Today we’d like to introduce you to Veronica Luviano.
Veronica, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I was born and raised in Monterrey, Mexico. At the age of 15 my family and I moved to Dallas in search of the “American Dream”. Well, I actually didn’t know we were coming to stay permanently lol. My parents told me that it was a two week vacation (10 years have past since). I was really sad and depressed when my parents made me go to high school here, just a week after we arrived. I remember being terrified because I didn’t know English, didn’t have any friends, and was unfamiliar with the school system. Little by little, I started making friends and adjusting to my new life. The fear that made me shake every morning before walking in to school, and the fact that I overcame it and graduated with honors, has given me the strength to believe in myself and challenge my capacity to get stronger and learn new things.
I graduated in 2012 and went to a community college, which for various reasons I decided to stop attending.
I immediately started working at a nail salon after completing Nail School in 2013.
Getting started wasn’t easy, in the course of three years I moved to three different salons. This is where I obtained most of my experience and really got a feel for this career. I learned what I liked and disliked. Pretty much all the pros and cons there is to it, but most importantly, I learned that I wanted to work for myself!
Inspired by my dearest friend Tybee Tuminello, I started the journey of being my own boss on June 6th of 2016 (which is also my birthday). I decided I had to quit my job to start my own journey and become an entrepreneur. My friend Tybee literally dragged me to Salons of Dallas and helped my business get up and running.
She also told me to pay it forward, to help inspire other women to follow their dreams just like she inspired me to follow my own.
Since then, I have dedicated countless hours practicing to keep the latest trends of art available to my clients and be the best at my craft (: .
Has it been a smooth road?
Like any road, there are both smooth and bumpy surfaces. Without the support of my husband, family, and friends I would not be here. I would say decorating the salon was one of the most exciting perks of getting a business started. Seeing it come to life is very rewarding because all the effort and time you put in slowly starts to pay off. I also mentioned there are rough patches in between. Starting from scratch, investing plays a very important role. Having to work late nights and early mornings at times to economically have the funds to expand can be very exhausting. At times you feel overwhelmed, in my case all the “behind the scenes” duty took plenty of my energy. Duties such as Marketing, creating a booking system, pricing, stocking, etc. I would definitely say coffee has been a loyal friend of mines.
My advice to young women who are going to start their own journey would be to just go for it! Wouldn’t you want to be your own boss? Doesn’t that sound appealing? It will not be as easy as it sounds, please take that in mind. Being your own boss has stress written all over it. Remember the success of your business strictly depends on you and the decisions you take. Never let a wrong decision discourage you from growing. We all make mistakes and we learn from them, it’s part of the process. Always keep in mind entrepreneurship has its benefits. This is why should go for it! Entrepreneurship lets you control what’s important to you, you will have time flexibility, freedom to make your own decisions, immeasurable personal growth, new friendships, you gain leadership experience, and saved the best for last, you are your own boss!!! You create your own path by aligning your career with your values and beliefs.
We’d love to hear more about Nailed Up.
I specialize in Nail Artistry. I customize every nail set to fit any event, mood, or lifestyle you may have. Each nail set I create is a new challenge for me. To satisfy my clients with my art is always my objective. This is why I constantly invest in my education, attending new classes and seminars. Only this way I can provide the latest trends, products, and styles. I am really proud of a new product that will be launching this year. “Numee” a CBD butter, eco-friendly, and chemical free product, which will also be included in every service as complimentary hand massage. I really think what sets me apart from the others is that I decided to convert “Nailed Up” into a cruelty-free salon in 2017. My moral and ethical values have pushed me to work with cruelty-free products. Becoming Vegan the same year has taught me that real beauty is the one that does not involve hurting others or sacrificing anything. Building new relationships and friends along the way is what fuels me to provide the best service possible.
We’re interested to hear your thoughts on female leadership – in particular, what do you feel are the biggest barriers or obstacles?
I feel that the biggest barrier today in female leadership could be the lack of sisterhood. I feel very blessed to have friends that support me on a daily basis. Friends that have been around when I needed help or guidance. Entrepreneurship can be a very solitary journey and we all need friends that are going through a similar path to better understand our struggles.
Contact Info:
- Address: Salons of Dallas at Knox suite 22
4425 N Central Expy, Dallas, TX 75205 - Website: Nailedup.org
- Phone: 9727306429 (text only)
- Email: VeronicaL@nailedup.org
- Instagram: www.instagtam.com/nailedupbyvero
Image Credit:
Maribel Morales Photo
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