#BeKind: why & how you should support fellow nail techs

Nail tech & salon owner, Karen M Brown, shares her creativity and wisdom in a series for Scratch…

Based in Scotland, Karen co-owns (with her sister) Sanctuary in the City; two multi-award-winning salon destinations. The duo also owns training academy, NABTA UK, and provides nail and beauty education across the UK.

Karen co-founded nail brand, Gelica, with fellow Scottish tech, Sammy McDonald, and the brand provides a vast range of nail products for professionals. 

Hey nail queens & kings!

I have been a nail technician for 15 years and an educator for six years, having commenced my journey with Crystal Nails before moving to NSI. I have since written my own L&P acrylic nail manual and train for NABTA UK.

Being an educator is so rewarding, but I don’t just help students in the classroom. Nail techs from all over come to me to have their nails done, and we get to chat about the industry. Sometimes, you have to think past making money and appreciate fellow professionals – and offer support.

Your time and help doesn’t have to cost money. I have techs that message me on a weekly basis to ask for advice, whether it involves opening their own salon or it’s a question about the colour of acrylic powder they should use for a set of nails. It might not be what everyone else thinks, but my opinion or nail techniques might help a fellow nail tech on their journey.

I love seeing nail techs use what they have learned from me in their nail styles and I love even more when they are inspired by me.

This industry – like many – can have dark points, but we need to help each other and be proud of ourselves, too.

I think that social media and what we do on our own media platforms shows who we are, and we need to make sure that we don’t promote negativity towards each other. Let’s make sure we fix each other’s crowns; we are all individual nail techs and taking inspiration from each other is a great thing, not a negative.

Use your own skills and build on what your great at. Everyone is at different time in their education and career, so don’t compare yourself to anyone else, you are amazing in your own right! Remind yourself of how far you have come, and remember that education is key.

I have been honoured in the past few years to have worked with and met some of the industry’s best, and I have been inspired by them too. After speaking with another salon tech, Lizzie Anderson of Nail Couture Stirling, she too expressed how disheartening it can be to see a set of nails you have created being duplicated by another tech without recognition.

Give credit where credit is due. Everyone loves to see that they have inspired someone!

And remember – don’t be limited, be limitless.

Follow Karen on Facebook and Instagram