We recently connected with Alexandra Zimmerman and have shared our conversation below.

Alexandra, appreciate you 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.

At Not Your Mom’s Nail Studio, breaking away from industry standards has been at the forefront since it’s conception! It was very important to us that we were filling needs within our industry. We offer early morning and evening hours, this way you can get your nails done before or after work, so that you are not taking up your limited time off. We even offer “off hours appointments” for an additional fee, just in case you have a last-minute need for nails and we don’t have space in our “regular” schedule. We are kid friendly, meaning yeah, we offer kid services, but mostly we provide a safe and entertaining space for kids to come and be while their care takers are serviced. Our kids lounge is equipped with toys, tv and video games and a baby monitor so that the caretaker can observe the child but have a moment of safe separation.
We have a private pedicure room where we offer “dry” pedicures which are a more hygienic, user friendly service! People who might be self conscious have one less thing to worry about in that room. We also have oversized chairs to ensure maximum comfortability as well as accommodation to our plus size community.
Our space is also ADA Compliant so those in a wheelchair or walker can move freely throughout the space.
We offer a 10% discount to peoples who identify as Male, because we want to encourage more male presence in the studio!
Not Your Mom’s Nail Studio is meant to be a home away from home.
Our mission is to provide quality nail services in a safe and inclusive environment.

Alexandra, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

In life the only “thing” I ever wanted for myself was to be a mom. Having come from a very difficult childhood, for me becoming a mom was a chance to do better by my kids while simultaneously taking care of my inner child.
The most unexpected thing to happen was that after having my kids, the doors and possibilities seemed to open up in my mind and for the first time I thought I was meant for great things. That I am going to show my kids you can overcome.
However, my self doubt was very strong. Having several mental disabilities, including ADHD, Bipolar 1, OCD and PTSD I couldn’t seem to convince myself that I was good enough. That even having kids didn’t make me any better a person.
My husband (who is also my business partner) fought me and encouraged me to go back to school, so after much convincing, I enrolled with Paul Mitchell to get my Cosmology Degree. As dumb as I thought I was, I managed to graduate with Honor Roll and on the Dean’s List! (Thank you Chris!)
I took about a year off, as my son was born 3 days after I graduated. Then I went into the salon I would end up staying at for 3 years before realizing my full potential and what I wanted from myself for my clients. It was becoming very apparent that I wanted more out of the work I was doing and the services I was providing. After my departure from that salon I opened up a Sola Salon Suit. This was an amazing opportunity that helped me spread my wings very quickly. The flipside to that is I was beginning to grown too quickly and after just 10 months the space was no longer able to accommodate me and my plans for my clients!
I am a Natural Nail specialist, specializing in dry Manicuring and dry Pedicuring while prioritizing the health and safety of your natural nails.
I have done art since I was a kid, and so for me, painting nails is like painting mini canvass. I am constantly pushing myself and my abilities. I also love that I have created a space where my clients trust me with their nails and the art they will wear for 2 to 4 weeks!

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

Word of mouth is ALWAYS going to be the most effective strategy for growing a business. That said, I can definitely attribute a lot of our business success in growth to our online social media platforms. Specifically Instagram!

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

I think my ability to just be my genuine self has helped to build my reputation. Although it has taken 35 years to get here, I am quite comfortable in myself and who I am. I believe that confidence shines through to my clients and people I interact with. Good, bad or ugly I am true to me. I am a good person. I give back to my community. I try to make sure I am a good example for my kids and I am growing a space where people can come and be their genuine selves without fear of being judged!

I am also aware that I am not everyone’s cup of tea, and so I do my best to accept that.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://Instagram.com/notyourmomsnailstudio
• Facebook: https://Facebook.com/notyourmomsnailstudio
• Other: https://vagaro.com/notyourmomsnailstudio