Everyday we hear from people that really want to flip the script on their lives and jump into the nail business. It just so happens that it’s one of our favorite topics to discuss. In this edition of the Biz Talk, we chat up Merna The Mermaid, the incredible nail artist and LA Local (aka Merna Zendejas aka @siic_glam on Instagram). Merna shares her journey from hating nail salons as a kid to the joy of unexpectedly finding artistic and financial freedom within the nail industry. She also lets us in on how a little social media tweak transformed her career from something kind of steady to something super sick.
This One’s For My Mom
To be blunt, growing up I hated the nail salon. I used to get dragged
there all the time as a kid when people were supposed to be
“babysitting” me. I worked in a grocery store when I was 18 or 19, when
my mom gave me the ultimatum: Start paying rent now or go to school. I
was already into dying my hair blue. So I decided to go to cosmetology
school for hair to learn how to do it right and basically get my mom off
my back.
Partners & Mentors
My intention was never to do nails. At cosmetology school, I partnered
with a friend who got me through the nail part and I got her through
hair so we could pass the State Board Exam. Little by little, I realized
that I had more patience and passion for nails. It’s ironic, now. When I
first got my license, ten years ago, nail art wasn’t a thing. My first
job out was all about clean manicures or French Tips. All I did was
basic manicures and pedicures. I worked in a couple nail salons and it
wasn’t great. But starting out in the business at 22, I asked for help
from all the other booth renters who happened to be older than me. Even
though they were hesitant to help a new person, I was grateful to learn
from them the right way to work and especially learning how to do nails
on mixed ages, skin types, and using different products. The most
valuable thing was when a mentor planted the idea in my brain “Don’t
work for someone your entire life”. She also told me, “Once you’re on
your own, you’re going to love this industry.” Today, that’s totally
true.
Commission, First
Working on commission is maybe one of the most humbling experiences
because you are not guaranteed any money that day. You just don’t know
if you’re even going to make a hundred dollars. Again this was ten years
ago and there wasn’t social media. Finding clients was word of mouth. I
had to hustle and get my friends in. Yeah, it’s a good place to start
because you can just focus on the nails. But it’s also hard to have
someone tell you what to do and when to come in.
Choose Your Vibe.
I once worked in a salon in Beverly Hills and on commission. I learned
another important thing there. I liked what I learned there about nails
but I also learned that certain areas are not for me. I realized that
what I wanted to do; is not necessarily what everyone else might want on
their nails. I found another salon. I worked a couple years there and
finally discovered more of the nail art and the salon vibe that I wanted
to do and be around. I like the vibe of a salon with more leniency. I
liked to work with people that ask you what days you want to work and
that’s what they book for you.
Drawing On Paper Is Overrated
I am a nail artist but I cannot draw on paper. Everyone trips out about
that but it’s true. So don’t ask me to put anything on paper but I can
totally do anything on a nail.
Easy To Get Into But Hard To Stay
The nail industry right now is easy to get into but hard to stay
dedicated and remain passionate to the work. In 2013, everything changed
when I came up with my new name @siic_glam on Instagram. I used to be
Nails by Merna. Nails was just a job for the moment and I was studying
graphic design and photography. My friends and family know my word is
“Sick”. I always use it. It’s a very LA thing. One day I did a set of
nails and the client described them as sick but also glamorous. That’s
when the lightbulb went off. Nails By Merna was very simple and that’s
why @siic_glam the name change blew everything up for me; and let me
show a different side of me. The same thing goes for Merna The Mermaid.
My hair has been blue forever and all my clients always bought me little
mermaid or purple gifts. It kind of fell and stuck. My colleagues
called me “MernMaid”. So when I asked a client to work on a logo for me,
she naturally went to a mermaid.
Hectic And Humbling
What’s the journey been like? It’s been hectic and humbling experience.
Getting to know people and the industry and even doing this interview.
You realize how far you’ve come and that people notice you without even
“knowing” you. I appreciate the DMs and the love, telling me that I’m
great and hoping to book an appointment. Since 2016, I’ve been booked
solid. My books are closed and I can’t take any new clients. I’m booked a
month out in advance.
Where Great Nails and Nail Art Fail
Client retention matters. You can do great nails and great art but if
you don’t have social/customer service skills, people won’t return. So
you maybe you have the social media following but you have to make it
into a career. Most people fail to realize that. If your social skills
and customer service skills don’t line up with your art skills it’s
going to hard. I have clients who were with me when I couldn’t do
anything in nails. Now they are still with me and paying the higher
prices. It’s about the journey, communication, attention, and good
service. Your personality makes a big difference and it matters how well
you handle the issues when they come up.
Don’t Do It If You’re Not Ready
If somebody new comes and asks if I should get into a career in nails, I
always tell them the same thing, don’t do it if you’re not ready. I
live videos about it all the time on Instagram. Don’t do it if you’re
not ready to dedicate yourself to the process. You still have to go to
school. You still have to complete hours and pass the State Board Exam.
You still have to find someone to hire you. It’s more of a process than
you think. It’s not an instant (clients and income) after you get your
license. See if you have the patience for it. Practice on your family
because they won’t judge you. I told my family, I’ll do whatever you
want if you buy the products to do it.
It took awhile for the business to pick up momentum. In 2015, I moved
out on my own. I had clients who already knew me through client
referral. I could just pay for my car and rent. A year later, I was
still learning about how to run a business. I had to figure out how to
buy all the products and tools that clients wanted. It was hard but it
happened that I got to take a trip to Japan with some friends. So I went
and stocked up on amazing things. Nails in LA versus nails in Japan are
totally different. Then things started falling into place. I learned
time management and how to separate my books and making my time for
personal life. You need a day off. You can’t squeeze in another
appointment. It’s unrealistic for your own down time. Finally in 2017, I
had all my regular clients set. I know what I am doing. I scheduled out
my life for the entire year and the time off. I changed my prices and
cut back my hours.
Then I realized, who really wanted to stay and who was just coming, just
to come. Those are the ones that are hard to work with. Again, it’s a
learning experience and you learn what kind of vibe you want to surround
yourself with. You don’t know if people are going to demean your prices
especially around you nail art with them not valuing your art, your
experience and your hard-earned skill. So now I have a private studio
set up and it means that I can do what I want and my clients get that
one-on-one experience.
Passion is not enough.
It takes time to build and it won’t happen overnight. It’s a process.
Try out different places to work and then find a way to settle into a
studio of your own. You have understand that a career takes a lot of
time to become real. Roll with it and manage your expectations of how
quickly things get off the ground. Passion makes it easier to take the
punches. If you don’t love what you’re doing, it’s going to be tough. Be
prepared to take your time with it.
This is an adaption from our Young Nails Biz Talk “Is Doing Nails The
Career For You?” playlist on YouTube. Click here to watch the interview
in its entirety: