels of anxiety, but having them done regularly really helped prevent that. I got my Bachelors degree in Humanities for Teaching at Seattle University with minors in Spanish and Theology of World Religions in 2018 and quickly entered the Seattle Public School District as a GED instructor for a local non-profit. When the pandemic started, I was back in my apartment, trying to get my students into class virtually. If they didn’t show up, I was so bored! I was unable to visit my nail tech in person and I asked her if she could share any resources to learn how to build my kit and techniques at home. I was always asking questions during the appointments and taking notes in my phone when I wanted to remember something. I used my stimulus check to buy everything she suggested for gel nails and extensions/press ons and never thought in a million years I would be a licensed nail tech by 2023. I initially thought that if I ever was a nail tech professionally, I would end up resenting the practice. But I soon realized that it takes so much more time to do nails on myself and in order to learn, I would have to start practicing on other people. What was once a cute self-care hobby turned into a lifelong passion that I still feel excited to do every day.
I chose the name The Gel Mxmi for my business to represent the type of nails I do (soft gel base) and the gender queer identity that I hold. The X in Mxmi is there to differentiate what the label Mami means for me. In my profession and life in general, I am in a role that is parental and nurturing in nature. I welcome all genders to my salon and am very open about my support for my queer and trans community. I am the Gxd Mother of my ballroom house and chosen family, The House of Moschino, and I take my position very seriously. I work with my family to provide a space for us all to rewrite family dynamics in a healthy way and learn new ways to produce art that showcases our never-ending growth.
Because of my background in education, I love learning new techniques and teaching my clients about my processes. I work to keep my clients informed and empowered in salon settings, whether that’s with nails, hair or skincare. Something that sets me apart from other service providers is my investment in my clients. I know not everyone has access to the same funds and the location of my studio has changed a few times over the years. Despite these factors, I keep in contact with most of my clients through text or instagram and they can ask me anything nail related, no matter how far in the past they’ve come to see me. I’m always happy to answer questions about nail health, breakages, removals and I even recommend other nail techs if necessary. If I can’t answer something, I say so and am transparent about my capacity to respond.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

My long lasting relationships with my clients, as well as my skill with gel, have built my reputation into what it is today. Each time I ask a new client where they heard about my studio, it is 90% word of mouth or through a current client. My reputation was mostly cultivated through talking with people about their qualms with traditional salons. Because I am queer and trans, I aim to create spaces that celebrate those identities, whereas in a traditional salon, many identities are not welcomed or celebrated. I want to work with my clients in a way that is collaborative so they can feel comfortable returning and reaching out to me with questions. If some clients can’t return to my studio for any reason, I hope to have provided them with tools they can use to advocate for themselves in a salon setting. My clients are so sweet and have referred me to a wide range of individuals, including some celebrities and company campaigns. In 2022, I was the nail tech for the performers in the international Nordstrom Pride Campaign. Being a part of the Sea-Tac Ballroom community, which was highlighted in the campaign, was the main way I built my clientele when I first started out. I practiced on my ballroom house members first before even deciding I wanted to do nails as a profession. The past 4 years, I have built and maintained a relationship with my community, so they have seen my growth over a long period of time. Now, when I walk into a room, the name Aries Moschino holds weight and I feel really confident!
This year, I have been doing more markets and events. Most recently I’ve worked with Seattle WNDR Museum as a resident live artist. It is so awesome to be a part of such a creative space and to be connected with clients who would have never heard of me otherwise. My favorite part of working with WNDR is to hear the squeals of excitement when I paint something intricate or get the design just right. At makers markets I mainly focus on skincare. I’ve been offering free hand and arm massage (tips welcome (: ) all while talking to the client about their daily routine and nail health. Neighboring tables have come up to me after a client to tell me how informative I am about nail health and how much they learned just being next to me. I love how much we can learn from each other!

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

I’ve had a hard relationship with social media throughout my life. The idea of creating a polished identity played into this toxic idea of perfectionism I had for myself and facilitated a lot of anxiety. Creating an Instagram page that was solely about my art helped me separate my personal and professional business and focus on a healthier way to engage with social media. When I first started out, I rarely posted my face and kept my posts to nails only. As I grew more confident in my values, I started posting more to my Instagram stories. I mainly post nail content and reshare other artists’ work. In addition, I also post resources for marginalized identities and calls for mutual aid. I am a huge advocate for asking for what you need. For so long, I thought if I just pushed through or worked harder, I’d make it financially, emotionally, etc. After burning out so many times, I reevaluated that mindset and started asking for help. On Mother’s Day 2022, my car was broken into and my brand new nail table was stolen. After filing an insurance claim, there was nothing my insurance could do to cover the broken window and stolen item. I was transparent on my Instagram stories and told my audience about my situation. After a few days, my clients had covered 100% of the funds lost and I was able to get a new window and table for my studio. My audience on social media has grown to be a very supportive environment, which I like to think reflects how I interact with my clients. If my clients need help understanding my website, or a technique I’m doing on them, then I encourage them to ask! Even if they are having a hard time affording a service (ie. a removal), I want to create a space where they can feel comfortable talking through their situation with me so we can find the best solution for both of us.
What I find really helpful with growing engagement on social media is to have posts on my Instagram stories for folks to interact with. My favorites to post are quizzes. I’ll ask how long it took me to complete a service, how much a service costs or what color we are going to use next in the form of a multiple choice question. I also will quiz my audience on my booking and cancellation policies. This can help me to see where there are education gaps with my clients and fill in where I can.
My followers have seen my growth all the way through school and passing my state nail tech license tests! They learned along with me in school and encouraged me when I was struggling. Some clients had been following me for years before booking their appointments, which is really sweet to hear.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://thegelmxmi.glossgenius.com
• Instagram: @thegelmxmi

Image Credits
Jen Wilson @djprettyplease on Instagram