Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Natasha Frazer. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Natasha, thanks for joining us today. One of the things we most admire about small businesses is their ability to diverge from the corporate/industry standard. Is there something that you or your brand do that differs from the industry standard? We’d love to hear about it as well as any stories you might have that illustrate how or why this difference matters.

As a Black woman owned Nail Studio/Spa we are different than most of the usual, local nail shops. The Studio was created to reflect a relaxing, inviting, place where customers can come for their self care needs and still have a sense of community, We believe in providing great customer service, using quality products, pamering our clients, educating them on the products/services, collaborating with other small business owners, and treating our providers fairly.

We have had many nail clients that have talked about how they have not felt valued at the local shops, treated poorly, and the health of their nails have deteriorated. They were surprised by the quality of care that they received at the Studio and were very relaxed during the time. Our clients also appreciate the fact that they can also have their other self care needs taken care of in the same place. Often times, our clients linger after their appointments either talking to other clients, making new connections or discussing various aspects of their lives.

We also open the space for wellness programs and have offered yoga and Zumba to the community, which folk look forward to.

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.

I’ve had the dream to open a nail salon that was reminiscent of the hair salons I frequented growing up. There was a sense of community, a place where women felt welcomed, and looked forward to going to. Getting my nails done at the local, factory like nail shops did not give me that feeling. Instead I felt rushed, not valued, gotten nail infections, and treated poorly. The Studio was created to be the opposite of what I had come to experience.

We offer nail services (manicure, pedicure, acrylic, and hard gel), facials, body hair removal, massages, and make-up application. We offer nail polishes that are created by women led business, less toxic, and use other products that fall under the same category. Our treatment room products are vegan and made by a Black woman company` Beauty and the City. The body butters and scrubs we use are also produced by local women owned companies. We also offer flexible hours that work for our clients and Providers. Choosing us for your self care services, is like choosing a luxury, pampering, experience.

By trade, I am a Project Manager Professional who has worked in the financial services industry for over 20 years. I bring my strong organizational, communication, and management skills to the Studio and anticipate going to school to become a Manicurist in the near future.

I am most proud that I was able to build my dream. I built Hello Gorgeous Beauty Studio without a BUSIYpartner or investors, but I had a great village of supporters behind me. A lof of people have dreams and hopes, and never actually execute. There are challenges and I learn from each of them, however I am proud of what I was able to achieve. I’m fortunate to have a good team on this journey who I am able to learn from and we are growing together.

We want clients to know that we care about them, we are knowledgeable, we take their safety and wellbeing seriously and we are thankful that they trust and support us. Many of my team members are live in the community that we serve which is also important to us. We also plan in the future to “give back” by getting involved with community service GROUPS.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

Since I am not a Licensed Manicurist, and wanted to open before I went to school, I knew I would need to find a location that could pay for itself while I researched, and developed the business. I STRATEGICALLY INVESTED IN the location where the studio is located AS THERE IS LOW OVERHEAD.

Once, I was ready to start executing, I used the ANNUAL bonus from job for the build out and furniture. So I basically used by 9-5 to fund my dream.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

The build out was TARGETED to take 4-6 weeks, instead it took LONGER! Contractors are not the easiest folk to work with and there was a lot of challenges on that front. Firstly, it took about 5 months to find a Contractor WHO WOULD COMMIT TO THE PROJECT. Then dealing with the town’s building department was also a challenge. Trying to understand what licenses and permits were needed and scheduling and rescheduling inspections had me in tears most times!

There were many times I wondered if this is what I should really be doing because there were so many curve balls. Additionally, COVID also impacted how the beauty industry operates and pushed a lot of Manicurist to work from home. Once they realized that customer would come to their homes, and they can RETAIN ALL THE MONEY made I think that made them comfortable to either continue to work from home or move into salon suites. So once everything fell into place construction wise, it was super challenging to find Nail Technicians.

Yet, I had to keep moving forward. If I had a hefty rent and overhead to pay, I’d probably close before I opened.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.hellogorgeousbeauty.co
• Instagram: hello_gorgeousbeautystudio

Image Credits
Rhonda Naicole