We recently connected with Monica Tookes and have shared our conversation below.

Monica, appreciate you joining us today. 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?

Ever since I can remember I loved nails. Seeing my mom and other women in my family get their nails done was so fascinating to me. Of course my mom wouldn’t let me get my nails professionally done at one point in my life she felt I was too young, but she let me play with press on’s. When I got a little older and my sister took interest in actually doing nails my mom would let her do mine. It was the best time of my life watching my sister Nikita do my nails and do what she wanted to them lol. Throughout my life I always kept my nails done it was a must in my world. There were times in my life where going to a nail salon was just not in my budget, but I still wanted to feel and hear that click clack sound. So I would go to the store and buy a bunch of different press on’s. I would take them and switch up the designs and create my own little set. It got to a point where I would get my own rhinestones and decorate them. People started asking me who did my nails and where to go, and once I told them they were press on’s that I decorated they couldn’t believe it. I started thinking then maybe I should make my own. I had this idea years ago and it honestly took me 10 years to execute it. I finally took a chance and said I would try it out. Now to be honest I wasn’t the most artistic person so I was a little afraid of not being able to execute on a nail the vision I saw in my head. I prayed and told God that if this is something you really want me to do I was definitely going to need him to guide me. I knew it was God given because he never let me forget it , he continued to keep this idea in my mind and my heart. Once I stepped out on faith he put everything in place for me. I had no idea how to start a business didn’t even know what to do first or how I was going to get the nails made. I thought I was going to out source it send my ideas to someone and let them make them, but boy was I wrong lol. I remember sitting in my bed on google typing in all kind of stuff to see how I was going to do this. I typed in distribution of press on’s, didn’t even know if that was the right thing to even search and the Etsy website popped up but it was a kit on “How to” create press on’s. Instantly I started laughing and said “Oh God you want me to make them”. I didn’t know why I thought it was so funny. Probably because I never looked at myself as being that talented when it came to painting anything. The feeling that came over me assured me that this was what he wanted me to do so I bout the $18 kit and went on Amazon and bought a little gel polish set of 24 colors and started designing. The more and more I painted the more stuff I was buying lol. I realized that it was time. I started Pretty Girl Collections by Monica Mone’ November 19,2019. Everything including the name just came east to me. From the vision of the packaging an other ideas it all just flowed, and God definitely put people in my life to talk to me and help with the things I didn’t think about. All this was and still is new to me I a constantly learning as I go. My business is still a working progress and I know it will be a billion dollar business one day as long as I stay dedicated.

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?

I moved to Atlanta about 8 years ago not really sure exactly what I wanted to do with my life. I worked for my Uncle at Ellis Wester Star Farm office until I got an idea of what I wanted to do. I had always been a creative person but didn’t know what that was going to look like. In my heart I knew but didn’t think it would be possible. Performing has always been something that came natural to me. Singing in front of people, putting on shows for my family I just always loved it. When I got older and realized it had a name acting lol and I wanted to do it. I performed all through high school. I was apart of drama and drama club we competed it was great. I even went on the college The Great Bethune Cookman University where I was a part of play. Being on stage just felt like home to me. Not realizing back in 2014 when I moved here that God was going to put me in rooms I only dreamed of being in. There was a person that came into my life my mentor, my family and my friend George Pierre owner and CEO of Pierre Casting, he took me under his wing and gave me the tools I need to get into the business and without realizing it setting me up to finally start my own. Being in the film industry you are introduced to a lot of different people. I wanted to learn the business inside out to have a better appreciation for when I was in front of the camera. I did my best because I understood how much hard work goes into production. I went on to work for January Curry owner and CEO of Destination Casting as an extras casting associate. Working and watching people who started from the bottom and build them selves up was so inspiring to me and encouraged me to start Pretty Girl. Right before I started Pretty Girl of course I would buy press on’s from the store and put my own spin on them. So when I would go to set I was getting so many compliments. When I would say “oh these are press on’s I just added my swag” lol they would go crazy. That’s when it really hit me, I needed to just start. So I did. Of course my family fully supported me and they were my first customers. I would send them designs asked their opinion and they always kept it 100 with me. I appreciate them so much for that. Pretty Girl Collections is more than just custom press on’s I make lip gloss and scrubs as well. We offer pretty girl mask, cups and UV lamps if you need one lol. It’s a collection of self care items that just can make you feel good and to be honest we all need that in today’s world. I am very proud the work I do and I pride my self on great customer service. I haven’t had many issues but if a customer nails gotten damaged during shipping I had no problem replacing them and through in an extra set just for the inconvenience. I want people to know I take pride into everything thing I do. I want them feel that pretty girl Magic when they put their pretty girl collections on their fingers.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

Just like many people I thought I needed a lot of money to start my business. I realized I was wrong. Yes of course it is easier to start a business the more money you have to put out but you can still do it without having a huge amount to work with. Finances was the biggest reason why it took me 10 years to start my business. I didn’t know how I was going to pay to get the nails done or who I was even going to be paying to do them. At the time I didn’t know that I was going to be the one who was going to be designing and creating them. After spending hours on google just researching all kind of info I came across the Etsy website and they had an “How to kit” for press on’s. It include some nails, a mini UV gel light, a stand to place the nails on, and some nail glue. I bought that kit for $18. I bought a 24 mini bottle pack of gel colors off of Amazon for $24. I went to Walmart and bout a $20 table, $15 chair and a $5 lamp and started my business. So for less than $100 is how I initially got started, of course as time went on and I had more design ideas I would buy things slowly. I started out having a enough stuff for a small table to have a whole nail station in my home. If you don’t have the finances to buy it all at once or do it all at once do it slowly and gradually and I promise you before you know it you will have everything plus more you will need.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I had to unlearn that you do not have to do everything by yourself or have it all figured out by a certain time. Running a business is hard and there are going to be some setbacks. Some you can and can’t control it’s just a part of life. When I first got started everything meaning ideas came so easy at first. I knew how I wanted my nails to look how I wanted to package them. It was things that I didn’t know I needed or needed to do in order to really get things off the ground. All I knew is I wanted to design and create but it was so much more that went into it. When I first launched on Instagram oh I thought my DM was going to be flooded with orders, I was so wrong lol. At first I was hard on myself because I thought I was failing but it wasn’t failure it was lessons. It pushed me to learn more about marketing, it pushed me to get my website together and that was process of its own lol. It all taught me to be patient and to take my time. We can be in such a rush to get things done and out there but you still want to have it done right. Embrace the process and enjoy all the ups and downs that comes with it.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.prettygirlcollectionsbymonicamone.com
• Instagram: Prettygirlcollectionsbymm