We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Danielle Wenger a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Danielle, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?
For the most part, yes, i have been able to make a full-time living doing my work. In the beginning of my career, i first worked as a commission employee barely making $300 a week after taxes! But as time went on, and i stayed diligent about posting on social media, developing consistency/retention on clients, and challenging myself artistically, the demand/income grew. I was very fortunate to kind of come up at the beginning of “instagram-nails” and gel nail art in Columbus, Ohio. Because i was one of only a few other people doing it at the time, my clientele grew to such a degree that i was booked a few months out with a waitlist~ which is crazy because that is not the case now lol. The industry has absolutely exploded in my city and it’s really cool to see. I kind of feel like im an old school tech at this point… My rates are a little higher (but not by much honestly) and im pretty selective about who i hold hands with. Offering a consistent quality of service and treating your clients like real people goes a long way !
Danielle, 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?
about: I am a 36 year old single woman living in Columbus, Ohio. I have been doing nails for 11.5 years and got into it simply because i didnt have a job and my closest friend at the time (who was a retired, grade school art teacher), noticed i was aimless in life and needed a direction. She always encouraged me to paint my nails by buying me new nail polishes and once i showed a real interest in it, she suggested i go to nail school! It was something i would have *never* considered but wow did it change my life. It became something that really taught me about myself and my value and that (despite being an introvert) i very much enjoyed connecting intimately with people. The first two years of my career i was a commission employee and for the 9.5 years since, i have been very gratefully self employed.
what type of service i provide: When i first started doing nails, i was offering traditional soak-off gel manicures but have since evolved into doing what is called gel overlays (or structure gel) manicures. This method of manicuring is more advanced, more laborious, and is much healthier for the natural nail than acetone soak manicures. I also include a simplified version of what’s called Russian manicuring, which is detailed cuticle work using very small / fine electric file bits to gently remove dead cuticle tissue off of the nail plate. It’s pretty cool and very satisfying !
what problems i solve for clients/ what sets me apart: I think the problem i solve for clients is simply just helping them figure out what they want artistically on their nails! Most of my clients have been with me for many years now, so id like to believe that i’ve learned what they like, what their style is, and where to push them sometimes. In terms of what sets me apart, i think it’s good and bad ! I really enjoy free-styling abstract / go-with-the-flow designs. Realism is something i can do, and it DOES get me out of my comfort zone, but it is definitely not my most enjoyable service!
most proud of: Despite it’s complicated end, I am very proud to have opened and operated an alternative nail salon specifically for self employed nail artists! My ex best friend and i owned the salon together for 5 years and sold the business 2 years ago ! The salon is called FUZZ and it is an open floor concept that now actually offering tattooing in addition to nail services. It’s cool to me that we created a space where people could be their own bosses and grow their careers!
main things i want potential clients to know: As far as the main things that i would want potential clients to know about me… There are a few ! Firstly, i am just a girl- haha. I am complicated, sensitive, and introverted. As consistent as i try to be when it comes to the quality of my work, sometimes i will need to reschedule people. I’d personally rather move a client to a day where i am my full self and can give them their monies worth. Fortunately, i am very lucky that most of my clientele are very cool and understanding about this. Another thing that is important for clients to know is that the more trust you have when it comes to your nail art turning out well, the better it will turn out! If the client is being skeptical or overly doubtful, as a sensitive person, i can feel that and it can sometimes affect the outcome lol. The last thing i’d like for new clients to know is that while i am working, please do not ask me detailed questions about myself as a person. It feels so mean to say it plainly but redirecting my brain from thoughtfully speaking to doing a highly detailed physical task is very conflicting!
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
This is easy- the goal of being a self employed artist everyday is absolutely my mission. The bonus feature that goes with that is developing authentic and caring relationships with clients that sustain the duration of many years or even just one single appointment. I believe that i am very very lucky to be chosen by each and every person, so the gratitude within that is also part of my mission.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
Very easily, i can say that for almost the first half of my career (in addition to providing consistent detailed physical labor) i absolutely bent over backwards to almost be a therapist or emotional sounding board for clients. Without them even asking me to. I wanted people to feel seen and cared for but after a while i realized it was above my skill and pay grade. About 3 years into my career, i began to experience a lot of loss in my immediate family and i quickly learned shortly after that i just didnt have *that* level of emotional capacity to sustain that type of intimacy. It was really hard to pull back on, but i realized if i wanted my career to be sustainable, i had to focus on the task at hand. The nails! I still like to laugh and joke and ask about how your sister is or how your date went but i no longer feel responsible the level of emotional labor that i used to expect from myself.
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