We recently connected with Skye Warren and have shared our conversation below.

Skye, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Being a business owner can be really hard sometimes. It’s rewarding, but most business owners we’ve spoken sometimes think about what it would have been like to have had a regular job instead. Have you ever wondered that yourself? Maybe you can talk to us about a time when you felt this way?

Yes, I am happier as a business owner—but that doesn’t mean it’s been easy.
Last June (2025), I made one of the hardest decisions of my life: I went full time in my business.
For five years, I was balancing being an Assistant Principal while also doing nails and running my salon. My days started at 6am and didn’t end until 10pm. I was constantly pouring into everyone else—my students, my staff, my clients—while trying to build something of my own on the side.
And if I’m being honest, there were days I was just tired. Not just physically, but mentally. Spiritually. I started losing sight of what I was even grinding for.
I remember having moments where I thought, “Wouldn’t it just be easier to have one job? A steady check? A clear schedule?”
Because entrepreneurship doesn’t come with off days. It doesn’t come with guarantees.
But then I hit a crossroads.
I remember when I first opened the salon, my best friend and my administrator told me, “One day you’re going to have to choose.”
And last year—I came to that exact moment.
I had to ask myself:
Am I going to keep playing it safe… or am I going to bet on myself?
And I chose me.
I chose to go all in on my salon, on teaching, on building something bigger than just income—I wanted impact.
Since then, it’s been a whirlwind. There have been hard days, uncertain moments, and times where I’ve had to figure things out in real time. But what I’ve gained is something I could never get from a “regular job”—freedom, ownership, and alignment.
I have control over my time.
I get to create opportunities for other women.
I get to build something that will outlive me.
So yes, I’ve had those thoughts. I still do sometimes.
But every time I think about going back, I remind myself—
I didn’t come this far to play small.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is Skye Warren, also known as Sadiddy, and I am the founder of Sadiddy Lifestyle—a 5-star beauty studio currently located in Milton, Massachusetts. I’m also an educator, mentor, and community leader. I was raised in Mattapan, and everything I build is rooted in where I come from.

I didn’t get into this industry the traditional way.

During the pandemic, like a lot of people, I was searching—for purpose, for peace, for something that felt like mine. I started watching nail videos on YouTube, practicing, and slowly realized I had a natural gift for it. What started as curiosity quickly turned into passion, and that passion turned into a business.

At the same time, I was working full-time in education. I spent over seven years in various charter schools, working my way up into leadership. So for years, I lived a double life—educator by day, nail tech and business owner by night. Early mornings, late nights, long days. But I believed in what I was building.

Eventually, I reached a point where I had to choose—and I chose to go all in on my business.

Today, Sadiddy Lifestyle is more than just a salon. We offer nail services, pedicures, lashes, facials, waxing, brows, and makeup—but beyond the services, we provide an elevated experience rooted in care, precision, and community. We also offer classes for aspiring nail technicians and entrepreneurs who want to build real, sustainable businesses.
Because for me, this was never just about nails.

We solve a deeper problem. We create a space where people—especially Black women—feel seen, valued, and taken care of. A space where beauty meets intention. Where you’re not just another appointment, but a priority.
What sets us apart is how personal this is.

I don’t just lead a team—I pour into them. I train, mentor, and develop other women to grow in their craft and in their confidence. Through our work and through initiatives like Deeper Than Beauty, we are creating pathways, not just paychecks. We are teaching ownership, discipline, and legacy.

I’m most proud of the impact.

From the clients who trust us with their most important moments, to the young women I teach who are beginning to see what’s possible for themselves—I’m proud that what I’ve built stands for something. That it reaches beyond me.

What I want people to know is this:
This brand was built on faith, resilience, and intention.

I come from a community where we don’t always see ourselves in ownership—and I am committed to changing that.
Sadiddy Lifestyle isn’t just a beauty brand.

It’s a movement.

And we’re just getting started.

Can you talk to us about how your side-hustle turned into something more.

Yes, my side hustle absolutely turned into my full-time business.

When I first started, it wasn’t with the intention of building what Sadiddy Lifestyle is today. It started during the pandemic—just me, YouTube, practice, and a genuine curiosity about nails. But very quickly, I realized I had a natural talent for it.
The turning point for me was when I made my return on investment.

That moment showed me not only that I could do this—but that I had what it took to build something real. But even more than the money, I realized how much I genuinely enjoyed serving my clients. I loved the experience, the relationships, and the transformation that happens in the chair.

At the same time, I’m very systems-oriented.

Coming from an education background, I understand that anything successful runs on systems—structure, feedback, consistency. And what I started to notice in the beauty industry was that there was a major gap when it came to feedback and development. A lot of people are talented, but there isn’t always a system in place to grow, refine, and sustain that talent.

That’s when my mindset shifted.

I realized this didn’t just have to be a side hustle—I could actually lead in this industry. I could build something that not only provided services, but created structure, elevated standards, and developed other people.
From there, things began to scale.

I went from taking clients where I could, to building a consistent clientele. From working alone, to building a team. From just offering services, to teaching classes and mentoring other aspiring nail techs and entrepreneurs.

One of the biggest milestones was making the decision to go full time in June 2025. That was the moment where everything became real—I was no longer balancing, I was fully committed to building this.

Another major milestone has been expanding beyond just nails into a full beauty experience—adding services, growing my team, and creating a space that reflects the level of excellence I believe our community deserves.

But more than anything, the biggest shift was internal.

I stopped seeing this as something “on the side” and started treating it like the business and brand it was meant to be.
And once I did that—everything changed.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

My business is going on five years, and statistically, that alone says a lot. Nearly 20% of small businesses fail within their first year, and about 50% don’t make it past five years. So to still be here—to still be growing, building, and evolving—means something.

But my resilience isn’t just in the numbers. It’s in what I’ve had to carry while building.

In 2024, I experienced one of the hardest seasons of my life. I lost three people back to back—two of my childhood friends, who were more like family to me, in March and November, and my maternal grandmother in December.
I’ll never forget the moment I got the call that my grandmother was going to pass.

I left the school immediately. And the very next day, I was back in the salon—still taking clients and still leading my team. Not because it was easy, but because I had built something that required me to keep going, even when I didn’t feel ready.
I was using the limited bereavement time I had to plan my grandmother’s funeral while also sitting in that grief with my mom—the same woman who always reminded me that I could do anything I set my mind to, and truly meant it.
I was planning a funeral while still taking clients.

I attended my childhood friend’s funeral that Friday.

And then my grandmother’s funeral the following Monday.

There was no pause. No real time to process. Just responsibility, grief, and purpose all existing at the same time.

And what makes it even more emotional for me is this—
One of my goals when I opened my salon five years ago was to make sure my grandmother could see it. And she did. She got to see what I built.

But I never got to tell her that she was the reason.

She was a woman of stature. Of style. Of grace.

She carried herself with a quiet strength that commanded respect.

She was everything that Sadiddy represents.

She was resilience.
She was legacy.
She was sisterhood.

And I never got to tell her just how much she shaped me—how much she influenced the woman I’ve become. A woman who serves. A woman who leads. A woman who holds her head high no matter what she’s facing.

So when people ask me about resilience, I think about that season.

I think about what it looks like to keep showing up when your heart is heavy. To continue building, even when life is trying to break you.

Resilience, for me, is not about pretending things don’t hurt.

It’s about choosing to move forward—with purpose, with faith, and with the people you’ve lost living through everything you create.

It’s about knowing that our steps have already been ordered, and that our angels will continue to guide us through.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.sadiddylifestyle.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/nailsbysadiddy

Image Credits

Visions by Laurent