Good morning everyone and welcome to another special Nail Tech Spotlight, where today I get to interview the toe tapping, waterless pedicure giving, owner of Health to Beauty Nails, foot specialist Hope Goldman! *crowd goes wild* I am so happy to have Hope in with us today as she is someone I always look up to. I might not do pedicures anymore in my salon. But her particular style of social media work is STUNNING. She teaches, advises, and demonstrates many ideas and techniques to help nail techs become better in their own salon environment. I would say she is the Schoolhouse Rock of nail educators. Her style appeals and is understood by everyone.
However without further delay, let’s get into it! Good Morning Hope! How are you today?
Doing great! Thank you for having me!
Yes! I am ecstatic you are here, may I ask, what made you get into the nail industry?
Believe it or not, I have my BFA and MFA in Dance. While I was in grad school, I started doing my nails as an escape from the rigorous curriculum work I was doing. I continued to be a hobbyist for years and eventually started getting my nails done at salons. After a less than stellar experience during a ‘powder gel’ manicure, I left the salon feeling so upset and unhappy with the service I received. That’s what triggered the decision to get my license.
I went on to apprentice at a nail salon in lieu of going to nail school to get my hours towards licensure. I had to complete 2000 salon hours as opposed to the school’s 600 in order to get my license, but I had an amazing 16 month education on all things waterless manicures and pedicures! It was a non-traditional entry into the industry that I’m forever grateful for.
OMG the infamous powder gel, a substance that scientifically can’t exist! Thats a story for another day, but I loved that you went to school for dance, during my deep dive very creepy research I saw you at the dance studio, and my goodness you make dancing look effortless. If only I could do the Charleston like you. I’m sorry you had a bad experience but how wonderful to hear you turn it around into your new career! What were your highlights of being a foot educator?
Having been a movement based artist prior to my becoming a nail tech, I have many years of teaching behind me. I’ve always loved teaching and so it was a natural evolution to educating on Waterless Pedicures.
The driving force in everything I do is to be a catalyst for positive transformation. So, the highlight for me is witnessing the ripple effect of sharing my knowledge. It’s incredible to see nail techs take what they’ve learned, implement it, and transform their clients’ lives and their own businesses.
One tech messaged me six months after attending my class to share that her monthly transaction volume grew by 59% and her average payment size increased by 19%! What an amazing measurable effect that will have a profound impact on her life! Seeing others succeed and grow in part because of the knowledge I’ve shared is deeply rewarding and drives me to keep sharing what I have to offer.
Numbers, yes I too understand those, *grabs calculator*. No but seriously, hearing success stories is the proof that you are making an impact on peoples lives and businesses. I love that you have so much drive in you, and it looks so deeply passionate. What makes you so passionate about foot care?
It’s that transformation. When clients walk in to my studio in physical pain or with shame, I’m humbled that they choose to let me help them. Seeing the physical and emotional improvements is wildly rewarding.
I once had a client who hated her feet and pretended like they didn’t exist. She ignored them and always kept them covered. We’d been working together awhile and she was going on vacation to Mexico, so we polished her nails with this really fun color-changing polish. She told me that one day she was at the pool and she left to go back to her room. But when she got to the lobby, she realized she’d left her shoes at the pool. This sounds like such a small thing, but it was hugely profound for her because previously she was constantly thinking about keeping her feet covered. Imagine holding on to that deep inner need to have your feet covered constantly including in front of your spouse. For at least that one moment, she was free of that burden.
Oh I love that, not her burden, but the fact that you made an impact on her and forever changed her. I actually know what thats like and can’t wait for my day, but until then, I shall listen to you inspire others. It shows you’re more than just a waterless service and walking tip jar, you’re a memory. And to her, you’ll always be her forever happy memory. Thats huge. That can’t be bought. How does it feel to be such a strong role model for this industry?
That is very kind of you to say! It’s an honor to be seen as such. I always aim to lead by example, and seek to create spaces where clients and pros feel valued and empowered.
Oh absolutely, you are noticed, and I admire the bubble that surrounds you. It’s enchanting and there’s just this glow. With that being said, do you have other aspirations in this industry as well?
