“You Can’t Use Up Creativity. The More You Use, The More You Have.” - Maya Angelou
Does the very idea of sharing your most prized possession, the best thing that ever happened to you, (professionally speaking) with the world cause you to shudder in fear and horror? We’re talking about your most trusted service weapon, the nail technique that keeps your clients booked on auto-repeat. Many nail techs would never dream of sharing their best techniques with other techs for fear of giving them a leg up. It could stem from being overprotective of their work and the business they’ve built through blood, sweat and tears. Some harbor a slight paranoia over being copied and are concerned about siphoning off their creative genius. No one wants to feel less special or original. All your experience, tips and tricks are hard won. Why give it away?
A common negative belief is that we might lose our edge if we gave away all our trade secrets. Is the fear justified? Should we allow this insecurity to rule and keep the industry secrets to ourselves? Or instead should we stare down fear and anxiety to work from a place of trust and abundance? Anyone new to the nail industry can relate when they walk in the door of their first salon gig. There is an obvious difference between an exam-fresh nail tech and a seasoned nail pro. There are those who might happily show you the ropes and others who would just prefer to see you fail. YN believes that in a world where productivity and positivity flows, success and happiness are sure to follow.
COLLABORATION NOT COMPETITION
There is nothing like a little healthy rivalry to keep you motivated and innovative. Consider living in a space that reframes the idea of competition with the idea of collaboration, greatness can co-exist here. Think about these typical rivalries between master artists, performers, design houses, and other major household names: Da Vinci vs Michelangelo; East Coast vs West Coast; Gucci vs Prada; Nike vs Adidas; Coke vs Pepsi and Levis vs basically every other clothing brand in the world since 1873. Some might see only competitors. We see that their remarkable achievements are the direct result of being challenged by a “rival”. Choose a side if you must; but don’t let jealousy and envy get in your way. Let collaboration and inspiration be the thing that powers up your best creative work. Give credit and respect to the ones who came before you and the ones who come up behind you will do the same. There is no greater joy than to lift someone up and change a life for the better.
BE AN OPEN BOOK
Believe us when we say, there is enough business out there for everyone. We’ve found the best game plan is based on the idea of paying it forward. As a manufacturer, we believe that what we teach nail pros is part of a collective wisdom meant to be shared with everyone. Who ever wants to learn should be able to. That’s why we provide education for nail techs in so many different and accessible formats. There have been countless times when industry competitors have come to our booth, taken our classes and even signed up our OWC. We welcome them. We’re an open book. It’s all out there for the taking. We share all our strategies on all our social media platforms in plain sight. We’re going to try to help you no matter what product you use; even if it’s not ours. Nothing we do is done in fear of the competitors. There is only one you and you are one of a kind. Your nail business is really about your ability to connect with the person in the chair across from you. If you are relying on a special trick or technique; you’re focus might be misdirected.
WE’RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER
If you’re doing well, share the wealth! Progress and the path to success are not a straight line. Visualize a corkscrew full of loops and intersections, this is what it looks like. It’s ups. It’s downs. It’s circling back again and wondering how you ended up in the same place again. Conditions in life and work change. Sometimes you’re on top and other times you’re on the bottom. It’s unpredictable. There is no greater reward or job satisfaction than to know that you’ve been able to lend a hand to someone in need. One day the person in need might just be you. We have to create a nail community that trusts and believes in one another. The real secret is that if you put in the work, the clients will come. That’s what keeps us happy and healthy at YN.
**This is an adaption from our YN Biz Talk playlist on YouTube, “SHARING YOUR NAIL SECRETS: GOOD OR BAD?”
Follow our YN YouTube Channel and click here to watch the full discussion here: