Confessions Of A Nail Tech

The nail tech community reaches millions every day and is a multi-billion dollar industry in its own right. We provide you with countless tutorials, product reviews, and funny bits throughout the day to keep both you and us going. As a nail tech, we are more than your manicurist and pedicurist. Bonds are formed and we become family, celebrating milestones, celebrations, and all of life's twists and turns. On this journey, it is important to find and have a community of professionals to help carry us through, supporting our ventures and continuing education. In this episode, I share anecdotes and advice regarding how to find and/or start a community of supporters and professionals on your nail tech and nail care journey. 

Follow the conversation on Twitter, IG, and YouTube:

@NailsByRah 

www.confessionsofanailtechblog.wordpress.com 

Hey Good People, these are things I wish I knew before jumping into the business. I share a sample budget that helped me stay afloat while working in the salon even during a slow season. You don’t want to miss this episode! Follow me on IG: @nailsbyrah Subscribe to my YouTube Channel: @nailsbyrah

Hey Good People, Not "Just" A Nail Tech is a think piece. Earlier this week, I saw a post by Nailpro Magazine that featured Celina Ryden's story about the struggle of Nail Technology being recognized as a real job. *scoff* The nerve, right? Her story resonated with me so much because I shared a similar experience when deciding to work as a nail technician. Take a listen!

Hey good people! Happy Tuesday! I hope these last couple of weeks have been productive for you as we transition into the last quarter of 2021. I know, right? The year is almost over and we made it through another year and a half of trying to abide by CDC guidelines and then taking risks! (Wear your masks and continue to social distance, please). I also entered into my last year of business school so I am equally excited about what is to come for Nails by Rah and Confessions of a Nail Tech. Speaking of which, I did some research on my most listened to the episode and the number of subscribers and follows that I have gained since I started this podcast last year and I am truly amazed! I cannot express enough gratitude for you all because again, without listeners, I’m just another professional with a podcast, so thank you! After doing some research I found that the most listened-to episode was Episode 5 from Season 2, “Why is my Full-set So expensive?” You all must really like this one! I wanted to do an episode to recap on the way to work the price into your service without setting off your clients. We learned in that episode that you must set your price and do not bend the rules. Yes, we are here to provide nail services, but we are also here to make a profit. 

Books that I mentioned in this episode were:

Woman Evolve - Sarah Jakes Roberts

Year of Yes - Shonda Rhimes

Nice Girls Don't Get Rich - Lois P. Frankel, Ph.D

Jazz - Toni Morrison 

Follow me on Socials:

Twitter: @NailsByRah

Instagram: @NailsByRah

YouTube: @NailsByRah

Blog: www.confessionsofanailtechblog.wordpress.com 

Happy New Year! I feel it's appropriate to say until the end of January.  In this episode, we dive deep into what we want for 2021. I think 2020 put a lot of things into perspective for us and turned us into survivors. We survived a pandemic! Yes, the nail salon survived a pandemic! If the year didn't kill you then it certainly made you stronger.  Support this podcast with a small monthly donation to help sustain future episodes. https://anchor.fm/nails-by-rah/support

Hey Good People, Happy Tuesday! Welcome in November! This is a new month with new opportunities and NO NONsense. You know, I’ve been seeing a lot of memes and things on my timeline about learning how to say “NO” in November to keep your sanity. I agree, there are a lot of things we have to learn to say no to, am I right? So in this “No” November, I am saying NO to candy, alcohol, and people with ill intentions (especially the folks who think nail techs should price match services, but that’s for a later episode). What are you saying NO to this season? Speaking of which things have slowed down as we near the end of 2020! It doesn't really mean much because 2021 and 2022 are looking about the same until we get a handle on this coronavirus, however, we have reached a slow season in the salon, what do you do when this happens? Support this podcast with a small monthly donation to help sustain future episodes. https://anchor.fm/nails-by-rah/support

Mentions:

VeenailedIt VLog: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2I7Ow1IFMc 

You know it’s time to leave a place of employment when you start to feel undervalued, even after making your concerns known with the person in charge. If you have listened to season 1, my first episode is dedicated to “Knowing your Worth” where I talk at length about setting your price and understanding the value that you bring to the salon. Yes, even my students who just became licensed bring value to a salon. So, you must know what when you start to feel undervalued that it is time to part ways. I’m not saying to up and quit, I’ve done that before too. What I’m saying is to have a plan for your life after leaving the salon.  Support this podcast with a small monthly donation to help sustain future episodes. https://anchor.fm/nails-by-rah/support

