We recently connected with Chloe Pascarella and have shared our conversation below.

Chloe , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. So, let’s imagine that you were advising someone who wanted to start something similar to you and they asked you what you would do differently in the startup-process knowing what you know now. How would you respond?

If I were to do it all over again…. This is hard! There are many things I would redo, if I had to start all over again with my business.
Ultimately, I think I would have taken the time to plan and research more. When I started my press on nail business I was 20 years old, no prior experience, no degree and really no knowledge about what it meant to be an entrepreneur.
If I would have taken more time to plan my business structure, set up a proper work flow and customer experience, with a professional launch plan, things would have gone much faster.
I often tell my students now, how lucky they are to have so much education available to them on how to start a career in press on nails and how to be the best entrepreneur.
However, I don’t regret how or when I started. I truly believe doing the best you can with what you can, at the time, is the BEST way to live your life. Without my courage and determination at 20 years old, my life now at 23 would look entirely different.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is Chloe Pascarella, and I’m a luxury press-on nail artist and educator. I recently relocated to Milan, Italy from New York City, where I began my career. I got my start in nails at 20, after losing my job as a live-in personal assistant in New York City. That experience made me realize how much I needed to pursue something that truly fulfilled me. I didn’t want to spend another moment working for someone else and lacking control over my life.

I was fortunate to have parents who always instilled in me the mantra, “Do what you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life.” They encouraged me to carve my own path and discover what worked best for me. From an early age, I knew I wouldn’t follow the traditional route of graduating high school and heading straight to college.

Throughout high school, I was always juggling multiple jobs, finding any opportunity to have more freedom. After graduating, I moved right into a live-in personal assistant role for a wealthy CEO and her family. While it was a valuable experience, it didn’t bring me the fulfillment I was searching for.

When I was let go during Covid, I saw it as my opportunity to pursue something I truly loved—nails! But I wasn’t sure where to start. Without any formal cosmetology training, I knew it would be tough to break into the industry, especially in New York City.

I initially decided to become a traveling gel nail technician, offering free services to friends while applying to nail schools. But after a couple of attempts, I realized it wasn’t for me. I hated the chaos of lugging supplies around the city and working in unfamiliar environments.

Then one day, while watching YouTube, I stumbled across videos on starting a press-on nail business. It was a lightbulb moment. This was exactly what I wanted to do. Without much hesitation, I dove in. I already had most of the supplies to make press-on sets and sent out my first few sets to friends just a few days later. (I’ll attach some photos of my first sets!)

Before I knew it, I had an Instagram page, orders coming in, and the beginnings of a real business. My vision from the start was to create high-quality gel press-on nails for the modern woman who wants to look polished and elegant. I focused on fully custom, short, natural-looking sets—a niche that wasn’t common at the time. I think that focus on custom, understated luxury helped me stand out.

Fast forward to today, 2024, and my business has transformed my life in ways I never could have imagined. I moved to Milan this year, and I’m about to launch my biggest education course yet. I’ve built my own brand of gel nail products for other press-on nail artists, and I teach students around the world how to grow as entrepreneurs through my online school, The Press On Academy. With thousands of customers and new opportunities coming my way, every day feels like a new adventure.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

The nail industry is incredibly competitive and vast, and it’s largely dominated by women, which makes it a deeply personal space. Having your nails done—and doing nails for others—is an intimate experience. I knew that as someone with little experience beyond a love for doing my own nails, I’d need to carve out my own unique place in such a saturated market.

I stayed true to myself and focused on what I believed was missing in the press-on nail space: natural, short, and durable gel press-ons that are practical for everyday wear. As someone who bit their nails for most of my life, I know how much confidence a beautiful set of nails can provide. I wanted to give women that same experience, no matter their budget, lifestyle, or background.

That’s always been my mission. While many people advised me to branch out into more elaborate nail art or bold styles, it just didn’t feel like me. I trusted that my customers would appreciate my passion and commitment to a specific look—something I could stand behind 100%. Even now, 3.5 years later, I’m not the artist creating extravagant or character-themed nails. My clients come to me for simple, classy, and professional looks that fit seamlessly into their everyday lives. They’re much like me, which makes what I do so rewarding.

Networking within the nail industry was initially intimidating, especially as someone who knew so little at first. But I’ve always believed that you get back what you put out. I made it a point to connect with anyone in the nail world who would give me the time, building friendships and professional connections while expanding my network as much as possible.

This approach became even more crucial as I transitioned into education for other press-on nail artists. Having solid relationships, a strong reputation, and a willingness to help others helped cement my place in the industry. I wanted to be known as someone people could look to for support, inspiration, and guidance, and I’m proud to have built that reputation.

How did you build your audience on social media?

When I first started, my social media skills were pretty much nonexistent. Aside from being a consumer of content, I had never tried to grow any kind of social media presence before. At the time, I had just a few pictures of my work—nail sets I had done for myself, for practice, or for friends—and maybe 100 to 300 followers, mostly people I already knew.

I really started gaining traction when I began posting consistently, sharing content that was both informative and educational about my products. I also brought my followers along on my journey as I grew my business. Letting people get to know me and understand why I was so passionate about what I was doing helped me form genuine connections with both customers and followers.

Being your authentic self is key to finding your people in your corner of the internet. Many of the customers who supported me at the very beginning of my business are still with me years later. They’ve seen how my life has evolved through this journey, and I’ve had the privilege of seeing their lives change too—all because of social media!

That said, whether you have a strategy or not, the most important thing is to stick with it every day. Social media is a marathon, not a sprint, and metrics don’t always translate to immediate financial success. But finding the right community and the right audience takes time, and it’s worth it.

I’d also recommend staying flexible and open to change when it comes to social media. No one tactic works forever, so try new content, strategies, and approaches to see what resonates with your audience. Make the most of the platforms, and you’ll see the rewards!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Www.bychloenails.com
• Instagram: By.chloenails
• Youtube: By.chloenails
• Other: Www.thepressonacademy.com
  @thepressonacademy
  Www.nailknowhow.com