We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Fernanda Paz a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Fernanda, thanks for joining us today. Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?

I was working as a receptionist in an industry where the women that would come in were really into getting their hair, make up and nails done! They would come in and see my nails and ask me who did my nails and I would tell them “girl me!” It felt so awesome being able to tell them that I was the one behind my nails because I had always hoped that one of them would ask me to do their nails. At the time, I didn’t have anyone asking me for services but after that one first set, everything changed for me. The first set I did was a really intricate Old English font moment with sad girl eyes for my boss!!! Omg I was literally shaking in my boots! To this day, that set is one of my proudest sets as a nail technician and as an artist,

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

The biggest question I get when Im dealing with a new client is, “So how did you start doing nails?”. Well, to put it shortly, I had been going to the same nail technician at a salon by my house for a year or so. I had developed a relationship with him to the point where I felt comfortable enough to ask him, “Hey, if I bring you something, can you add it to my nails?”. He said he could and so I went searching for what I wanted. Now that I am a nail technician myself, I look at what I took and think, “Oh ok, so you want to encapsulate some iridescent foil”. In my head at the time, I thought it wasn’t that difficult at all and felt like he could do it, but when I tell you I was so wrong!

I remember I was walking him through the application process and because I had been watching so many nail videos at the time and had been getting my nails done for so long, I thought I had an understanding of what the process would be like. I remember walking him through the application process and thinking to myself, “I can do this.” He finished my nails and although I walked him through it, it still wasn’t what I wanted and still paid $90 for those nails. Which back in 2018, was ALOT for nails.

I remember walking out of the salon and feeling really frustrated because to me it was like how could you not know how to do this and you owned a whole nail salon. To me it didn’t make sense at the time. As frustrated as I was, I walked over to the Walgreens for some comfort shopping and I saw that they sold the KISS Acrylic Kit. Once I saw that, I bought it and never looked back. I took off my nails from the salon off that same night and tried apply my own nails. Although it was such a fail, I was determined to make it happen.

I was working on a shoe box on the floor but I was determined to do my own nails. This was in 2018 before TikTok could help a girl out!

At the time, my life had different priorities and I had left learning how to do nails on the back burner for like two years,

Once the pandemic hit, I downloaded TikTok and started making make-up TikTok’s. Shortly after, I realized that I should make nail TikTok’s so I can track my growth. Later 2020, one of my good friends asked me for my first set of custom press ons for her Bodega x Nike Shoe Collaboration.

After creating my first set of press on nails, I learned about pop up shops. I developed a love and appreciation for small businesses and nail art so much that I wanted to be apart of as many pop ups as possible.

At this point, Ive been apart of at least 10 pop ups and learned so much from each and every one of them.

A big point that my clients make, is that they can’t find anyone in the area that does what they want,

My clients are $how $toppa’s.

A $how $toppa is a baddie that is unapologetiicaly confident and a humble hustler.

I try to be able to make all my clients requests come true. If it’s harder than what I’m use to, I’ll practice. If they want a color I don’t have, I try to make it with the colors I do have. Ive been told many times “we don’t have that color” at salons and that’s always inspired me to be better and even if I have to mix a bunch of different colors, im going to give my clients what they want and thats why they keep coming to me.

My proudest moment as a nail technician is seeing how happy and confident they feel once they leave my desk. At this point in my life, there’s nothing better than helping women and men feel confident and unstoppable.

I only hope to inspire other upcoming and even already established nail technicians to find their highest level of creativity in whatever and whichever way possible.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

My goal is to eventually teach people how to become a nail technician because I never had anyone to teach me what I needed and wanted.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

I would like to see a change in the way people recognize new comers. I feel like the nail industry and honestly any industry whether it be beauty or not, is really judgmental and non approachable. The hardest part of my journey was not being able to ask anyone any questions in regards to nails or even makeup. I literally had to learn everything on my own because no one wanted to answer my questions. Thats why every time I go live, I try to answer as many questions as possible. A lot of people in the beauty industry have this weird mentality where they don’t want to help/support/recognize smaller businesses/etc. It’s the weirdest thing to me because in my head, everyone can make it. Everyone has different ways of approching certain ideas. Gatekeeping is just stopping greatness tbh.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/showstoppaco/
• Other: TikTok: showstoppaco

Image Credits
Your Nail Lab x Makartt