Meet Natalie Minerva | Nail artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Natalie Minerva and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Natalie, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
There are two key factors I believe when it comes to my success as a nail artist. First, it is that I do something nail related every single day. That doesn’t necessarily mean that I need to do physical nails in order to achieve that, but perhaps I research trends or reach out to people in my industry to find new clientele. Sometimes I’ll look up textile or wallpaper designs as inspiration, or I’ll draw up new designs in my notebook. Mastering a skill requires complete dedication to the craft. Secondly, I simply make myself available. I must be available to clients if I want them to call me back. This means making some sacrifices in my personal life at times. Of course, having time off to yourself or to spend time with loved ones is very important, however especially in the beginning stages of leveling up your brand, you need to be dedicated to making time to nurture your business.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I have always had a very specific trajectory when it comes to nail art. I have always aimed to be a Japanese gel nail artist specifically and have never waivered from that. My main goal is to create art, not to work in beauty. It just so happens that my art lands in the beauty realm, but art has always been my only focus in this job. I think what sets me apart from others is not so much that my skill level is high, but that I know how to work with people and converse with them. It is so important to make people feel comfortable and relaxed. They need to enjoy their experience with you.
I am most proud of my work on Euphoria. I aimed high in seeking out the job, and I believe it paid off. I was able to have so much creative freedom, and now the world gets to see my work. To have my work hit such a global scale is a dream come true.
Nothing about getting to where I am has been easy, but achieving long term goals never is. It has taken me 12 years to get where I am. There are no shortcuts. It is long, hard work and you can only really achieve these goals by dedicating time and energy into them.
The biggest lesson I have learned in my career is patience. It is hard to keep the stamina to stay hungry when you are working for years on end to become the best version of yourself. I think that’s why whatever it is you are doing, you need to start with the upmost passion. It’s the only way to keep your motivation is by absolutely loving what you do.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Whenever I have visitors, I take them out at night. LA is a vivacious nightlife city with so much amazing music to offer. If I did not work in art, I would work in music so for me, it’s where I feel most alive. The nightlife here is exciting and fun, and visitors get a real taste of what LA has to offer. Usually my go to places are A Club Called Rhonda or a cool house party.

I would also just simply take them to delicious places to eat! Breaking bread with visitors is my absolute favorite thing to do. Perhaps we’ll pop over to Jon and Vinny’s, or maybe I take them to Night Market. Maybe we just simply get some delicious street tacos or go get some K-BBQ.

For me, LA thrives in the hole in the wall and “underground” spaces. I don’t like the cliche, large scale Hollywood type spots. It’s not authentic. Keep it real and keep it fun!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are a few key people who influenced my success. First and foremost would be my husband. He has been supportive of me jumping into nail art since day 1. He believed in me when most others felt it was a simple trade job with no future. He sacrificed spending time with me to allow me to chase my dreams and he has been nothing short of accepting in my determination to succeed. He’s my biggest fan, and I’m his biggest fan too. He’s an incredible entrepreneur himself and his advice always means the world to me. I don’t think I could do all of this without his backbone of support.

Secondly, my beginnings in Los Angeles I worked in nightlife at a Club Called Rhonda. It was there I started to wear my own nail art and people who worked in my current industry attended this party and noticed my nails. A lot of those people introduced me to their celebrity clients. I also feel like I really broke out of my shell and gained confidence while working there and I’m thankful to both Loren Granich and Gregory Alexander for having me part of their team in my early years in Los Angeles. It made me who I am.

Lastly, the major moves and jumps in my career I owe so much to my old business partner at Nail Swag, Paizley Lee. She is an absolute genius and a thoughtful entrepreneur who pushed me to become the very best version of myself in business and really in life. I would not be where I am today without her,

Website: http://forwardartists.com/manicure/natalie-minerva-portfolio

Instagram: @natalieminervanails

Twitter: @natalieminerva