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

Hi Michelle, thanks for joining us today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

Before I opened my business, I was in college studying business and working as a process server here in NYC. The work was steady, I chose my own schedule and hours, the pay was great and I had control being an independent contractor. Nail art was just a passionate hobby for me at this point, one that I took to Instagram to share my art with the world. I was learning more everyday about the nail industry and starting seeing gaps that weren’t being fulfilled in the market. I started figuring out how to fill those gaps in, slowly creating a plan and product.

About a year into my journey, my mother moved away and told me “good luck with the rent”. My whole plan suddenly became much harder to attain. I now had a bunch of new, massive expenses that I wouldn’t be able to afford without a steady stream of income like process serving was providing. I was so close to being ready for launching but it felt like I couldn’t anymore.

So I sat on the idea for probably another year when COVID hit. Process serving was unaffected, but did I really want to deliver bad news during such dark times? Plus interact with hundreds of people during a pandemic? Not to mention that my product, Cuticle Buddy, was meant to be used on the go. It wouldn’t make sense to launch during a time when everyone was encouraged to stay home.

But I took the plunge and launched anyway. With the support of the amazing nail art Instagram community, I sold out within a day!

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.

My name is Michelle but everyone calls me Meech! I’m the founder of NBM, and the creator of Cuticle Buddy, the most portable cuticle oil on the market. I was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY to an immigrant family. I actually used to bite my nails for my entire life, until I was about 18 when I bought some nail polish and decided to do them myself for the first time. Even though they were all short and bitten up, I loved the way they looked and doing them myself!

I stopped biting my nails after that, and began to learn more about nail care. That led to me starting an Instagram page for it to share my nail art. The more I learned about nails, the more I started to realize that there’s so much misinformation out there about nail care. For most people, it’s not as much of a thought as skincare or haircare is. Unless you were in the world of nails, you probably didn’t do much for them outside of going to the salon every few weeks. But what about in between those visits?

We continue skincare at home after a facial, haircare after a cut, but usually nothing for nails. I wanted to bridge that gap by emphasizing the benefits of consistent cuticle oil use while making it easy to use. Many people struggle with peeling and weak nails. A lot of the time, this is because they’re not moisturized! When nails are dry, they become very rigid and brittle. They’re more likely to peel, break when you hit them on something, and even make your fresh manicure start peeling sooner. When they’re moisturized, they become more flexible making them more likely to bend instead of break so you can grow them longer. The natural curve of the nail relaxes so your nail polish can adhere better and won’t pull away from a harsh curve.

That solves the nail problems, but I also had to make it easy to use. So I opted for a rollerball applicator instead of a brush like cuticle oils usually come in. Less mess and quicker to use. On top of that, I made it portable by including a silicone sleeve with a loop to attach it to your purse, belt loop, keys, or whatever else is convenient! This keeps it in sight and makes it easy to build the habit of oiling your nails. The portability along with Cuticle Buddy’s quality oil formula is what truly sets it apart from other oils on the market.

It’s been almost 4 years since I launched NBM, and what brings me the most satisfaction is when people tell me that Cuticle Buddy helped their nails improve. Something that I made with my own two hands was able to help someone else in the world, help them feel confident about themselves, and maybe even open the door for a new interest: nail care.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Being active in the nail art community on Instagram for years before launching definitely helped me build credibility in the nail care space. I made a ton of friends with other content creators, worked with nail brands, and was very engaging with the community. It was a positive space where everyone helped and supported each other. I was able to build a name for myself in it as someone knowledgable, helpful and honest.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

There’s been times when I encountered supply chain issues that were out of my control, but they caused delays for fulfilling orders during the busiest time of the year: holiday season. Many of my open orders were for gifts and I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to get them out in time. I was transparent with my customers, offered them the option to cancel as well as a discount for a future order. Thankfully, the majority were very understanding and as soon as I received the missing supplies, I worked through the night to get it made and was able to get most of them out on time! I also learned a lesson about making sure that I have everything in my possession beforehand, and I never made the same mistake again.

Contact Info:

• Website: shopnbm.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shopnbm/