Britney Castro-Pérez, junior at Athens Drive, is a talented and driven student who’s now thriving in her own small business. Pérez is a nail technician who has been doing nails for around 2 years, but when you see her work, you’d think she’s been doing it for ages.
“I am self-taught since I never had anyone who knew how to do nails, so I eventually started learning off of YouTube,” said Pérez.
Her passion for beauty started early, and nails quickly became her favorite part of it.”I had so much passion for anything that had to do with beauty, and eventually, I decided that nails were what I wanted to do as a side hustle,” she explained.
At first, she practiced on friends and family. Once she realized that her work was good enough to satisfy others, Pérez decided to share it online. “Once I saw that my work was good enough for people to come to me and be satisfied with what they got, I started a new account on Instagram and started posting some of my work. Over time, I slowly started to build my clientele, and it’s been going good ever since,” said Pérez.
The cost of supplies adds up over time, but Pérez views it as an investment in herself and her craft. There are many supplies needed in order to start doing nails, some are: acrylic powder, liquid monomer, acrylic brush, nail prep tools, and many more. “Even though the supply and products can be pricey, I feel like it is worth the price and the quality of my work,” Pérez said.
Even though running a small business takes time, Pérez makes sure to balance school and nails. She stays focused on her classes while keeping her clients happy.
“School is my main priority, so I try to make sure I get all my work done first. On my free days after school, I take that time taking clients,” said Pérez.
Perez’s story can let others know that if you really want something, you can make it happen. She didn’t wait for someone to teach her; she figured it out herself and created her own business while she was in high school. This can motivate other students who are scared of starting their own business by demonstrating that a lack of training won’t stop them from achieving their dreams.
“Keep pushing yourself to do better, everyone starts somewhere, and just believe in yourself. If cause learning to do nails isn’t easy or fast, it’s a process,” said Pérez.
