Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Gabrielle Jones. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Gabrielle , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Getting that first client is always an exciting milestone. Can you talk to us about how you got your first customer who wasn’t a friend, family, or acquaintance?
I was fresh meat in Atl and decided I wanted to take a step forward in nails, so I started advertising at college apartment complexes. I would go in and post flyers everywhere and slip them under as many doors as I could. One day, I finally had a hit! I traveled to all of my clients back in the day. I was extremely nervous and anxious to do a good job. When I got there, my customer had music blasting and a huge smile on her face that definitely helped ease my nerves. I set up and began the magic. It definitely wasn’t my best work, but it paved the way to my hustle today.
Gabrielle , 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 Gabrielle but everyone just calls me Love. Unfortunately, it is not a grand story on how I got into nails. I loved getting my nails done, but I hated never getting the end result that I desired, so I decided to begin trying on myself. Once I discovered I had a passion for it, I went to nail school. To get my foot in the door, I was grinding really hard, from offering nails 24/7, to having wine for my clients, I made sure that even if I wasn’t the most sophisticated nail artist, I provided a luxury experience with amazing customer service. Healthy but beautiful nails and toes are my philosophy! To me, it was very important for me to not only create beautiful, unique, lasting nails, but to also provide quality pedicures and toesets that left my clients feet soft and suckable! No crusties here! I am most proud of my hustle and how far it took me. Believe me, I cried and doubted a lot of nights, but I kept pushing because I wanted it so badly. I never thought I would be a celebrity nail artist or create my own fungus treatment! I am in a constant sponge like state to continue to learn and provide my clients with the latest and greatest!
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
I had to unlearn the word can’t. I used to make excuses on how my nails weren’t as good as some of the talented artist out here. I had forgotten that everyone starts somewhere and where you are weak, practice and research will make you strong. So, I put in that work to strengthen my drawing skills. I took some classes with some of the best nail techs out here.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
Starting out, I bounced around working at a variety of different salons, not quite finding my fit. I had always wanted my own salon suite. It had never quite worked out for me, until the most random time, January 2021 marked the height of my career getting my very own salon suite. I worked really hard and jumped through a lot of NO hoops. Then October of 2021, I lost my suite and had to move states because of a personal situation. I thought that was the end of Louv Nails, but boy I was in for a shock! I picked up right where i left off in a salon space. The owner encouraged me to take a chance and push past my feelings of doubt, and behold I am prevailing!
Contact Info:
- Website: LouvNails.square.site/
- Instagram: @louvnails
- Facebook: Louv Nails