Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kristen Valdez-Doherty. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Kristen thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Naming anything – including a business – is so hard. Right? What’s the story behind how you came up with the name of your brand?

When it came down to giving my business a name, I wanted something short, catchy and memorable. My background is in marketing and branding—so I treated this like a new project for a client. I began to brainstorm.

The word ‘nails’ is in the majority of manicurist’s Instagram handles. How do you increase your visibility in a sea of other nail artists? With the help of my friend Chelsea Tavis (@tragicglamour) I pitched her my idea of calling my business Nails of Modern Art—a play on the Museum of Modern Art aka the MoMA. She suggested that I create my handle as @nomanails to start since I didn’t have a client base or following.

Fast forward a few months to March of 2014, I’m almost done completing nail school. I’m doing full sets/fills and nail art at friends houses and sometimes in my own home. I still don’t have a place to work. During this time, I’m still getting my nails done by my amazing mentor and friend, Mia Rubie (@superflynails) of Sparkle SF. She shoots me a message about possibly renting a chair at her studio. Of course I said yes!

This is it—the evolution in how I came up with the name of my business. I now have San Francisco to add to my handle. San Francisco Nails of Modern Art aka @SFNoMA is born.

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

Like many people who exit high school, I was taught that going to college was what I was supposed to do. I only applied to one school, FIDM in San Francisco. I got in, majored in graphic design with an emphasis In marketing and branding. I was only able to complete one year and couldn’t get a co-signer for my second year.

I transferred to City College of San Francisco only to find out that my credits weren’t being accepted because FIDM wasn’t accredited. Great—I had to redo my entire first year of college over again. So I signed up for all my same classes that I had done the semester prior.

My schedule was all over the place, so I had hours to kill in between classes. Instead of going back home, I would walk down to a nail salon and get a mani/pedi. This was before I found gel, so sitting around waiting for my nails to dry was how I made time pass.

This one particular day I went into the nail salon to have a nail extended since it broke. Unfortunately it came off within less than 24 hours and when I went back to show the nail technician, she said I had ‘problem nails’. Um, what?

This led me down the rabbit hole of looking for a nail artist. Someone who wasn’t just going to brush me off an tell me my nails were the problem. I only found two artists, one of whom was only accepting clients.

I made my first appointment with Mia Rubie (@superflynails) and the rest is history. What started out as a monthly manicure session, inspired me to switch careers from being a personal assistant/graphic designer to full time nail artist.

At one point when Mia wasn’t available, she suggested I check out another amazing nail artist named Maria Rodriguez (@bfabstudios). I drove down to San Jose to get my nails done by her—explained that I always needed a new set of nails because nothing ever stayed on them. Her explanation? I have oily nail beds just like hers.

My mind was literally blown. That’s a thing? Yes, it is! Also, there’s just a few extra steps you need to take to prep the nail plate before applying product. So for anyone else who’s nails have product not stick to them, you probably have oily nail beds like me.

I believe my personal experience with my own nails sets me apart from others. I’m a believer that not one product fits all—I wish it were that easy! I’m a problem solver by nature, so when I see something that isn’t working, I will dive in to find a solution.

What I’m most proud of is how I’ve made life for myself, doing what I love. I create mini masterpieces for my clients that bring them joy.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

The most effective strategy for growing my clientele is boundaries, consistency and timing.

Boundaries: I’ve always told my clients that I will only respond to messages about scheduling on Mondays. They can text or email me about an appointment but they won’t get a response until I sit down to do administrative work. Also, turning off all social media notifications. Your free time is yours, if you’re not getting paid for it, it’s not worth it.

Consistency: No one likes a provider who doesn’t show up or constantly cancels. I’ve called out three times in the nine years i’ve run my business. It’s your reputation and responsibility on the line.

Timing: Be consistent, be on time—no more than ten minutes behind. That’s my motto.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

The best source of new clients for me are referrals. My whole clientele is very protective of who they refer to me. Many times you need to know at least two of them to make an appointment.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: sfnoma