We were lucky to catch up with Leyla Mir recently and have shared our conversation below.

Leyla, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Coming up with the idea is so exciting, but then comes the hard part – executing. Too often the media ignores the execution part and goes from idea to success, skipping over the nitty, gritty details of executing in the early days. We think that’s a disservice both to the entrepreneurs who built something amazing as well as the public who isn’t getting a realistic picture of what it takes to succeed. So, we’d really appreciate if you could open up about your execution story – how did you go from idea to execution?

I started as a nail artist myself. I didn’t have any big perspective or long term plan back then. Honestly, I was even shy to talk about my beginnings because my original goal was to become a doctor. But nails unexpectedly started bringing me really decent income, and as my craft improved, I became high demand.

What set my service apart (and still does) is a mix of quality and creativity. Usually, salons lean into one or the other.

Once I saw how fast things were growing, I decided to expand and was brave enough to open a salon. The process began with registering the company, searching for a space, visualizing how it should feel, and figuring out who to hire. Truthfully, I didn’t fully know what I was getting into. That was just the shallow beginning.

But I was obsessed and driven, I worked on it day and night. Building price lists, designing the website, painting walls, assembling furniture, learning the operational, “delighting,” and financial parts of running a business…

And then suddenly it was real – the first day of opening. Clients were already booking, and my nail fairies were doing their magic.

After that my main focus was marketing and keeping the business growing.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

At my core, I’m an artist. But before that, I was a disciplined athlete and I truly believe the combination of both is what allowed me to build a business that is as creative as it is consistent.

I’m a nail artist, educator, and the owner of two salons under the Nail Fairy brand. It’s been a journey filled with challenges, pivots, and moments of doubt, but also an incredible amount of growth. By the age of 27, I’ve built something I’m genuinely proud of – not just a business, but a unique space with a community.

What we offer at Nail Fairy isn’t just a service. You get an experience and leave with a soothing feeling and pretty nails that will make you stare at them for next 4 weeks.
The quality of the work matters, using top tier products, and artists that share the vision – always work on improving, learning new skills, provide detailed work and care about the people who walk through our doors.

In our Brooklyn location, clients are immersed in a floral studio atmosphere. Real florists create arrangements in real time, you’re surrounded by beauty from the moment you enter, wash your hands, or sit down. It’s quiet, intimate, and sensory.

Our Manhattan space has a completely different energy – modern, edgy, and community focused. It’s where we host events, train students, and support young artists on their journey. We don’t just teach technique, we nurture confidence and help people grow into their craft and career.

My goal has always been simple: to offer a service that feels personal, elevated, and done with genuine heart.

Can you talk to us about how your side-hustle turned into something more.

My nail journey started as a side hustle. It was a logical job at the time because I was a full time, pre med student in college and my schedule changed every semester. Working in beauty gave me a flexible schedule, I’d accept clients some mornings, rush to school for classes, then head back to work later in the day. Sometimes I’d even fit in a client or two during longer midday breaks.
When I graduated, I dedicated my free time between schools to improving my craft, and I never went back to anything else because this side hustle started generating consistent revenue and I saw real potential.

The bigger question became: how do I turn this into a career?

I believe it requires a combination of great service, a unique offering, and a clear vision. In my case, it was delivering quality manicures that lasted 4+ weeks, offering creative nail designs no one in my area was providing at the time, and approaching every appointment professionally.

Within a few months my client base grew quickly, and I wasn’t able to accommodate all inquiries. That’s when I hired my first employee and started searching for a space to rent. After securing the right location and figuring out our business processes, we had our grand opening. Because we already had exposure and a strong client base, word spread quickly and we became profitable in our very first month.

Behind that success were many sleepless nights, early mornings, and disciplined, passionate work. I kept growing the business, training employees, and passing on the knowledge clients originally came to me for. To this day, I still oversee the quality of our work and I genuinely believe it’s better than ever.

If you have multiple revenue streams in your business, would you mind opening up about what those streams are and how they fit together?

Beyond offering nail services, we’ve expanded into eyelash treatments as well, including lash lamination and extensions. It felt like a natural decision after asking ourselves: what does every girl need to feel put together?

We’ve also introduced retail options, selling self care products and jewelry at checkout. Clients can pick up a ring that complements their fresh manicure or a pocket size cuticle oil to help their nails last longer. These items are genuinely useful and solve real post appointment needs.

But the strongest supplementary revenue stream is our nail academy. After training my staff, I realized the knowledge I’d gained had real value, so I created my own Nail Fairy course. That led us to open a second location with enough space to host monthly in person classes, where I teach an intensive program designed to take someone from zero experience to becoming a skilled nail artist.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.nailfairy.art/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nailfairy_nyc/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@LeylaMir-life
• Other: TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@nailfairy.art
  Personal Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/___leylam/