We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kimberly Salas. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kimberly below.

Kimberly, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Owning a business isn’t always glamorous and so most business owners we’ve connected with have shared that on tough days they sometimes wonder what it would have been like to have just had a regular job instead of all the responsibility of running a business. Have you ever felt that way?

I’ve been a business owner for 7 years, I started off as an independent nail technician in my own suite immediately after receiving my license and graduating from nail school. While doing so, I was working a part time job at a nail salon and honestly I loved it. The rush was definitely different because you get so much clientele throughout the day and when you’re independent it’s mostly by appointment so there’s a lot of differences especially when it comes to building relationships with clients. I feel like im happy owning my own salon but it does get overwhelming, there’s a lot of pros and cons. For example, I get to make my own schedule. I choose what days I’d like to take off, I get to spend more time with my children and that’s the best part of it all but the cons are it is definitely harder because it comes with so many responsibilities which sometimes can become too much to handle especially during slow season and I still have to take care of everything financially. I sometimes feel like quitting and just working for someone so that I won’t have the extra stress and responsibilities but I never do. I always find a way to keep on pushing and get things done. I love being my own boss! It’s definitely something hard but not impossible to do.

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 got into the nail business on accident, I used to go to my nail tech and always had crazy fun designs in mind. I’d sit there and explain to her step by step what I wanted on my nails & she’d executed it perfectly. She finally convinced me to check out a school to become a nail technician because she believed I’d succeed in this business with my creativity. I never imagined myself as a nail technician let alone a business owner, my dream was to work in the health field. Growing up I would always say I wanted to become a nurse to help others feel better. Even though being a nail tech is nowhere near being a nurse it has its similarities when it comes to hospitality. I have met so many wonderful people throughout my career and while doing so I’ve created so many bonds, when my clients are going through a rough time, happy time, or just anything overall they confide in me to listen to them and help them feel better. I am so proud of myself for being able to create a safe space for my clients as well as my coworkers/friends. Our work environment doesn’t feel like a salon but more like a home, very comfortable and cozy. We’ve heard our clientele say how much they love the shop because of all the small personalized touches I’ve added through these years. To my future clientele, I treat everyone the way I’d love to be treated and that’s like family, to me a client isn’t just a client. I love to build bonds. Long ones at that. So I’ll always be thankful and everyone is always welcome in our salon. I offer will not only offer great quality when it comes to services but I’ll also offer a great friendship. If you’d like to know more about me and our salon you can follow me on Instagram @ Kimberlysnails_

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

I think building a relationship with my clients has given me the reputation that I have now. When I say I treat my clients like family I really meant it. I also offer high quality services, my work speaks for itself. My retention is usually 4+ weeks, my attention to detail is very precise. I love to be able to replicate any set my clients bring in, but I have the most fun when my clients trust me to be creative and come up with something. I get to know my clients personally so I know how to create a set that they’ll love and fits their personality.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

Recently this year, I had to take on a second job. I’m still doing what I love so that’s a plus. I went through a very hard personal situation at the end of last year which caused me to get severely depressed. I stopped caring about my business all together, I was no longer taking care of my shop nor my clientele the way I’ve been known to. I had to get myself out of a dark place and get back to business. I am finally doing so much better now and slowly but surely I’m taking steps into being where I used to be. I refuse to quit on my business and clientele, I’ve worked too hard and long to give up so easily.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: Kimberlysnails_

Image Credits

Ym_photographyyy
Salasphotgraphyby_rosario