Follow me on Social Media:

IG @Nailsbyrah
Twitter: @Nailsbyrah
Youtube: @nailsbyrah
Teespring for Nail-Tech shirts and Masks: https://teespring.com/stores/nailsbyrah 

Annnnnnnnd we're back! Season 2 is near and dear to my heart because we really get into the nitty gritty of salon life and, in my case, life after the salon. Yes, there is a life after the salon. I wanted to start season 2 with a survival guide to set the tone for the season. So many things have happened since our break for the summer and i'm here as your guide through the COVID-19 crisis and everything else that is going on. How've you been? 

You may now buy your "Confessions of A Nail Tech" t-shirts and masks on my teespring store https://teespring.com/stores/nailsbyrah and be sure to follow me on all social media (Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook) @nailsbyrah. Tune in at 8:00pm EST #ConfessionsOfANailTech 

Support this podcast with a small monthly donation to help sustain future episodes. https://anchor.fm/nails-by-rah/support

Hello Good People! I appreciate you all for tuning into Season 1 of Confessions of a Nail Tech Podcast. As promised, this is a recap and the final episode for this season, so I wanted to make this one count! This journey has truly been amazing and I thank you all for listening, contributing to my topics, and finding me on social media platforms, and engaging with me on my topics there as well. Also as promised, below are the links to my YouTube channel, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Teespring to shop for your Confessions of a Nail Tech Podcast face masks and t-shirts. 

Support this podcast with a small monthly donation to help sustain future episodes. https://anchor.fm/nails-by-rah/support

I truly do appreciate your support and I am super thankful for all who are here and those to come! Youtube Channel: https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCs8QKEKB3WfsTF0KCqsb11Q. Instagram: www.instagram.com/nailsbyrah Twitter: www.twitter.com/nailsbyrah Facebook: https://www.Facebook.com/nailsbyrah Teespring: www.teespring.com/stores/nailsbyrah Blog: www.confessiinsofanailtechblog.wordpress.com

Happy Tuesday everybody! I have more good news to share! I’ve been accepted into the graduate program at Clark Atlanta University and will be pursuing my Master's degree in Business Administration this fall! Some wonderful, wonderful things are in the works for me moving forward. With that being said, I have hit the ground running in search of scholarships and grants for advanced degrees and I came across a scholarship for entrepreneur’s where I had to answer a question in either video form or essay. There was a two-part question which were, “What are some challenges that entrepreneur’s face? How are you overcoming these challenges?” Of course, I answered in video form, it’s on my Youtube channel,” Nails By Rah,” and my answer was almost second nature because earlier last week I had to make a PSA about pricing for nail services. This came after I saw a long status on Facebook about the refusal to support certain nail salons that charge more than $25 for a full set of acrylic nails. Prior to that, I had heard a lot of complaints about nail salon prices and the way nail tech’s charge for their services in recent times. Immediately I thought about how discouraging it could be for a budding nail technician to see these kinds of complaints and begin to sell themselves short in pricing. I felt the need to defend the rising cost of services and this episode, is dedicated to determining your price… Support this podcast with a small monthly donation to help sustain future episodes. https://anchor.fm/nails-by-rah/support 

Self-care is important because, as cliché, as it may sound, you cannot pour from an empty cup. As beauty professionals, we give so much of ourselves to our craft that there are times that we forget about ourselves. For example, the salon was so busy one summer that I was unable to do my own nails. They’d grown out so badly that a client showed some concern. She said to me, “Now, I don’t go to a hairdresser whose hair is a mess, so *looks at my nails*, what’s going on Ms. Rasheedah?” Although I was embarrassed, it was a quick reminder that I had to start making time for myself.

This year, I started a routine after work. I decided to light candles, pour a cup of wine or tea (depending on the workday), and sit in silence until my cup was empty. That’s right, no phone calls, texts, e-mails, social media, nothing, pure silence. For a while, it worked, and I was able to shower and go to bed without feeling the weight of tomorrow on my shoulders, and guess what, it felt good!

