'Just' nails

If I had a pound for every time someone had said "Oh....you do nails" or worse still "Oh...you just do nails" I'd have considerably more money than I have now I can tell you.

Use any variation of the above that fits, because first and foremost, I don't just do nails, I am qualified and very good at many other beauty industry services and have a whole host of other skills to boot.

Now if you are reading this and wondering if I have a chip on my shoulder or am super sensitive about this, then I'd really like to say no, but after 30 plus years, who knows? Maybe I do.

What would I say to those people today, when they understand I didn't go to uni, 'just do nails' and used to get referred to as the nail girl by peoples children and other halves as I visited their homes to beautify them, some for many years, but they still couldn't be bothered to learn my name.

Oh yeah, I just do nails, and I do bloody good nails, and if you'd like me to show you my Scratch Stars Services To The (Nail) Industry trophy I'll feel very much better about you looking down your nose at my 'just doing nails'.

So, what is it about this that bothers me? You guessed right, I'm going to tell you!

I have been in the nail and beauty industry for 34 years, and way back then people would say things like " When are you going to get a proper job?" amongst others. The nail industry was much newer back then, and it was actually hard to make a (proper) full time job out of it. The demand wasn't there yet, even though there were actually very few nail techs, there were also very few clients. Nail techs like myself paved the way for the industry to grow in to what it has become, and the thing that gets me about this is I still here nail techs today being asked when they'll get a proper job or why they didn't go to uni.

The thing that winds me up is I'm not sure it's changed, I'm not sure the majority of people see being a nail tech as a credible career choice now.

I think we ( I ) am partly to blame here, it really shows a lack of education and who is better to educate on just what our role entails than us.

I remember a client coming to me for advice. She was mortified her daughter had declared she wanted to be a beauty therapist, she had wanted something better for her, something more. I went on to try to educate that client about the diversity of the role, the never ending possibilities, the flexibility, the continual learning, travel opportunities, progression within various roles, the chemistry and anatomy study required, which all in my opinion makes it a truly credible career. I do thing I made head way but it was one person amongst many.

During my 34 year career (which is not over yet!) I have done extensive training, qualified as an educator, learnt how to run a business from top to bottom, done my own HR, payroll, VAT and tax returns, registered trade marks, edited and set up websites and online shops, negotiated social media and CRM's, booking systems and a whole host more. My role as an educator has seen me travel to the US, South Korea, all over Europe, I have worked with R&D teams designing new launches, presented those new launches to hundreds in seminars, taught thousands of nail techs and beauty therapists, won multiple awards for my salon, education work, and technical skill and most recently worked at management level in a large corporate company. I've also worked with some incredible people and met some of my very best friends along the way.

As 'just' a nail tech, the world is literally your oyster, so if you hear it too, ignore them or educate them, if your child/friend/partner are making career choices then support, encourage, and open your eyes to a whole new world of possibilities.

Imagine where this industry will be in another 34 years and the possibilities for the next generations of nail techs!