Luxurious, Instagrammable and a hub for famous faces (Megan Markle’s bridal nails came courtesy of the brand), DryBy is an established name in the nail industry.

With over 150,000 manicures delivered since its formation in 2015, the salon brand has expanded its focus from clients to pros with Studio 74, a digital platform designed to uplift nail professionals’ careers.

“Studio 74 provides business and creative content and inspiration, bringing together a live community and enabling connection so that nail artists can elevate themselves to the next level,” says Krisztina van der Boom, co-founder of DryBy & creator of Studio 74.

“Its key values are content, community and connection.”

Krisztina van der Boom

She continues: “The content aspect comes from the business and creative masterclasses, which are recorded and available to watch at any time. The community element is powered by the technology platform that can be used at a pro’s own pace and on-the-go. It surrounds them with supportive, like-minded nail artists. Lastly, connection comes in the form of access to information and inspiration.”

Studio 74’s business-related content includes marketing, branding and social media management classes, and creative topics include nail preparation and application techniques. A large part of the membership’s inspirational value is also in case studies from industry experts. “I saw a gap in the market for a space where people can share real-life experiences, gained from building their careers or businesses, and speak from lived experience rather than theory,” reveals Krisztina.

Studio 74 benefits

When asked why she feels industry case studies are crucial for nail pros today, the business entrepreneur explains: “Many nail artists work alone, build independent businesses, and are not surrounded by advice and guidance. It is very important for them to have a source of information and inspiration, which comes directly from like-minded business owners and independent pros. Through Studio 74, nail artists will learn about the business principles we applied while building DryBy, and get to know some of the amazing professionals we have met along the way.”

Krisztina’s first class on the platform focuses on brand building for small beauty businesses. Industry names that have joined the Studio 74 community include Marian Newman, who Krisztina describes as “an eternal source of information and guidance: one of the most important advisors on our DryBy journey.” Via the membership, she offers insight into the session nail artist and editorial nail artist professions.

Marian is joined by guest presenter, Georgia Rae, who discusses how she became her own boss and built a successful mobile beauty business in London. Samantha Cox of The Daily Nail leads skill-based training with live technical and creative workshops, and fellow digital creator, Mateja Novakovic, who is an artist at DryBy, hosts classes on content creation and social media management.

“I saw a gap in the market for a space where people can share real-life experiences, gained from building their careers or businesses.”

With such varied resources available, all levels of pro can benefit from the platform. “Some of our members are starting out in the nail industry and their focus is to master the manicure, so they attend the technical and creative classes. Some of our members are with Studio 74 to master their roles as business owners,” details Krisztina. For both groups, she has seen positive outcomes from enrolment. “I can see the shift in their perspective and mindset – be it business management-related, an improvement in their technical skills or confidence.

“My hope is that the nail artists who are part of Studio 74 will view their careers without boundaries and limitations,” she continues. “I would like to demystify topics that are rarely talked about, helping them to see that they have endless opportunities.”

Visit www.studio74.online to join the Studio 74 membership, which costs £47 per month.

Follow Studio 74 on Instagram here.