We recently connected with Ceci Sanchez and have shared our conversation below.
Ceci, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Do you think your parents have had a meaningful impact on you and your journey?
Where do I even begin to explain everything my mom has sacrificed to be able to raise all 4 children on her own?
My mom is the oldest of 9 children, she practically raised them too! She learned from a young age that nothing would be handed to you if you don’t put the work in. Like many others she left her parents, her siblings, her childhood home, her life back in Mexico and came to the United States for a better life for her and her children. She also to this day, still sends money back home. I Know there’s people out there that can relate and if you know, you know. Thanks to her I now get to help so many others with their dreams. My mom is my hero and one of my biggest inspirations! She is a strong woman that worked to keep a roof over our heads when we were younger, food on our table and clothes on our backs all while trying her best. Seeing her hustle has given me that hustle mentality and being proud of it too. I really wouldn’t be the woman that I am without her, I am respectful and have a good work ethic because of her. Having a single mom work hard to raise her children is admirable. When I told her that I wanted to go to cosmetology school, she didn’t try to talk me out of it, she encouraged me to do it to start a career for myself. She has always supported my dream and I love her for that. She’s not the type of person who can be still for too long either. Cooking for you is her real love language, if you have ever tried her food you know what I mean. lol. If you still have your parents alive, cherish them and show them how much they mean to you, continue making memories and capturing them too! A piece of advice from her is to never give up no matter what life throws at you or how hard things can get, head up, chin high and take on your obstacles.
Ceci, 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?
Hello readers, my name is Ceci. I’ve always been passionate about nails since I was little but it was not until I started cosmetology school that I began to take nails seriously. I practiced on everyone who would let me practice on them and on myself as much as I could. I started working at a salon and it really helped me gain more experience as I would be expected to finish by a certain timeframe. When you work on friends and family, especially when you first start, you end up taking longer or you don’t stick to a work schedule. Being in a salon environment you get to work with different products you might not have tried before, you also get to learn from other licensed nail technicians that have already been in the industry that can share different tips and techniques. The owners of Neihule Salon opened up Neihule Academy of Beauty where I began to teach in 2019 and I am now the Lead Nail Instructor for the nail program in both Spanish and English! I get to share all my knowledge and experience from the last 13 years and help others pursue their dreams! For me, the most rewarding aspect of being an artist is the feeling of being able to help someone feel good about themselves while encouraging them to be the best version of themselves both with my clients and students! Something as simple as a certain technique that for me is like second nature to me at this point can make a huge difference in making a student’s journey easier. Being a perfectionist myself, all the small details matter and is what sets me apart when clients come to me for nail services. I offer a range of nail services but specialize in hard gel overlays, full sets and hand drawn nail art. What I am most proud of is the fact that I get to help others with their dreams! My students have a forever mentor in me. This year I’ll also be doing more group classes and one on ones to help as many people as I can so stay tuned for that! I am also an ambassador for V Beauty Pure which is a well known nail brand, I have my own discount code with them which is: Ceci. I love that they also help and support new and upcoming nail techs in a welcoming community while having quality products. Having been in this industry for over 13 years has been so fun and all a learning experience. I’ve worked with celebrities, been featured in a couple magazines including this one, worked with brands and became an educator at the best Nail Academy where I get to help the new generation of nail techs.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
I think my goal is to help as many people as I can! All my clients have been with me for years at this point and when I do their nails we are both creating! Most of the time they come in with different ideas and we collaborate on what we will be doing in that appointment. Since they have become my regular clients, we have fun while I create art. I love educating my clients about the nail health as well, we love pretty nails but always making sure the nails stay healthy too. I think that’s something I take pride in besides being a perfectionist to make sure my clients nails are healthy, pretty and long lasting. I love getting inspired by everything I see anywhere I go such as food, nature, animals, art pieces, literally everything is nail inspo, but then bringing that back with my clients and creating masterpieces on nails. I want to inspire more nail techs to not be afraid of working outside the box and to know that anything they set their minds on is possible!! 🫶🏽
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
The most rewarding aspect or being an artist with my students is being a part of their journey. Sometimes they come in already knowing some things and sometimes they come in with no knowledge about nails and I always let them know it’s okay because I like to teach them everything from the very beginning. I get to help others with their dreams! I’ve been in this industry for over 13 years and a lot of what I now know, I had to also learn along the way and I still do with all the new trends that come out. I have simplified a lot of crucial steps and techniques to improve all my students skill sets. This is also why I want to do more smaller group classes and one on one this year where I can really pinpoint what every individual student needs. My students also know that they have a forever mentor in me because I still have graduates students that message me to ask any questions they may have. There is room for everyone to succeed in this industry and I’m honored to be a part of they journey 🫶🏽
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nails_by_ceci/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/nailsbyceci/
- Yelp: https://m.yelp.com/biz/nails-by-ceci-los-angeles-2
- Other: TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@nails_by_ceci?_t=ZP-8tGybjHsBOZ&_r=1
Image Credits
Jassieuo