We recently connected with Athena Tuvera and have shared our conversation below.

Athena , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Parents play a huge role in our development as youngsters and sometimes that impact follows us into adulthood and into our lives and careers. Looking back, what’s something you think you parents did right?

My parents were very supportive of everything I did when I was little. Whenever I had a new idea or wanted to do something fun, they always went with it and just let me be me!

When I was younger, I always came up with new business ideas. From selling cinnamon tortilla chips and slime at school, to making phone cases and jewelry, my parents always allowed me to try new things and supported me through every new idea and business venture!

Even when I first started my business, Tooveraa Nails, my parents never shut me down or told me to focus on other things (like finishing college and getting my degree). Instead, they nurtured my ideas and I was able to finish college AND start a flourishing and successful business at the same time!

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.

My name is Athena, and I run a small business called Tooveraa Nails. I make press-on nails, keychains, and charms, and I have recently added journaling kits to my shop! I started my business last year during my last semester of college at SDSU, where I got a bachelor’s degree in Psychology. You can find me and my products at pop ups all around San Diego, in-store at Seahive Mission Valley and Seahive La Jolla, and on my Instagram @tooveraa.nails!

I got into making nails during college, where I started off doing my own nails in my dorm. I have always loved painting my nails and doing cool designs, but I went all in during college. In December of 2023, I decided to start taking orders for press-on nail sets and I have grown so much since then!

I think that my business is special because I like to make unique nail sets for each and every person who decides to support me! I do this by offering custom sizing and making each set one of one, so no two sets are the same! I also recently introduced a “Build Your Own Nail Set Station” to my in-person markets where people can make their own nail set out of pre-selected designs!

In my business, I am most proud of the connection that I have built with my community. There are some people who have been buying nail sets from me from the very beginning, and I am so grateful for these people! I try my best to make the Tooveraa Nails experience excellent for each and every person, and I hope that the people who buy nail sets from me love what they’re getting each time!

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

The most effective strategy for growing clientele has been consistency with social media. I find that when I am posting daily on social media and interacting with followers, I bring in more clients than when I post sparingly. Building a relationship with the people who support me is not only rewarding, but it also creates a community of people who want to support you and see you succeed!

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

When I was first building an audience on social media, I started with people I already knew. Whether is was friends, family members, classmates, etc., I followed and interacted with people who already knew who I was. From there, I encouraged people to share my posts with others through various ways, such as creating relatable content and hosting giveaways!

Another thing I did that really helped was follow and interact with people within the same niche. For me, since I do press on nails, I followed other press on nail accounts and became mutuals with these people. Through this, I made friends with others in the community and we would mutually support each other through commenting, sharing posts, etc.

It is definitely not easy, but building up a social media audience is not impossible! I find that being engaging and interactive really helps my business, as it connects me to customers and it feels more personal!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://tooveraanails.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tooveraa.nails/