I continue to move more into independent teaching and my goal for this year is to offer more online classes to reach a broader audience. I also have a fantasy of one day creating my own American made bit line!
OMG please do, please start that bit line, I bet it would be fantastic, is it a secret, can I share it? Im gonna share it. When it comes to specializing in foot care, what do you wish more nail techs knew or would do for their clients?
I mean…how much time do you have?? *laughs*
I think the biggest thing is to know that foot care is more serious than most people realize and never a one size fits all. But don’t let that scare you off!
Working on diabetics and other immune compromised individuals should be done with the utmost care and seeking ongoing education to best serve these populations is absolutely necessary. Nearly a quarter of people with diabetes are undiagnosed, so this means that we have diabetics in our chair whether we’re aware of it or not. Do you know the challenges they face with foot care? The precautions to take? Are your services safe for everyone? There’s a large gap between purely cosmetic pedicures and medical care that we can help fill within our scope of practice.
I will admit, I do not know if someone is or isn’t diabetic as I haven’t educated myself. However, I am very open to it, as I wanna be an educated professional and I believe we are always learning. So yes more people should learn about the people in their chair! Sounds like you have really found your niche. Would you say you have found your dream job?
I love the act of foot care, but my favorite part of my work is the entrepreneurial aspect. I love the process of growing the business and discovering new avenues to spread the love of high quality, safe foot care so that other professionals can grow their businesses.
Through developing my business, I’ve been challenged to grow in ways I could have never anticipated. Just the act of learning to promote myself was so uncomfortable for me, but each time I bump up against my comfort zone, I get to meet the next version of myself on the other side. Having your own business is not for the faint of heart. It requires discipline, stamina, and ambition, as well as the willingness to take risks, embrace failure, and continually adapt to new challenges and opportunities.
Oh I love that. Yay for growth, and your desire keeps pushing you. I can’t wait to see where you’ll be in 5 years. Maybe with that new bit line, whoops secret. Well, where do you see the nail industry heading in the next 5 years?
I’m not the best at making predictions, but the nail industry is ever-evolving, and I do see a growing interest among nail professionals in offering high quality pedicures and advanced foot care services. My hope is that this continues and that more professionals pursue quality ongoing education to better serve their clients. There are a lot of people out there looking for the person to help them solve an issue with their feet that they feel really discouraged about. You could be their foot fairy.
I also think online education and YouTube university will only continue to increase, so I’m interested to see the ways those of us who are offering reliable information and education embrace this to reach a broader audience.
Oh how I wish I was Walla Walla Washington so you could be my foot fairy. I need something industrial to save me. But yes, the nail industry is forever changing but I think it is headed in the right direction. I really do. Now that you have such a solid foundation with many years of experience, what is one thing you can encourage to the future generation?
If you plan on working for yourself and running your own business, make it a priority to learn how to run a real business and not just an expensive hobby. The best investment I made when starting out was hiring a business coach. She helped me build the skills and confidence I needed to grow sustainably. Seek out mentorship and be discerning in who you choose to work with. Do your research to ensure they’re reputable and align with your goals.
Running a successful business means understanding things like pricing your services properly, creating systems that work for you, and consistently delivering value to your clients. Read business books, take classes, and never stop learning. Your success is built not just on your skill in the service you provide, but on the foundation of a well-run business.
That is wonderful advice, absolutely wonderful! You hear that nail art, business skills are more important! Thank you so much for being apart for this interview. I am so glad you were able to sit down, and have this time. I truly thank you so much. May I ask where can you be reached?
Thank you for the invitation! I’m most active on Instagram @healthtobeautynails. You can also check out my site and professional store at http://www.healthtobeautynails.com.
As an additional thank you, I’d like to extend a discount to the Health to Beauty Nails Pro Store where you can find the most amazing German made pedicure bits!
Use code ‘SWEET’ at checkout for 10% off during the month of February
https://www.healthtobeautynails.com/professional-store
Oh that is so awesome! Thank you for that! And thank you all for reading, I hope you all enjoyed this wonderful interview and be sure to catch more coming up soon. Until then, I’ll see ya later sweets!
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