Today we’d like to introduce you to Cheilyn Sanchez.
Hi Cheilyn, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I was a waitress/bartender living in Elizabeth, NJ back in 2019. Within that year I had experienced the worst anxiety of my entire life! I was in a toxic relationship, depressed and tired of my job because I really wanted to do something art related after I dropped out of college to be an art teacher, but I didn’t know what. Around that time, I had started doing my own nails because I wanted to start saving money and honestly never liked how the salons did them anyway. I started having friends and customers asking me who did my nails and that encouraged me to start looking into nail schools. Then, Covid hit, and we found out the restaurant was closing down, which made me even more anxious, but then a great friend of mine told me to stop playing games and start going to nail school. I signed up a week later….managed to get into another toxic relationship where I then got pregnant. Trying to find my own strength to keep going, I decided to move to Florida with that partner and family right after I finished school and started working from home with my baby. A year later, I became a single mom and I moved in with my sister. Depression hit again because I had to work two jobs with my son in order to just get by until I finally found an affordable nail studio that would allow me to run my business how I wanted and 2 years later I am still at my own studio, and I’ve never been more grateful and proud of my journey for leading me here today.
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 has not been a smooth road at all and it still is bumpy sometimes especially because I didn’t grow up with a family that knew anything about running a business. My mom came here to the US from Dominican Republic with nothing and met my father who then later became a drug addict/alcoholic. He left the picture when I was 2 so there wasn’t much I really had to work with. The biggest struggle has been unlearning everything I was taught from money management, communication, time management, not letting other walk all over me..
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a professional nail artist! I specialize in acrylic nails and custom nail art designs. I’m the nail tech you go to when you want something completely out of this world. Whether that is a portrait of your kids face or a sculpture of your favorite animal on all of your nails. These crazy sets can sometimes take up to an entire day to create so I’m known for my also charging higher than most people do in my area. I also do specialize in clean simple nails such as structure gel or acrylic overlays for those who aren’t into all the nail art but the beauty of a sculpted nail.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
The nail industry has grown so much over the past few years and I’m extremely proud to be a part of it. I feel like people have slept on nails being a luxurious service for so long and some of us are finally standing up and demanding our worth. There are so many talented amazing artists who pour their hearts into every set they do and products are not cheap so it’s only right their work gets the respect it deserves. Trends are popping off every day and the fashion industry has been running with it so I’m excited to see it all come together for us!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://clawsydollnails.as.me/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clawsydoll?igsh=emZid2Zsa24wam5x&utm_source=qr
Image Credits
Photographer: Leslie Azevedo Ig: _leslieslens Makeup artist: Amanda Carrasquillo
