Hi Curyana, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Hello, my name is Curyana Leatham, Owner of Yana’s Glam Shop. I have always had a passion for nails. I remember in middle school always asking my older sister or mother to buy me cheap nail kits so I could practice. I never wanted press on nails, instead, I wanted the DIY kits so I could practice doing them myself! Of course, I didn’t know what I was doing, and they would pop off a couple of hours later, but I was practicing. I even started practicing with some of my friends in middle school just for fun after getting the nail kits. When I entered High School, I still had a passion for doing nails, though I started getting my nails done at a salon instead of doing them myself because I started working at chipotle my 10th-grade year and could actually afford to get my nails done.
However, I noticed every time I went to the salon, I left angry and disappointed because the shape was never to my liking. I always had to go back home and reshape them myself if I had time. Fast forward to my 12th-grade year, I got pregnant. I knew college was not for me years before I got pregnant, but I didn’t know what I was going to do after High School. I also knew working at Chipotle was not a long-term plan for me. At the end of my senior year, I had my beautiful baby girl a couple of weeks before graduation day. I couldn’t physically walk due to the fact I had a c-section, but a few of my friends hired me to do their graduation makeup and I accepted the work. I had a few clients that contacted me to do their make-up beyond graduation and I also obtained a professional certification to do lashes, however, over a short period of time, I came to the realization that make-up and lashes were not for me! I discontinued pursuing these two services and went to work at Chipotle part-time and I started a job as a call center representative to generate income.
A couple of weeks into my life post-high school, I had postpartum depression and I also got diagnosed with pancreatitis. This led to frequent trips to the hospital. During Thanksgiving of 2019, I had a Pancreatic attack which almost caused me to die. I spent my daughters; first Christmas and New Year’s recovering in the hospital. I didn’t get out of the hospital until the beginning of January. While in the hospital, I had a lot of time to think about my future and I knew I did not want to work for someone for the rest of my life. I started watching nail videos online to increase my knowledge. After speaking to a friend about the idea of starting my own business, I began to have bad anxiety because of the discouragement I faced. Towards the end of January, I got my nails done by a black nail tech for the first time and I said to myself, I can do this. The nail tech motivated me to start my business; she shared her story, and I felt her motivation. It reminded me of a younger version of myself. I just had to push myself and step out of my comfort zone!
For my birthday, my sister spent almost $500 on supplies and items for me to start my own business. She was the only one that pushed me and invested in me to start doing something I love to do! Even though I did not start practicing until around April when I started doing sets on my practice hand. I then decided to take a nail class in May, which was a complete waste of money. I came out of the class with the same knowledge I had before about nails, nothing more and nothing less. Everything the nail tech gave me was cheap and I couldn’t use those items on my clients. I was definitely disappointed after the class but I was not discouraged. I started taking clients for $25 and I had a lot of people support me which motivated even more. I had one client who paid me $100 when I was charging $25 two weeks in for me starting nails. I would sit there for 6-7 hours on one client because I am going to make sure that they were satisfied with my services. I spend my days working on getting better at my craft. I’m not doing this for the money. This is what I truly love to do. Currently, Yana's Glam Shop is going great and continuously working on building and taking care of my clientele!
Alright, 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?
It definitely has not been a completely smooth road. Being a nail tech is extremely expensive! In the beginning, I was not making a profit because I reinvested the money I made directly back into buying more nail supplies. However, as expected, when you try to do something rewarding in life, it comes with its share of challenges. I never let those moments set me back; I always push forward to accomplish my dreams.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a home-based nail tech. I specialize in colored acrylic full sets with top-notch service. I am most proud of my courage to start my own business at a time when stepping out of my comfort zone caused a great deal of anxiety. I really love what I do.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
People can support me by being my model and allowing me to practice new set ideas I have on them. Also, promoting and supporting my business through referrals. Later in the future, I do want to work with other nail techs and expand my marketing strategies to include tours and classes.
Pricing:
- Short Full Set Starts at $35+
- Medium Full Set: $40
- Long Full Sets Starts at $45+
- Extra Long Full Sets Starts at $50+
Contact Info:
- Email: Curyanamerci@gmail.com
- Website: https://yanasglamshopbooking.as.me/
Image Credits
The Confident Photo
