The nail industry, similar to most industries, over the past two years has changed due to COVID-19. COVID-19 allowed many people to have additional time to develop new hobbies including in the nail industry. In fact, numerous at-home nail technicians plan to take their skills to a professional level due to the aftermath of the pandemic leaving hundreds of nail technicians with newfound clients, who continue to return to them long after nail salons were back in business.
Before the pandemic, it was common to go to a local nail salon and get your manicure and pedicure done. This was true for Mya Bailey, a sophomore biology student from Rialto, California. However, the shift caused by the pandemic allowed her to build her own business. Bailey is the CEO of “Mya Nailed It.” She has built her talent throughout her time at Southern University.
When asked about the origin of her business name, she explained that she was inspired by a salon she saw in the past and put her unique twist on the name. Bailey’s nail journey began in September 2021, and she continues to improve daily. Mya explained that initially she wanted to learn how to do her own nails, but figured it would be easier to practice on other people.
The residents of her freshman dorm S.V. Totty Hall became regular customers. From the clientele she built in Totty, she was able to expand to a campus-wide business. You may have seen her colorful and unique designs on your social media feed. The number of clients she had per week continued to rise over the course of a year due to the power of self-advertisement. The idea of creating her own schedule as a college student was very important because she has managed her business and education at a balanced rate. Doing nails on campus has allowed her to improve her social skills and meet more members of the Bluff. Currently, she is located in the Cadence apartments over the hump.
Bailey’s services include full-set acrylic nails, full-set acrylic toenails, gel manicures, and she also creates custom press-on nails.
Mya’s aspiration in a few years is to graduate undergrad and move on to medical school. During medical school, she plans to continue to pursue her career as a nail tech as a side job.
Mya mentioned some advice to anyone who would like to embark on their nail journey by saying, “Just do it’’! The number of supplies needed to get started can be costly, so she advised that you are prepared to make purchases to improve your business. Mya highlighted that there will be a large amount of patience needed and the understanding that building a nail career is an investment in itself. Rushing can cause the quality of your work to become depleted, so she suggested taking your time with the process. Customer service was a skill she had to learn in terms of communicating with clients as she works on their nails. Some clients are not as social as others, so she has learned how to discern how to merge with different personalities.
What separates Maya’s business from others is her reasonable prices, professionalism, and the people-friendly environment she brings to her clients. Be sure to follow her on IG
@myanaileditt_.
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Inside the life of a CEO
February 7, 2023
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