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

Phoebe, 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?

In 2018, I gave birth to my daughter and became a teen mother. Since I was so young I wasn’t able to work a traditional job, I had to think outside the box to generate income for my daughter & I. I thought if I couldn’t find work, perhaps I could use my creativity, skills and prior knowledge to create my own source of income. In 2019, I began offering hair services and building quite an impressive clientele considering the little resources I had. I realized that if I could establish and succeed at something like this at 15 years old, I could definitely pursue something at an even larger scale in my future. In 2020, I graduated high school at 16 and decided I wanted to expand and apply my skills, creativity, and knowledge to build an actual brand. I launched my skin care line “Suporia Cosmetics”. My products were all formulated, handmade, packaged, and shipped by myself. Operating this brand fueled me in ways unimaginable. Growing my audience and customers allowed me to see that if I stay dedicated, discipline, and run my business based on passion, the reward will hold much volume. I learned a lot about the business industry by doing research, networking with fellow entrepreneurs and small businesses, and being open minded & teachable; because of this I grew even more motivation and eagerness to pursue more. In January of 2021, I began a new journey as a professional nail technician. Nails was always a deep rooted passion and essential self care service of mine, but it wasn’t until spring of 2021 that I learned the nail industry was thriving and rapidly growing. Fall of 2021, after months of working from home, I was discovered by my mentor Patrice and grew a promising clientele. I used platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube almost daily to promote my brand “Pristine Tips”. August of 2023, I got the keys to my first commercial space and am now officially a shop owner! The best part of this all is reflecting on my growth and being proud that I never gave up. I trusted my creativity & passion and kickstarted what is now a successful black owned nail business along with content creation, nail tutoring, and much more. Having an idea with no plan is just a dream. Execution is a direct result of passion, discipline, & a strategic plan. Grasping this concept will allow for major success.

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’m a jack of all trades in the creative realm. I’m not your traditional nail tech! I consider myself as a “Nail Artist” because the work I offer is much more than just a manicure. Every time I do a set of nails I create a piece of art. I have been in love with art for as long as I can remember! Coloring, painting, sketching, designing, calligraphy, and a plethora of other art forms are skills that just came natural to me. With these skills I beautify hands with unique nail art for each unique client’s satisfaction. My nails are art and art is my passion.

Being passionate about the work you do is very important when you’re a service provider. One thing I want all my clients to know is that I love what I do, and because of that their overall experience and satisfaction is top priority. When they are in my chair, their hands… are in good hands!

My skills and techniques alone separate me from others, however it is my versatility and attention to detail that attracts my clients. I feel there is always room for improvement & I am adamant about giving the best quality work so I always take time to perfect my craft, clean up my techniques, and stay up to date on newest trends. I understand everyone has their own preferences so I always do my best to cater to each clients needs and provide them with the absolute best service & hospitality!

I am most proud of my progress. I’ve accomplished a lot as an entrepreneur, but as a nail tech alone I have created so much art, I’ve been blessed with so many opportunities, formed so many relationships, learned and am still learning a ton of new information, and I’m still improving daily. Now at 20 years old I am a shop owner with many new projects in the works and I couldn’t be more excited for what’s to come. Pristine Tips is thriving and expanding in 2024!

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

As a service provider, we go through slow season periods. This is a period of time where the demand for services are low, meaning less work for us. My first time going through a slow season and experiencing that decrease was very humbling and eye opening for me. I would go from fully booked to overlooked. At first I would feel defeated and like I was making some sort of error, but eventually I rose above that. I began to use slow periods for reflection, reorganization, refreshing, and resting. I started using that time to generate new ideas for passive income, such as add on services, content creation, subscriptions, and more. Innovation will save you on days passion can’t, and when passion can’t, discipline will. As a business owner there will be rough patches and obstacles, but it’s about how you maneuver through them and how you manage when things fluctuate. You have to be able to adapt. Adaptation is resilience.

How did you build your audience on social media?

When it comes to building an audience on social media, you have to know your target audience and market specifically to them. As complex as that may sound too some, that’s not even the hardest part. The hardest part is consistency and routine. Promoting your brand has to be second nature. Any business owner should take advantage of any opportunity to advertise their brand. There is no right or wrong way to do this, as long as it is being done, you are getting closer and closer to your target clientele. Making it a routine will show potential clients that you are serious and passionate about your work. Consistency creates results. Be creative, be different, and be confident in yourself and your brand.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/fijiphoebe
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fijiphoebe/
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@phoebesuporia?si=gYyVHlGQBr9ResUP

Image Credits
Photographer: B Simmmone Studios