I had the pleasure of interviewing the best nail Artist on the rise, and owner of Gloria’s Nail Bar from Siler City North Carolina the amazing Gloria Borrayo. We discuss her glorious career from the beginning to the present, and the many great opportunities the future has in store for her. Gloria got her first set of nails done when she was 14 years old in California. This is where it all began.
Tell us about your career. Where did it start? How did you discover your talent?
After the first experience, I was so intrigued to figure out how to do them myself. I started to practice doing my own nails. After high school, I went to school for nails and got my certification. It took me two months to finish the course. I didn’t really know that I was going to do nails as a career I just knew I liked doing my own nails. I always thought I would be too nervous to do other peoples nails. I worked at 3 different locations before I finally just decided I’d work on my own.
Who were the biggest inspirations for your nail technician career?
Mary Negron is honestly one of my biggest inspirations. She is a nail artist as well as a mentor and an international educator. She travels a lot to Nigeria and she has a salon there as well. She is such a positive person and she is so humble. Ever since I’ve followed her on all social media she’s always followed and added me back. A person like her with so much world experience acknowledges me. I am still so grateful for her positive influence in my life. She always responds to me when I have any questions. She is such a giver and travels all over the world spreading love and doing what she loves to do. Everything she does is just so genuine and I hope to be at least half as great as she is and hopefully I can have the honor of meeting her in person one day.
Wow, she is an amazing artist! I checked out her face book page and just love her work! She sounds like a great inspiration, I am glad you found her.
What do you enjoy most about your nail technician career?
This is honestly my favorite question because the answer is simple, I love being my own boss! It’s something like no other. I set my own schedule and times for work. No one is over my head telling me what to do and telling me how to do things. I run my own salon, just me by myself. I work only by appointments so it’s easy for me to know if ill have a busy day or a short day. I usually do about 2-3 busy days In the week and the other days I will take a couple people in. (those are my slow days) but in the three busy days, I make my weeks total. I am okay with my slow days because I do not like to overwork myself. The point of my career is to work however I want so I do try to take some days to relax and have my back recuperate from my busy days. (I hunch over a lot) I also always set a goal for every week and I usually try to meet that goal. It also motivates me to work. I also enjoy that doing nails isn’t just a form of income, for me, it’s a passion because ever since I can remember I’ve loved art and creating stuff with my hands. I always refer to myself as a nail artist because I do consider my career as a form of art.
I love your response! Being your own boss is amazing. You get to balance your life with your passion.
What are some of your personal and/or professional goals for the future?
I definitely want to become a nail instructor. I feel like the nail school I attended was okay, but it lacked creativity. Everything I know how to do I’ve taught myself. I knew how to do acrylics way before I went to school for it. Youtube, Instagram, and Facebook have been my teachers in the growth process of my career. A personal goal of mine is to become a teacher, teach a group of students to do nails the way I do them and have them work at my salon. Of course, I wouldn’t work in my older days but I’d like to leave a group of people that I’d trust to run the salon for me.
You would be an amazing instructor! Teaching monthly seminars around the US would benefit many aspiring nail artist, think about it. You would still be your own boss and now you would be helping many that are seeking the knowledge you have.
It’s always fun to ask this question; if not a Nail Tech what line of work do you think you would be in?
I was so indecisive of what I wanted to do with my life when I graduated high school. I went to college to study criminal justice, so I think I’d probably be in the law enforcement field by now. It’s not something I EVER thought of doing. It was interesting to me but definitely was a lot of hard work. Unfortunately, I quit college but I quit to go to nail school so it wasn’t all that much of a loss. I am happy with the path I chose.
Great choice! I am happy you are following your heart.
Thank you for your time, Gloria. Any final message to the many Gloria’s Nail Bar fans?
My advice to anyone out there is to do something that you truly love to do and are passionate for as opposed to working a 9-5 job that you’re miserable at. There’s no better feeling than being your own boss and making your own money and not having to report yourself to anyone BUT the person staring back in the mirror. Always stay humble no matter where life takes you. Whether it’s the road to success and you become famous or you stay in your small town where you were born and raised in. Never let that change who you are and never forget where you started. I started from the bottom because it’s been a struggle since then and I am nowhere close to where I want to be yet but I can honestly say I am in a better place. Thank God!
That is great advice! Thank you again for your time and all your amazing work, I really enjoyed this fabulous time with you!
Ways to get connected with Gloria:
Location:
IG: @gloriasnailbar
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gnailbar/?ref=settings
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqnwc_RnwSiSNa2kjhG3YVA?view_as=subscriber
Have a great day!
Daisy CS
- “Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.” -Thomas Merton
For this seasons Hair and Makeup the ones I have chosen are my favorites because they all are timeless and chic. The first image is from the Alice + Olivia collection. This style is called festival lingering. I love it because it looks low key and casual chic. I love the braid look and I just found out how to get this look, I am excited to try it out!
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Picture by V. Margarita- 