One voice – a Staffordshire tech seeks solutions to her industry issues

I’m a nail tech in Newcastle-under-Lyme in Staffordshire and I’m here to turn up my voice and do some straight talking…

Apparently, £8400 is the size of the income gap people with common mental health conditions face. I bring you this fact after reading an email I received from The Money and Mental Health Policy Institute.

Why am I telling you this? Let me paint a picture…I’m sitting with a coffee and my fresh copy Scratch magazine, that’s literally just hit the door mat. It’s beautiful and fills me with excitement, hope and intrigue.

Then it hits me… sheer overwhelming paralysis as I decide…

• I am not good enough.

• I will never be successful.

• I will never have my work recognised.

• The industry is saturated, so there’s no room for me.

• And which is the best brand to use?

So, there you have it, the enjoyment is gone. Kaput.

Maybe I’m wrong to expect Scratch magazine to be a nurturing arm around my shoulder, to guide me in my purchases and inform me of my industry. Please don’t get me wrong, it does do that, but now there are a million brands, a million ambassadors, a million educators, nail schools and so much information to navigate. In times gone by, I would look to Scratch for guidance – now I haven’t a clue how to navigate the advertising.

Please let me introduce myself, I’m a subscriber, a nail tech and small business owner. I go by the name:@missbrinnynailartist.

In a world where I’ve struggled to fit in, I’ve now found my place, niche in life, and its holding hands and painting nails. Plain nails, long nails, short nails, natural nails, you name it, I love the creative challenge that comes with painting nails, as well as the personal interaction.

However, I’m increasingly bewildered by how I make my mark in this industry and become successful in my business; whatever success actually is?

I hide away in a secret nail place above a hairdressers. I like it that way. My diary is normally full and I’m happy, and more importantly (you may argue), so are my clients. I could be making more money, I could definitely be quicker (and make more money), I could work longer hours, maybe employ someone, take on an apprentice, compete, teach? Who knows; the world is my oyster.

Well, it was my oyster and then Covid struck. Covid made me reassess my situation and take a look at what’s important to me. After the first lock down, I became a hermit, and the thought of going back to work terrified me, the thought of losing out on bedtimes with my little boy, and the quality family time, as well as ‘me time’. The fear reminded me of being so stressed that my head felt it was going to explode if one more person asked for an appointment! What I realised was that people asking for appointments was stressing me out! And that part should make me happy; right?

So, now  i’ll get to my point. Being a nail tech or owning a nail business where you paint nails, is tricky, as there is so much information one must get to grips with.

Social media wants consistency. A brand image that projects your personality – but not too much personality. You need to to be unique, to interact, to not be offensive, to basically be everything – and then you have to follow the algorithm rules…whatever they are? And post regularly.

During the pandemic people are promoting self-care and delivering positive affirmations and highlighting #nofilter; but everywhere I look I see ‘perfect’. Perfect fingers, perfect faces…all achieving, and with millions of followers. They interact positively with their followers (with about a million hours in their day) . They project messages of needing to stay positive; to be real.

We are told mental health is an important issue, however, I don’t see many real life mental health subjects talked about in any real way and how they can affect people on a daily basis and prevent some from achieving their potential.

Influencers and brand ambassadors are popping up everywhere I look. So many new nail brands have come out just lately – but which brand do I choose?  So many YouTube videos with reviews but the difficulty is – who is genuine?

I love my job, and don’t get me wrong if I had started this journey straight from school with all of this info at my fingertips, I might be trying for Instagram fame; however, I’m a mum of a six-year-old boy, a wife, I’m 39, I’ve been doing nails now for six years.

I pride myself that it’s a struggle for me to fit in new customers, because I have so many loyal customers. I also take pride in the fact I care for my client’s natural nails, and am more like a friend to many of them, as they are to me too. People (clients) are suffering with their mental health, people need time for themselves. People need a listening ear.

It can be draining, it can be tricky, we are not just painting nails.

I have ADHD and feel overwhelmed on a daily basis, appointments, texts, Instagram, FB, Messenger, email, new products, new styles, new techniques, new technology, all the while trying to be perfect.

My ADHD affects my  self-esteem. If someone breaks a nail, it can ruin my day and I’ll convince myself it’s my fault. I’ll persuade myself that when they were putting their garden shed up, and chipped a nail it must be down to me. I need help on learning to not take things personally, yet still be bothered, to care.

I’m sure the thought has crossed your mind – why if she finds it so difficult, does she do it? But surely this comes back to my opening statement about money and mental health?

I have other industry concerns and subjects that I feel need a more open conversation…

• LGBT representation in the nail & beauty industry.

• People not knowing their working rights.

• People bullied in the work place.

• People not following health & safety.

• People not properly qualified.

• People not properly insured.

• Is this now a celebrity culture  – where is the professional?

• How long are we taking to do our nail art?

• What terrible practices are going on in the salon around the corner because time is money?

• How much should we be charging/making?

Thank you for reading & your time too

I’m Danielle Brindley AKA Miss Brinny

@missbrinnynailartist