Today we’d like to introduce you to Karen Salmeron.
Karen, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I started getting into acrylic nails back around December of 2017. At the time, I was working for Sephora inside JCPenney in Bay Brook Mall. I had been working there for over three years and felt like I needed something else to pursue. I was only doing my own nails just to test the waters and get comfortable with working with acrylics. Eventually, I quit Sephora and started working for a nail salon right after in February of 2018. I have been in love with and passionate about nail artistry ever since.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I struggled a lot with the right techniques to use to perfect acrylics and also building clientele. Houston is full of nail salons and I needed something that helped me stand out from the rest. I started taking social media a little more serious and focused on every detail in my work. Everything from shaping, designs, even camera angles, and lighting became an obsession of mine. Over time, I was getting better and people in the area started to notice. The first few months, I was working for regular nail shops that were commission or percentage based. After my social media started to prosper, I started gaining more clients, so I moved into working as an independent.
Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
I am a nail technician that specializes in acrylic nails and designs.
The thing I’m most proud of is simply the fact that I don’t have a boss. I am my own boss of my own business and that’s something I never thought I would say. I’m proud of how much my work has improved and how much I’ve grown as a person and a businesswoman.
I have been a nail client before and that’s what sets me apart from a regular nail salon. I know what it’s like to walk into a nail shop and not get what you expected with each visit. I focus not only on my work and the nails but also on the experience each client has.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
Having creative ideas to execute is one great quality but the most important to me would be creating a bond with people. I pride myself on being able to have deep conversations with each client that sits at my station. Everyone is going through some kind of struggle and when my clients come to me, it’s their time to get away from the world.
Contact Info:
- Website: kissartistry.as.me
- Instagram: KissArtistry
- Twitter: KissArtistry_
Getting in touch: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
Traci Austin
April 4, 2019 at 2:22 pm
I’m a client of Karen’s and have been since last year when we met by what I call “fate”.
Neither one of us actually knew that I had an appointment made with another nail tech. But I have to say, it was meant to be.
When I say that I have someone ask me on a daily basis, “Where do you get your nails done” or “who does your nails”.
Would be an understatement.
Karen goes above and beyond for her clients. She makes sure that “you” are happy and she treats “you” like you are family.
So many salons are only concerned about one thing, get them in and get them out. Hurry, hurry, hurry
Karen takes her time with her clients. I would rather go to someone who will take their time and do my nails correctly. Not haphazardly.
Not where I would be afraid of bumping a nail and it “flying off” or breaking my actual nail.
And if something happens that Karen is running a few minutes behind, I don’t mind waiting. Because, she’s taking care of that client like she treats me.