We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Brianna Wise-Riley a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Brianna thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Taking care of customers isn’t just good business – it is often one of the main reasons folks went into business in the first place. So, we’d love to get a conversation going around how to best help clients feel appreciated – maybe you can share something you’ve done or seen someone do that’s been really effective at helping a customer feel valued?
As a customer based business, I enjoy the opportunity and leisure to service individuals on a daily basis. Being an entrepreneur has been a beautiful experience for me and I am very thankful for all the clients I have serviced. Customers are so vital to a business because without them you are unable to sustain a growing business. I show my customers I appreciate them through gifts, discounts, words of affirmation and showing up for important events in their life if asked too. For the duration of May 2023, customers who booked for that month received a Free Complimentary Exterior Car Wash by David’s Detailing. It was a collaboration with that company to show my clients that I appreciate them, but also promote another upcoming entrepreneur’s business. Customers deserve to be appreciated, valued and recognized for their commitment/ loyalty towards businesses. So to all my clients and future clients, I truly appreciate you.
Brianna, 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?
Atlanta Native, graduate of Georgia State University, a Mother, Entrepreneur and Inspirational person. I have always had an entrepreneurial spirit since a little girl; I would start all of kinds of product base companies and sell things. The older I got I continued my journey in business and after graduating college I started doing nails full time and as well music. Growing up arts, dance, music, fashion, design and more were natural talents/gifts that I possessed; however it wasn’t until my latter years that I really embodied all the talents I have and began to monetize from them.
Gaining clientele for my Nail Business was an ongoing struggle in the beginning, I stayed faithful and continuously advertised myself and since then, been successful. As a nail technician, I think what sets me apart from others is that i’m constantly educating my clients and always providing great customer service. I truly will go above and beyond for my clients.
Owning my own Entertainment Company is one of the most exciting things I have done, because it is the one area where I get to be fully authentic in my craft because I control everything and I get to produce my art in different forms through the words I speak, my attire, the way my nails look and how I want my videos to tell my story.
Starting my own brand company called Drip Nail, which is a Press On Nail brand, has been the most proudest thing I have done because I worked so hard on the product design, product logo, product colors, product slogan and more. Being a brand owner has opened my mind to so much more knowledge and allowed me to meet so many people in different sectors of the retail business. I started this brand to assist other women with being able to stay beautiful on a budget. “Real Life, Fake Nails” You will soon see my brand in large retail stores across America soon.
I want the world to know that I am a Child of God, but I’m human and I love making people smile and uplifting their spirits. Life is beautiful when you change your perception but also when you accept yourself for who you are and live up to your full potential. I am jovial, intelligent, compassionate, kind-hearted and I want the best for everyone.
Can you talk to us about manufacturing? How’d you figure it all out? We’d love to hear the story.
I don’t manufacture my products, but I do get to make my own designs as well as choose from the company who manufactures my press on nails. However, I did make my own product design/box that holds my product. With no prior knowledge on starting a product I spent 3 months researching on building a brand and then spent another 3 months actually doing the product design.
I watched a lot of youtube videos to teach me how to properly design a product box that could/will be sold in stores. It was important to have accurate dimensions, folds, font size, colors and of course of the production information, logos, ingredients, barcode and more to be able to transition your product to retail shelves.
Finding a vendor that I could work with took months because I wanted quality products, but also designs that stood out amongst my competitors. I also had to find a printing company that would print my boxes, that was a challenge as well because of how expensive it can be and also making sure that when your product is printed everything is to your liking.
The lessons I have learned through this process is to take your time and really plan out every detail possible to ensure that your brand is conveyed the way you entailed it to be. Don’t go for the first vendor you speak with it, always request samples, always ask questions, meet your vendors in person if you can. Be sure you are getting what you pay for and don’t pay for something you don’t like. Research the companies beforehand and also be sure to find vendors that your competitors may be working with as well.
What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?
Advertising, Advertisement! The best source for gaining new clients is to constantly promote your business daily on all social platforms. When operating a business you must utilize both forms of marketing: Traditional and Paid Marketing, the technical terms would be Inbound Marketing and Outbound Marketing. It’s very important that business owners do both, especially if you want to see an increase in sales or clients.
As a business owner you must have business cards, QR codes, websites, Google Profiles, Google & Facebook Ads, social media page, Youtube videos and more. Any free day you have should be spent on new ways to gain clientele or make new sales. Be sure to always give a call to action in your descriptions to let potential buyers know what is that you want them to do.
In todays time Reviews, are very important. Gather as many reviews from previous clients to help promote your business, good ratings lead to new customers. 
Contact Info:
- Website: www.dripnail.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/luvenails
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/goddessbwize
- Youtube: https://youtu.be/iDAaSb4FPPg
Image Credits
David Tuggle