Support this podcast with a small monthly donation to help sustain future episodes. https://anchor.fm/nails-by-rah/support

Follow me on Social Media:

Facebook: https://www.Facebook.com/nailsbyrah

Instagram: @nailsbyrah

Blog: www.confessionsofanailtech.wordpress.com

E-Mail: nailsbyrah@gmail.com

Hey good people! Nails by Rah here, did you miss me? How’s it going? No really, how’s it going? I love hearing from you. In fact! I’ve been getting wonderful feedback from my listener’s and you all are so appreciated! Again, when I started the Confessions of a Nail Tech Podcast, I had no rhyme or reason, I just knew I had some salon stories that needed to be shared if people listened, I was grateful.  I want to give a huge shoutout to Gloria! She reached out to me over the break to catch up on some episodes and inquired about live listenership. We took a break with the confessions last week for the holidays. My birthday weekend and memorial day. I had a staycation and it was amazing. By the time Tuesday came around, I said, “uh oh, well, we’ll just take a break, you work hard kid!” But welcome back! I’m glad you’re here and before we jump into today's episode, be sure to follow me across all social media platforms @nailsbyrah and visit the confessionsofanailtechblog.wordpress.com to keep up. I’m usually doing nails or giving shoutouts to my nail tech friends, hey y’all! I appreciate ya! Follow: @nailtique716 on IG Support this podcast with a small monthly donation to help sustain future episodes. https://anchor.fm/nails-by-rah/support

Hey Good People! This is a special episode because this episode shares a week with my birthday! (Cashapp $ppbny) However, on a more serious note, I wanted to address ways to survive being a nail salon employee while still surviving during the shutdown. In the wake of salons and states opening up in phases, I wanted to share some tips that I followed, and saw other nail salon professionals follow to stay afloat financially. Be sure to like and share this podcast because it is bound to help somebody. In this episode I do mention a nail salon owner who also sells press on nails alongside other merchandise on her website. Follow the link below: www.dazzlingbeautynails.com Support this podcast with a small monthly donation to help sustain future episodes. https://anchor.fm/nails-by-rah/support 

As you know, I was originally licensed in New York State however I relocated to Georgia. In the state of Georgia, you are required to complete 525 credit hours of nail technology courses. I almost fell out when I learned this because I was required to only complete 250 credit hours in New York State. If you know me, then you know that I research everything until my brain explodes before I spend money on anything and sign my name anywhere. So, as I looked for answers on how to transfer my professional license, I became overwhelmed. I learned that New York and Georgia do not have active reciprocity in place and that I may potentially have to go back to school even after being licensed and practicing now for four years (so I thought). I read that one woman had to go back to school once she got to Georgia after being licensed previously in another state. My determination kicked in and I refused to move without another source of income. Here’s what I did, and if you happen to be a practicing nail technician from the State of New York who is relocating to the State of Georgia. Support this podcast with a small monthly donation to help sustain future episodes. https://anchor.fm/nails-by-rah/support 

Hey Good People! Episode 3 is dedicated to the Top 10 nightmares of every nail tech. Number 1 probably isn't the most shocking but it is certainly the most comical. Tune in to hear more!  Support this podcast with a small monthly donation to help sustain future episodes. https://anchor.fm/nails-by-rah/support 

In the meantime, follow me on social media @nailsbyrah 

Hey Good People, Nails by Rah here! Marketing yourself as a salon professional is one of the many moving parts in being a nail technician. This takes a lot of work and having a strong marketing strategy is helpful. Tune in! Support this podcast with a small monthly donation to help sustain future episodes. https://anchor.fm/nails-by-rah/support 

Hey Good People! Welcome to the Confessions of A Nail Tech Podcast! Tonight I want to start off light with the importance of "Knowing Your Worth," in the nail industry. This can be a slippery slope, especially if you are not honest with yourself about your craft and abilities. No fear, I'm here to help! Listen up, listen good! If you are a nail technician with experience, incredible work ethic, skill, and wonderful customer service you should NEVER make less than$25,000/ yr. I'm going to tell you why... Support this podcast with a small monthly donation to help sustain future episodes. https://anchor.fm/nails-by-rah/support