We recently connected with Gabrielle Martin and have shared our conversation below.

Gabrielle, appreciate you joining us today. Looking back, do you think you started your business at the right time? Do you wish you had started sooner or later

No, I don’t. I truly believe that everything happens for a reason. I’m right where I need to be. I started NailedbyGee June 2020, right in the middle of the pandemic. The salons were closed and I’ve been into nails since I was 13 so it was honestly perfect timing. I feel like if I started sooner, my business wouldn’t be here today or I wouldn’t have been as consistent with it. My daddy was killed in a hit and run accident in 2014 while I was only 20 years old and I had just graduated college 3 months prior. I had to grow (yes, grow) through a lot of grieving and healing to get where I am today. When I do something I’m 100% all in and I know I wouldn’t have been able to give my best at the time if I started any sooner. I’m happy that I started when I did because I was in a great place mentally and financially I was able to get myself started. Over the course of my two years into this business I’ve serviced many clients and put myself through nail school all while working full time.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I go by Gabby and I’m your new up and coming self taught nail tech. I’m originally from Greenwood, SC but I currently reside in Lexington, SC. I got into the nail industry about 2 years ago thanks to the pandemic and the salons being closed, that was really the push I needed to get started. I offer acrylic services and manicures as well using only the best products. What sets me apart from others is my work itself. I’m very passionate about what I do and that shows in every set of nails that I do.
I’m most proud of my resilience and not giving up on myself. On top of life, working full time for someone else, and running my own business, I put myself through school this year so I could become a licensed nail tech which I am officially licensed as of July 2022. I can’t wait to see where I am in the next couple of years. The journey has been amazing.
I want my future clients to know that they’ll be in good hands and they’ll never leave unsatisfied.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

A story from my journey that illustrates my resilience would be me working full time and going to nail school as well. I’m an office manager and I work 845-6p Monday-Friday. I signed up for school in July 2021 and classes started this year, January 2022. The closest school that I could find that offered night classes was in my hometown, Greenwood, SC which is about a hour away from Lexington. Classes were from 5p-10p and every other Saturday 8a-3p so I would leave work in Columbia and head to class about 3-4 nights a week. It would be some days I’d just cry going to class lol, I was so over the commute but giving up never crossed my mind. I had to look at the bigger picture.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

When I do my nails I always do a cool design that’s attention-grabbing. It’s free promo and it’s like I’m a walking ad lol. It’s a great convo starter as well. Also promoting on social media has been a big help.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://naildbygee.as.me/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nailedby.gee/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nailedby.gee