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

LETISHA, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Was there a moment in your career that meaningfully altered your trajectory? If so, we’d love to hear the backstory.

Between traditional nail school and advanced foot care training, I learned the nail industry inside out. I found there was a large segment of consumers, living with chronic illnesses, such as diabetes and other autoimmune conditions, who could not enjoy nail and foot care in standard salons due to the high risk of infections and complications from standard practices. My search for a passion became my discovery of a purpose. Since finding my purpose, I’m now on a mission to make nail and foot care inclusive again, while redefining what today’s nail spa has become. Instead of the run-of-the-mill depot offering a rushed, impersonal, and non-hygienic service. I created Waterless Medi-Pedi & Nail Spa that offers a holistic, transformative experience providing true care and healing for anyone who desires beautiful, healthy hands and feet.

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 back background and context?

After narrowly escaping a layoff from my successful corporate career, I knew something had to shift. For years, I’d been suffocating from a lack of passion for in life and work. I needed more than a job and financial security—I needed something to breathe life into myself again. I always loved artistry, so some soul searching led to explore nail art and nail care.

Some women set out to find what life holds for them, what they are really searching for is how they can create more to get more. And then there are the women who desire to discover what they were created to do so they can give more. I can say, I’m one of those women. I’m a Certified Medical Nail Technician, Master Pedicurist and Holistic Health Educator, skilled to work with high risk clients with compromised immune systems. The owner of Atlanta’s own Waterless Medi-Pedi & Nail Spa, an exclusive oasis for women and men seeking the ultimate safe and relaxation experience, with revolutionize waterless manicures and pedicures.

The waterless manicures and waterless pedicures provided to my clients help them receive a more hygienic service reducing cross-contamination during their service. This is a wonderful aspect, that grants clients with healthy and/or with compromised immune systems, such as diabetics to have a safe and clean experience. I’m proud to bring back care into the pampering for clients hands and feet, even more as a necessity wellness care for diabetics. Clients love my brand that it’s clean, sterile, relaxing, caregiving, and still make them feel good inside and out. They rave over steam towels being used that compensates soaking water to hydrate the skin and relax the muscles. Many are amazed of the longer polish wear on the toes and softer skin.

There’s not many that offer the services I provide because advance foot care training is normally necessarily beyond basic nail technology training. I’m proud to be amongst the few that are slowly growing in numbers as an advanced nail technician. I’m also proud for my nail spa to be a home for wellness for women on the go that need to slow down. We often don’t take time for ourselves as women and need to re-learn selfcare is a priority to have a wellness lifestyle. Therefore, not only I have created a safe salon for women to receive wellness, I’ve designed a foot care brand PEDI-CURED, handmade, natural footcare products for women on the go to care for their feet.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

After narrowly escaping a layoff from my successful corporate career, I knew something had to shift. For years, I’d been suffocating from a lack of passion for her life and her work. I needed more than a job and financial security—I needed something to breathe life into myself again. I did a lot of soul searching, which landed myself to view nail care from an bad experience receiving a manicure. It was a step out on faith, as my background is in Finance, so taking a risks was most of time consider to be an incorrect thing to do. However, I wanted more out of life, so I took a chance on myself again to learn what happiness meant for me at that time. I went back to school to learn nail technology, which meant for me to do night school and work full-time during the day. I was able to finish a 8-month course in 7 months and become a certified advanced nail technician, which is something that’s uncommon in the nail industry to learn how to merge health and beauty in a nail service. After completion of school, I created Waterless Medi-Pedi & Nail Spa on my own being an alternative to traditional nail care services. It was definitely challenging, being unique, continuous educating to clients and even physicians the concept of non-soaking services for hands and feet just to get a person to have interest, let alone in the chair for a service. I’m honored and proud to say my business is still thriving, growing now in my 6 year of business, and overcoming pandemic struggles of economy in my 5 year milestone. Always believe in yourself, what you plan to accomplish for yourself, and the work that you put in to achieve your goals. I’ve learned everything starts with self, in order for others to believe, think, and feel positive about my brand.

Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?

In having confidence and knowing myself was the most helpful for succeeding in my field. There’s so many people who’ve never heard of a waterless or soakless nail services. I understood the benefits my brand would bring to clients that are looking for care for leisure and out of necessity. I also knew people were being infected in traditional setting and infections would be on the rise in the future. The concept of waterless or soakless is the most hygienic nail service you can receive. Clients often tell me, “they wish I was around when their loved one was living, in order to help them with their feet, or in the same state with their loved ones that needs soakless services.” After a year being in the pandemic, there’s was influx of clients looking for more sanitary services, this also validated my confidence in sticking to my brand, and believing I made the right choice to offer an alternative nail service that’s more sanitary. Lastly, when starting 6 years ago there were not many salons solely offering waterelss manicures or waterless pedicures. Today, this has totally changed to see at least in major metropolitan areas, brands turning to become an all soakless nail salon or become inclusive to adding waterless nail services in their salon. Be confident in what you do, there will be bumps in the road, but stick to your path and know your path. It will get your further beyond a sale of a service.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.waterlessmedipedispa.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/waterlessmedipedispa
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/waterlessmedipedispa

Image Credits
Letisha Royster Mecca Gamble Photography