Today we’d like to introduce you to Kimberly Alvarez.
Kimberly, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I got into nails during my Junior year of high school (2022), I was doing nails mostly on myself and sometimes on my friends. When I was ending my Senior year I knew I wasn’t going to attend college so I went to a technical school instead and got my nail license by November 2023. I started working as soon as I got my license and by December I had my first job EVER in a salon in Miami Beach. I was only there for a year due to my former boss selling the business and I thought it was best to just find somewhere else to work, thankfully another salon had reached out and they were giving me an opportunity to work for them in Midtown. I also lasted about a year there due to the business closing down so I decide to work for myself. I only had 3 weeks notice to figure out what I was going to do next and that’s when I teamed up with my girl Tina (Bobina Beauty). Tina and I worked together in Midtown and we got along so well so we decided to open our own nail suite in Miami Shores!
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I feel like every journey is never smooth, there will always be obstacles. My first obstacle started when the salon in Midtown closed down, we were entering the new year and my boss at the time informed me that the salon was going to be closing by the end of January. In that moment I had realized I didn’t want to be salon-hopping every year, and that’s when I decided I wanted to work for myself. There’s a lot to do to start your own business, I had to break the news to loyal clients, start my own LLC, buy materials, tour places, move in, and I had to do that in the span of 3 weeks. It was scary and unpredictable but I’m grateful to have Tina by my side. Another obstacle I’ve been faced with lately is the fear of my family being separated. I am very proud to say I was raised by my Honduran family and I will continue to wave the Honduran flag but with what is happening in America lately makes it hard to express that. My family had already been affected by the deportations and it’s heartbreaking to mourn people who aren’t even dead and it’s frustrating to have to prepare for worst case scenarios. I currently live with my parents and thanks to them I had the opportunity to even open my suite and if anything ever happens to them that can negatively impact the future of my business.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a private nail technician located in Adam and Eve Salon Suites based in Miami Shores right next to Barry University. I am known for maintaining healthy, natural long nails using Korean and Japanese gel products, while providing glamorous nail art! When you enter my suite you will step into a cozy and inviting room, you will be treated with the most respect and fit right in, you will not be judged and I will make sure by the end of your appointment you will walk out feeling uplifted. I am most proud of being able to open my own suite and having to share my work and experiences with other people. What sets me apart from others would probably be the products I use. Gel polishes from Korea and Japan are a game changer! They care a lot about the ingredients that are in there polishes so they are a lot cleaner than standard American polishes, not only is it cleaner but the consistency and formula makes it a lot easier to work with.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
The quality or characteristics I feel that are most important to my success is being a good listener. I may just be a nail tech but because I deal with people it’s good to listen to what people have to say, people have a lot of baggage and it’s good to let it out and just talk about it with someone. You hear all the milestones, bad news, or good news from clients and it’s good to listen and remember these moments with them.
Pricing:
- Gel Manicure: $60+
- Gel-x Extensions: $90+
Contact Info:
- Website: https://avengedthenail.glossgenius.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/avengedthenail
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1KHeV31ctW/
