We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Sam Sullivan a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Sam, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s start with what makes profitability in your industry a challenge – what would you say is the biggest challenge?

There are many challenges to making a profit in the beauty industry, including high level of competition, cost of products, and staying ahead of current trends.
If you have noticed in the last 5 years there was a spill way of people beginning their journey doing hair, nails, or lashes. This is amazing for their individual working progress, however it definitely has taken a toll on making profits, either as a beginner or well seasoned tech. The high level of competition is such a big challenge because there are many brands trying to capture the same audiences attention. That being said, consumers can be very picky and loyal to their favorite brands, making it hard for new or smaller companies to break through. Promotions are a way to be noticed, meanwhile it can also drive up costs and squeeze profit margins.

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?

My name is Sam, and I am a nail artist/business owner going on professionally for 5 years now. One thing about myself is once I have my mind set on something, I do not give up. I got into this industry being inspired in all things beauty and art. Continuously practicing getting the structure of nails perfected, I went on to enroll in school and file for my business license. Everything fell in place getting started after moving almost 600 miles away from my hometown. I had 0 clients in this new city, knowing absolutely no one, I still did not give up on my journey. I continue the art of acrylic/gel-x nails in Jacksonville. I specialize in intricate designs, like many you may see on Instagram and Pinterest.
I believe what sets me apart from others in this industry is my dedication and consistency to my craft. It goes beyond the earnings, although that is one of the reasons I enjoy doing nails, it is also very therapeutic for me. I believe I go above and beyond for my clients, giving the absolute best experience for each of them every time. My goal is to execute the exact service they are wanting and paying for.
Also, that is one of the main things that I am proud of my brand. Respecting my clients time and value is something I am big on communicating. If you have booked any beauty service with a provider I’m sure you seen the policies. I myself have policies I expect my clients to follow and hope they expect me to follow as well. For example, many of my loyal clients know I never cancel, unless it’s absolutely for a reason or way in advance. This past week I had one of my loyal clients come in and she actually made me aware that I have never once canceled on her in the 4 years of knowing each other. We all are human, I of course might run behind on time some days, but it’s how i go about communicating ahead of time to my clients and vice versa. Sometimes i go as far as giving a few extra dollars off of the service if I’m 15 minutes behind or doing a free design. This is because I respect my clients and I want to show that i appreciate them for giving me grace.
Looking back i am extremely proud of my resilience maintaining in this industry and being self employed. Building my business from the ground up showcases all of my hard work, creativity, and dedication revealing that it all did matter. It’s a testament to my skills, knowledge, and passion for the beauty/nail industry! I can not wait to see where else this journey may lead me.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

Have you ever heard of the old school saying of “by word of mouth?”
That is the most effective strategy for growing clientele I have till the day. I always thought “well you have to have clients for that”, and that is far from the truth. By promoting your business on your T-shirt and someone asking what is that brand, that is a form of word of mouth, whether it’s from your self or your clients, friends etc.
For example, i recently went into my dentist office for an appointment and one of the employees complimented my nails. I then told her I do them and own a shop down the street, gave her my info and went on about my day. A few days later, I have gotten 2 new clients from that lady , just by communicating the type of value I provide in my services.
Another strategy is of course promoting online. That is another major component in new clients finding me. I always ask my new clients the same question, “how did you find me?” One of the main answers is through Instagram Hashtags. Just by putting a few hashtags describing what you do and where you are located can take you far. Try it on your next couple of posts captions.

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

As you read previously, I have been doing nails almost 5 years professionally. I started practicing nails in 2017/2018 on myself and friends. Once I started thinking okay I can capitalize off of this trade, I started researching. I looked high and low for the easiest way to transition from doing this for free for my friends to actually making real money from strangers. The best I can explain is get to a place where you are confident in your work and service before starting to charge high for clients. I would never recommend doing any service for free, not even for practice. This is because people get use to that “free” price and may even take advantage of you. I would recommend charging something small, like a product fee. It may not be much, but it lays a good boundary with you and your clients that you want to maintain when it comes to providing services for long term goal.
Once I started getting better at my craft, I started charging my worth. That may be hard to go up on pricing, but you need to take in this isn’t just a hustle anymore, this is your livelihood. This is what makes the bills paid and your belly full. Effective communication to your clients will help make the change smooth. You can explain the truth of why you are up charging .. you want this as a full time career. More people than not will respect that of you !
Another challenge you might face is the backend of this business you are building. It is essential to understand your profits vs loss as this is how you will become a profitable business. Balance your expenses to your income in a healthy way so your business can grow and a profit can be made. The goal is to start managing spending efficiently so you can be sustainable.

Good luck to those who are starting something new .. don’t give up!
God Bless

Contact Info:

• Website: https://xosamnails.as.me/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/x.osam?igsh=MTU1b3FxN3JtNzY0cg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Other: Tik tok:

  https://www.tiktok.com/@x.osam?_t=8q8xKcJVX2s&_r=1