We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kurston Ghumm. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kurston below.

Alright, Kurston thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Folks often look at a successful business and imagine it was an overnight success, but from what we’ve seen this is often far from the truth. We’d love to hear your scaling up story – walk us through how you grew over time – what were some of the big things you had to do to grow and what was that scaling up journey like?

Let’s start by agreeing that everybody desires success. We wouldn’t try new things if we didn’t. What happens once we’ve reached our goal? Do you feel the need to scale up? What happens after comfortable? What separates you from everybody else? I scaled up in my community with my dedication to continuing education. I didn’t want the same education that cosmetology around me we’re getting though. I realized that I will always have a desire to be more. I strive to be the least experienced in the room, so that i can come back and be the best in the room. I want to walk into a room and not know a soul. I want us to just have one main constant – nails. I want us to have one main goal, to be better than we were yesterday. I travel to places different than mine and submerge myself in different situations. I come back with the advantage. I come back with skills that I wasn’t able to learn in my community. I scaled up by bringing my client something different. I scaled up, by learning speed. I scaled up, by perfecting shaping. I scaled up, by learning how to use the enhancements I already know, in more beneficial ways. I scale up by never getting comfortable in my field, and I’ve only started!

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?

I am a 33 year old, 4 children having, always yearning for more knowledge, nail tech from Kansas. I attended LeBaron Academy for hair and design in Overland Park Kansas in 2009. I had just graduated high school, and had no idea what I wanted to do. I wanted to try everything first! My cousin urged me to go to hair school. That way I would always have a trade while I decided what I wanted to do. Well, I knew right off the bat that hair wasn’t it. Wet hair makes me cringe! I had always been a girl that got her nails done though. And every time I sat in that chair, I thought to myself, I can do that. I know I can do that. So after some research, and being turned down in my hometown, I decided to go to Nail school. As most cosmetologist know, cosmetology school is merely an outline for what really happens in the real world.

It was hard to convince my family that this could actually be a career at first. Oh, there is so much i wish I knew then what I do now! So after having kids, and trying different management positions in my pursuit to find a “real job,” I decided to give nails a try one more time. I had never fully stopped . I was always doing my friends and family’s nails. They’re constant support is what never let my dream die.

After having those years to try different things, I took on a serving job to supplement myself. That’s exactly what I needed! I did my nails, customers asked about it, and within six months, I was full-time at the salon! I am here to attest that word of mouth is easily our best advertisement. It was my clients,their support, their uplifting words, their trust in me, that made me feel like I knew what I was doing. They fueled my desire to be better! The group of nail techs that I was able to contact we’re not as restless as me. They were content, and I was/am not. I am that wow factor. Whether I am at work, or just doing this thing called life, I am the wow factor. I want to be the best, and with the help of social media I am able to hone in and find those classes that I want to attend and I am able to attend classes that benefit my career and my expertise.

I connect with my clients on a real level. My clients help me, and I help them. Together, we can conquer the world! I have convinced my family that this is a “real job.” My community knows my name, and knows my work. My kids think I’m famous because people know what I do for my community; my kids are my biggest fans! My clients and my family can feel the joy that doing nails brings me. They can see and feel my passion. I have the ability to make somebody feel good about themselves. I have the opportunity to express myself every day! I wish this joy on everybody.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

I basically started my social media audience in a very similar way I started my real audience. I just started showing people what I was doing. I started taking pictures of every set I did. I posted every set I did. I’m at a point now, where if a client doesn’t get their nails pictured, they assume I don’t like them! I have clients that look forward to my posts. I started posting mass messages on my social media. It’s a way to get basic information to a mass amount of people. My advice is just be real, be yourself. Let the people see your passion and your effort. Most of the time, all anybody wants to see, is effort.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

One of the biggest things that helped build my reputation, was word of mouth. Whatever happens during an appointment, the client is going to talk about. The good the bad the ugly! I am nothing more than what my client sees when they sit in the chair across from me. Within reason, I have allowed my clients to see all of my good, bad, and ugly. Intern, though I think it makes my clients feel comfortable. I love to make people smile. I love to make someone relax and feel comfortable. I love to watch a client walk out a different person! I have had many clients confide in me, and I confide in them. Now, that covers the trust part. My work does the rest. Im not a strong salesman. So I let the work come to me. That, combined with my passion I show on every inch of my body, and skill, makes a client trust the process, my process, and I love it!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://nailed-101440.square.site/
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/yungone04
• Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/nailsbykurston