Listen up nail community: here’s why you’re not ‘just nail techs’
By Hannah Beth Clayton | 25 September 2025 | Expert Advice, Feature, Tech Talk
Business mentor, Hannah Clayton, shares why there needs to be a shift in the way nail professionals are seen…
Recently, I shared an Instagram post that went viral. It was so simple – about how pros aren’t ‘just nail techs’, yet the response was overwhelming. It received hundreds of comments, shares, reposts and saves from professionals who feel the same way.
The phrase, ‘just a nail tech’, hit a nerve. And I want to talk about it in more detail.
People outside the nail industry often underestimate what we do. They see nails as a hobby or side hustle – not a career with skill, strategy and passion behind it.
The truth is, being a nail technician is far more than painting nails. We are business owners, accountants, therapists, social media managers and customer service advisors.
We juggle stock orders, manage booking systems, deal with last-minute cancellations and still deliver consistent, professional results for every client who sits in our chair. That’s not ‘just’ anything.
The problem is, too many nail techs end up believing that they are ‘just’. You shrink your achievements because you think they don’t measure up to traditional career paths. You apologise for being self-employed, or feel the need to defend your prices, hours and expertise. That’s where I believe the mindset needs to change – not just outside the industry, but inside it too.
When you start recognising the scale of what you do, everything shifts. You stop feeling guilty for setting your prices where they should be. You stop letting clients treat your diary like a free for all. You stop comparing yourself to people in different industries and stand proud of your own.
I’ve been in this industry for ten years, and know firsthand how tough it can be to hold your head high when others try to minimise what you do. But I also know the impact that one small change in language can make. Saying, ‘I’m a business owner, I run my own studio, I manage my own clients’, is very different to saying, ‘I’m just a nail tech’.
Let’s not forget the heart of it all: the way we make people feel. The conversations, the confidence and the safe place we provide. Clients don’t leave with just a set of nails; they leave with a boost of self-love.
Sometimes, they even leave with the kind of pep talk they couldn’t get anywhere else. That’s not ‘just’. That’s blinking wonderful!
So, next time someone tells you you’re ‘just a nail tech’, correct them! Because you and I both know you are an entrepreneur, a creative and a professional with a skillset reaching far beyond what most people realise.
We’re not ‘just’. We never have been. And the sooner we stop saying it to ourselves, the stronger this industry becomes.
If you need an added reminder that you’re capable of anything, I have spaces left to start 1-1 mentoring, where I work with you to form clear business clarity, mindset and boundaries – oh, and growth like you could only imagine!
Just head to www.studiobyhannahbeth.com to find all the information. I’m ready to help you, whenever you need me.
See you next month!
Hannah x
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