Today we’d like to introduce you to Rasheedah H. Muhammad.
Rasheedah, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I am originally from Buffalo, New York or Western New York but I moved to Atlanta in 2018. This journey as a nail technician, for me, is lifelong. As a child, I had this fascination with nail polish and seeing my mother and aunts get their nails done. I grew accustomed to Saturday mornings being spent all day in the salon and I began to love the smell of monomer (used to bind acrylic powder) and the energy in the salon. At six years old, I was first inspired to become a nail technician by a woman named Miss Debbie, who lived at the end of my street. She converted the sunroom of her home into a nail salon where she would service 2-3 clients per day. Miss Debbie was always on her porch air drying her nails and watching over me and her son as we played. I can remember her home smelling like the traditional nail salon and I knew that this was something that I wanted to do. Miss Debbie looked like me and I was inspired by her art. After that day, I began asking my parents for nail polish and glitter sets so that I could practice on myself or on my baby dolls. The ToysR’us Christmas catalogs would have a few items circled each year and of those items, a nail set was one of them.
By the time I was a teenager, I was so good at manicures and French tips that I was often asked if I did nails professionally. In college, I did nails to earn money until my junior year. I began to question if college was for me. I attended Daemen College in Amherst, New York and developed cold feet about my major and if the path of Business Administration would be worth it. During the spring semester, I took a leave of absence and enrolled in trade school at Erie 1 Boces Harkness Workforce Center in Cheektowaga, New York studying Nail Technology. I’d known how to take care of the cosmetic aspect of nails but I needed to understand bacteria, fungi, the anatomy of the nail, proper sanitation and sterilization measures, business practices, and state regulations. There was much more to doing nails than just painting them with polish. Upon completing the required 250 credit hours, I had a conversation with my father who, in his own way, was trying to look out for me. He asked me if I would be going back to finish my degree and made a comment about me wasting away my time. I couldn’t remember his exact words but I do remember crying after our conversation.
The following year, I was a licensed nail technician, having completed 250 credit hours and two state board exams. I enrolled back in school and began working full-time at The Nailary, a nail salon near downtown Buffalo. At this salon, I certainly cut my teeth on how the industry works. There were so many obstacles I faced which made me stronger. As a newbie, the first few months were difficult because I was on hourly wages due to not having any clientele yet. Clients refused to sit in my chair because I wasn’t as fast as the other nail tech’s yet. That changed with one client taking a chance on me and allowing me to do her acrylic fill-in and a nail art design which was the start of one of the greatest professional journeys. After that moment my clientele grew.
I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in 2014 and continued working in the salon because it was generating more money than any entry-level position that I interviewed with for stability. Four years later, I decided to relocate to Atlanta, GA. As a working nail technician, I was moving to a new state with six years of salon experience. One thing I researched about a professional nail technician license was the transfer process. New York and Georgia do not carry reciprocity in the field of nail technology, meaning that I would not be able to transfer my professional license. Georgia requires 525 credit hours in order to be a licensed professional in the field of nail technology where New York only requires 250. I was short by 275 credit hours and refused to go back to school after working in a salon for four years, remaining in good professional standing, and having a college degree. I felt a little defeated but took a leap of faith and gathered all of my supporting documents to send to the Secretary of State Licensing Division. I was granted my professional license in the state of Georgia and began interviewing.
The first salon I interviewed at was located in Smyrna, GA but closed three months after I relocated. In order to stay afloat, I took a position as a substitute teacher until I interviewed with another salon also located in Smyrna, GA. I had a good feeling about this salon because I did a little research before the interview and saw the 4.5-star rating on Google and the family-oriented team of nail techs. I interviewed at Cocanails Upscale Salon and did a pedicure demo for the owner. We agreed on a schedule and my interview turned into my first day of work. I have been with the salon ever since and recently celebrated one year as their lead nail technician. At the beginning of this year, I started a blog “Confessions of A Nail Tech,” where I am sharing my experiences as a nail technician and giving advice on salon related topics.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Absolutely not. The struggles along the way seemed like speed bumps while running late and trying to arrive on time someplace. In this 8.36 billion dollar industry, the trends and clients can be fickle and you must always stay abreast on what is trendy. You must also learn to find a balance between speed and quality when providing professional salon services. I can remember when I first started doing nails that my speed wasn’t meeting the 45-minute allotted time for a full set of acrylic nails. It used to take me anywhere from 1-hour to two and a half hours to complete. I worked in a fast paced environment so the pressure to keep up was on. I could feel the glares from the clients waiting to be serviced and my hands would start to shake as I listened to the client that I was working on beginning to grow angst. Once I focused and got my timing down to 45 minutes and eventually a half hour, the slow season came and the money began to come in slower. There were a few financial hardships along the way but it forced me to help budget my money throughout the year.
The best advice I could give to someone just starting out is to have patience and be steadfast. This industry is ever-changing and ever-growing. The reward afterwards is the experience and wisdom to pass down to the next budding nail tech. I would also say not to take things personally. Everyone has a certain touch that will soothe a certain client.
Please tell us more about what you do, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
I do acrylic, gel, designs, gem work, dip powder, tutorials, and blog about my salon experiences. I specialize in dip powder nails because they are more convenient and odorless. They aren’t as harsh on the natural nail as some enhancements and promote nail growth. Sections of my blog and tutorials give a detailed overview of the application and removal processes of the dip powder nail system.
As a brand and service provider, I am most proud of the relationships that I am building along the way. Recently, I connected with a photographer about a possible creative collaboration. I enjoy networking and problem-solving. If I notice a void in the beauty industry I attempt to fill it. For example, what prompted me to reach out to the photographer was an editing clip I saw from another photographer, where he was photoshopping a model’s chipped nail polish to fix the imperfection. I thought to myself, “why not have a nail technician on the talent’s wardrobe team?”
What sets me apart from others is my drive. I am naturally curious and willing to lend a helping hand or word of encouragement. Also, even now, with seven years of experience, I still understand the value in doing something for the experience and not always the compensation.
So much of the media coverage is focused on the challenges facing women today, but what about the opportunities? Do you feel there are any opportunities that women are particularly well positioned for?
Absolutely, women are positioned for any and every opportunity, especially now. This generation of women is redefining gender patterns. I’ll be honest, whenever I see a woman in a job that is typically dominated by men, I find myself chanting, “you go girl!” Because times are certainly changing and I believe that it’s a wonderful thing that women are now embracing and owning their power, their strengths, and most of all their potential.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://confessionsofanailtechblog.wordpress.com/
- Email: nailsbyrah@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nailsbyrah/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nailsbyrah
Getting in touch: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
