Today’s nail technicians are taking the art of beauty to another level by providing quality customer care and professional knowledge to everyone who sits in their chair. From someone who has been disappointed countless times by my local salon shop, it is refreshing to see those newly acquired artists such as the one featured today is taking the time out to perfect the craft of nail art.
Between working two jobs, and smoothing out the kinks within her personal life, “Glam Nails by Jeanell” is making a statement in the industry one nail bud at a time.
- Where are you from and what do you currently do for a living?
Glam Nails By Jeanell: I am from Philadelphia, PA, and I am currently a licensed PA Nail Technician and administrative agent for an airline.
- Are you happy with your current job title, could you do your job for the rest of your life without getting bored? If not, what would you’d rather be doing?
GNBJ: I am happy with my current job title, but I am not content. I always look at my life and accomplishments in a very critical way. I feel that there is always room for improvement, regardless of how well people think or perceive that I am doing. I will always enjoy nails, but I love to travel as well, so I am looking forward to incorporating travel with nail opportunities.
- What’s stopping you?
GNBJ: Beginner blues and bills I feel are the only things that are slowing me down. I don’t feel it is stopping me because if it were, I wouldn’t be trying at all. I have other business ventures in the works with my significant other, so it gets difficult financially at times. I believe as long as you have a strong support system, your dreams will prevail, no matter how treacherous the journey may seem.
- Do you have any children? If yes, how do you balance work and play? If not, how would having children affect your future plans? Do they fit into your idea of success?
GNBJ: I don’t have any children, but I definitely feel the pressure daily of conceiving. To an extent, family responsibilities and obligations are always a “stick in the road”, but I feel it would be challenging for me.
GNBJ: I’m constantly “on-go” and I’m always moving. I’ve made a promise to myself at a young age that I wouldn’t have children until I am mentally and physically ready. Raising children is a 24/7 job, and I wouldn’t hesitate to give them the world. I would say my one flaw is that no matter how I can multitask physically, it’s difficult for me to do it mentally. When I delve into something new, I devote an enormous amount of my time and energy into.
GNBJ: I would like to take time to learn to balance both so that neither my children or dreams are neglected. Finally, since I don’t define success as just in your career, I believe a healthy functioning family is ideal to success, especially on a personal level.
- What is one of the first things you do when you wake up in the morning? What is the last?
GNBJ: The first I do when I wake up is meditate for a few minutes, and gather myself to begin my day. I also try to remember what I dreamed about. The last thing I do before I go to bed is I try to talk to family and friends, and when my boyfriend gets home, we talk about how each other’s day went.
- Who depends on you?
GNBJ: To be honest, I’m not entirely sure, I try not to think of it because I don’t want to overwhelm myself with other people’s problems.
- Whom do you depend on?
GNBJ: Not to sound narcissistic, but I depend on myself first and foremost. I spend every waking second with myself, and it would be foolish to lack faith in myself and assign dependability; It creates growth in a sense. I try, even though it seems difficult, not to depend on other people because I can never be disappointed in what I expected of them.
GNBJ: I channel my pitfalls into motivation so that I never feel too critical of myself. Self-discipline is an important skill to have when embarking on a career and educational adventures, and I feel it would partially be irresponsible to not hold yourself to a certain standard.
- What recent creative venture have you taken on? Tell us the concept behind this idea, business, etc?
GNBJ: I have recently begun a YouTube channel for my nail business. I intend to create videos, tutorials, reviews about nail products, and the industry entirely. Nail technology is so much more than traveling to your neighborhood salon and receiving sub-par service.
- How would your service or product benefit your customers or people around you?
GNBJ: My services would benefit my clients and peers because I genuinely care about them, and I supply them with quality information to maintain the health of their nails. In my opinion, a huge percentage of nail technology is knowledge. You have to know your products and services so that you may better serve your clients with risky behaviors. It also gives your clients a sense of security when you know your craft and is confident in communicating that information to them.
- What kinds of problems do you face on a day to day basis? How do you normally handle the problems that come your way?
GNBJ: The main problem I face in the nail industry is correcting local norms to the appropriate procedures. I have encountered too many instances where I get clients who’ve had nail technicians in the past that weren’t actually licensed professionals and didn’t possess proper knowledge about sanitation, or the industry entirely. It’s challenging at times to correct bad habits from past techs that didn’t have the slightest idea of what they were doing.
GNBJ: I handle these situations by exchanging conversation and knowledge without nail industry jargon. People want to understand things on their terms and in ways that they can remember. I am mindful to always approach these situations in a relaxed manner, without scolding them for lacking the appropriate information.
- What practices or routines do you do on a daily basis to keep you up in spirits?
GNBJ: To keep me up in my spirits daily, I listen to music, and I allocate time to myself to free my mind. I believe that the body can not live without the mind, so keeping your mind in a consciously healthy state is key. I also take time daily to look at myself in the mirror and recite positive affirmations to myself. Within the past five or so years, self-care has become a top priority of mine, if you haven’t noticed.
- Where do you see yourself/family in 5 years, 10 years, 15 years?
GNBJ: In the next five years, I see myself gaining notoriety in my local community for my skills in the nail industry and meaningful relationships with colleagues. I also see myself getting married, and achieving/expanding the goals that I have established with my significant other. In the next ten years, I plan to move to another region of the country and also build a home abroad. In the next 15 years, I would like to spend those days raising my children, traveling, and expanding upon the foundations that I have created earlier in life.
- Any advice you would give your younger self?
GNBJ: Some advice I would give to my younger self is that time waits for no one. I used to regret the time that I spent in the first half of my early adulthood searching for a purpose in life. I would use the word “should” too much because I planned my life from an early age, and made a promise to myself not to deviate from “the plan”. Life happens, and I say live life, and don’t make room for regrets.
GNBJ: I would also tell myself to not be afraid to live and make mistakes. As humans, at times we hinder ourselves from our true potential, and if we don’t fulfill that potential, we live in regret. I’ve experienced spells where I was depressed and was too embarrassed and ashamed to admit it to anyone, and more importantly myself. I think it’s important to be critical in your decisions, but also not to take yourself too seriously that you don’t get to experience life or try new things.
GNBJ: One final piece of advice I would give to my younger self is to keep a journal for my thoughts and life experiences.
Follow Jeanell on Instagram @glamnailsbyjeanell to book your next appointment!
