Everyone wants to live their best life and be successful in whatever it is they want to do, but the classic office job certainly ain’t for everyone. PEDESTRIAN.TV’s partnered with Victoria Polytechnic to show you that you can still be a mad boss without having to do the whole ~three years of sitting in class before getting an office job that it turns out you hate~ thing, because there might be a cooler career more suited to you and your goals out there. Give ’em a peruse HERE and get ready to live yo’ best life.
Having a flawless manicure is one of those things that can make you feel like you truly have your shit together, elevating your mood with each glance down to your shiny, chipless nails.
You, waking up refreshed and ready for a new day after getting a kick-ass mani.
Over the last few years, nail art has become more than a trend, it’s basically everything. A way to accessorise your outfit, a way to express yourself and your love for whatever it is you’re vibing that week, which can be anything from your fave TV show, to iconic moments in pop culture, to junk food that you’d walk an hour for after a big night on the town.
Aside from all of that? Nail art is also a totally legit profession, these days.
We spoke to Celia Cecchi of the iconic I Scream Nails – located in Melbourne and Sydney – about what it takes to run a boss nail salon, ‘coz as it turns out, it’s less like this…
…and more like being an artist with a tiny canvas that requires a high level of customer service.
“I’ve been working in an office / corporate environment for 20 years, since I was 18. About five years ago, while working for a property development company, I became obsessed with nail art. From there, I noticed a gap in the market so decided to have a shot at it.”
For I Scream Nails, there are three main elements that make up the business, says Celia. The first is the salons, of which there are two, one in Melbourne and one in Sydney, with approximately 30 nail artists in each.
“We have a strong team of nail artists and for us, to have amazing staff that are genuinely friends with each other and get along is amazing.”
The second is events, working with brands all over Australia in pop-up locations.
“We’ve worked on some of the biggest events that Melbourne and Sydney have to offer. This year will be the second year we have been involved in the Australian Open and we have worked on events with VRC (Melbourne Cup Carnival), Westfields all over Australia, Myer, Sportsgirl, Glue Store, Nike, Gorman, Village Cinema, Fox FM – the list goes on and on. We are quite proud of how smoothly our events run and how well organised they are.”
The third is products, which currently include a nail polish line and a collection of nail wraps, which Celia counts as a career highlight.
“A year ago we launched six colours and our collection has grown to 17 so far. We also launched nail wraps which we are really proud of, and last year we launched our own DIY nail art book with Hardie Grant which was pretty exciting.”
Running the business with her partner and boyfriend, Benjamin Johnson, the two do “everything from rostering, to appointment bookings” as well as corporate event bookings and product development.
So what does it take to be an ah-may-zing nail artist?
CREATIVITY
Customers can come in at any time and ask for something cray, so you gotta be ready to work with them and make it happen.
A STRONG WORK ETHIC
Pro-tip: All those intricate, beautiful, detailed designs? They’re the result of hours upon hours of practice. If you wanna crush the nail art game, you gotta work, and work hard.
ADAPTABILITY
If you’re working in a salon that does events and pop-ups, you’re gonna need to learn how to work under pretty much any conditions. Have half the space you normally do? No probs. Blinding lights cramping your style? Work around it, and stay professional about it.
ENTHUSIASM
A no-brainer, really. People don’t want to feel like they’re a burden when they’re treating themselves to a fresh mani, they don’t want to feel hassled or rushed. Slap a smile on ya dial and get to it.
And that brings us to…
CUSTOMER SERVICE SKILLS
Anyone who’s ever worked in retail / hospitality / anything to do with customer service will tell you that this will be one of the hardest parts of your job, but on a good day, it can be one of the most rewarding. Seeing customers leave happy will give you an immense sense of satisfaction, and you can go home feeling like you’ve really improved someone’s day.
But running a successful nail art company isn’t all glam manis and fun. In fact, Celia describes it as “the most challenging thing” she has ever done.
“I thought I would have more time and I thought it would be easier!” she exclaims, noting that she doesn’t even paint nails anymore as all her time is devoted to running and growing the business with her partner Benjamin. “I’ve learnt so much about myself and about people, more than I learnt in the 35 years before I started I Scream Nails.”
“Even if you don’t get the best results at school that you can still go on to create something amazing if you are willing to work hard on something you are passionate about,” Celia says.
As for what’s in store for I Scream Nails in 2016, Celia revealed that there are more products on the way, as well as a relocation of the Melbourne salon.
