We recently connected with Candace Black and have shared our conversation below.

Candace, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.

When starting a business, there are definitely risks that are involved. A little backstory that leads to my story and risk taking started when I was young. Growing up I wish I could say I came from the white picket fence with a family that supported me in whatever career field i decided to go in, but in reality for most of us that’s not true. Growing up I had little to no stability, jumping from school to school living in a mobile trailer in the parking lots of grocery stores, eating expired food, and getting so excited when I get to pick what I wanted at the local food drives. With the constant bouncing around I never made friends and eventually saw these effects of this lifestyle on my parents. Seeing this showed me this was something that I never wanted for myself or my future family. So, in a way, I always have had the mindset of ways I can get out of the repeated cycle I grew up in. Growing up with struggles teach us the value of hard work. The resilience you developed as child will be invaluable as you start your entrepreneurial journey. When stepping into the nail industry it comes off as very intimidating. Coming from not having a mentor or someone to even ask how to get a business started. I leaned towards the internet. I knew the biggest hurdle to jump over was going to be financially, because when starting a business requires some sort of investment. During the time I was also balancing college and working as a waitress so I knew I wasn’t going to diving head first for awhile since I knew I was going to do this on my own. As I worked long and crazy hours trying to balance all three I realized I needed to stop and re evaluate what I wanted to do with my life and how I can fully live off my business. With the hard realization of what I wanted to do I wanted to show everyone who doubted me that I can make something out of a little dream and hobby. This is when I decided to drop out of college and go part-time at my job to fully put 100% into my dream. The more I invested into the craft the more clients I got, the more I was able to slowly starting investing into product and even go into a salon, but with still working part time at my other job It was still hurting the full potential of my business. I then decided to finally take the biggest risk. I quit of job and hoped that I could fully live off my passion. Many people said negative things, and didn’t support me in the decision calling it “dumb” but the fire inside me along with a small support system pushed me to believe in myself and what I am capable of. For the longest time I was afraid of failure, and until i embraced the mindset that failure is a stepping stone to success. Staying adaptable helped me navigate through the uncertainties and figuring out my why helped keep the fire lite within.

Candace, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name Is Candace Black I am a local nail technician based out in Riverdale, Utah. I have been in the business for about three years and more to come! Getting into the industry was actually kind of funny. Up to this point I have always been a bit impulsive and quick to jump into something. I was getting my nails done ironically and was talking to my nail technician how I was struggling finding a job that worked with my college schedule. When she mentioned the idea of me becoming a nail tech since she knew I have always been creative. By the end of the appointment and really sitting down with the idea of it. I registered that next week to start in the summer, and the rest is history. Services I provide are Acrylic nails, Gel X, and starting to offer luminary. With a high saturation in the beauty industry it can be hard to get started or even set yourself apart from others, because let’s be real everyone at least knows someone who is a nail tech. The nails are a plus, but what matters to me the most is my relationship with my clients. I want to make them feel safe and not judged. For them to come into my space and feel comfortable chatting to me about all aspects of their lives. Me and my clients are so much more than just professional. I care about them and what they are going through. We laugh, cry, and confide into each other and creating that bond is something no one can take away from you. Something that I am proud of is overall making a positive impact. When you create a business and it starts making a positive impact on people’s lives whether its overall giving them nails to give them confidence, helping give advice on situations they are facing, or even be their during their big life events, it’s a proud moment knowing that you’re making a difference.

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

Building your audience through social media is honestly just as important as the business itself. Meaning to really have to take the time and put effort towards it every single day. Even to this day I struggle with learning social media and how to even use it at times, but it’s something I am always willing to take the time to learn and educate myself about. Some advice to give to those wanting to build their online presence is consistency. As cliche as it sounds, it’s so true. People become invested on seeing the potential and overall growth of someones journey so even when starting out it is so important to be taking photos and posting daily. Educate yourselves and keep up with trends. Use the trendy hashtags, audios, and things that you see over and over but to differentiate yourself add a twist to make it more original and stand out. Take the time and don’t be shy to ask for photos and maybe getting a little up close and personal. They understand and honestly are going to be flattered you want to promote what you did on them on your page. You cant be afraid to put yourself out there even in the beginning stages. Once you pass the overthinking of what people will be saying and thinking, you will succeed in anything that you do.

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

The most effective strategy when growing my clientele is honestly building a relationship with them. Making them feel comfortable and relaxed is something that people struggle with. Get to know your clients and leave a good first impression. Clients will come to you not only for the work you provide but the overall experience you give them. Something as simple as remembering small details that they gave you show them that you care and you take the time to remember. Don’t be afraid to keep asking them questions to better understand them. communication with your clients honestly can take you so much farther than one may think. This has been something that has helped to continue to grow my clientele and leave them referring others. Word of mouth is something that is powerful. Don’t be afraid to show your personality and joke around. Doing these small things make you relatable and more personable. Making you slowly over time grow your clientele.

Contact Info:

• Website: Click here to book your next appointment anytime, from anywhere. nailsbycandace1.booksy.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/nails.bycandace?igshid=NDk5N2NlZjQ=

Image Credits
Kaitlin.Mariah.photography