Meet Caitlin Martinez | Manicurist

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

Hi Caitlin, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
Work-life balance is still something I am trying to perfect. Although I think I am getting a lot better at setting boundaries, with my clients(and myself) I do find myself swaying from time to time. In the beginning of my journey I was SUPER available, I’d drive to people’s houses, church’s , events anywhere in LA to service a client if they asked with enough time in advance. I wanted the experience and I wanted people to know they could count on me to get their nails done. Looking back I really did stretch myself thin, but it didn’t seem that way back then, all I could think about was how grateful I was that someone wanted and trusted me to do their nails so I made myself available for them. Although I am grateful for those times, I wouldn’t want to work that way anymore because there was zero balance. All I did was work, barely eat, drive and work some more. I’m happy to say I’ve found a better balance in the past year or 2, now I do take time off when needed, I take multiple weekend trips a year, and only work Tuesday-Friday. I also have time slots that clients are able to book now as opposed to asking when they were available or what worked for them. I’m grateful to have such great clients who have been with me and even encourage me to take time off because they value me as a person not only their service provider. I think balance is the key to longevity, success and prosperity in a buisness because anything in excess is bad for us in my opinion and most things can be healthy with balance.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am most proud of the detail that goes into this very manicure I perform. Over the years I have taken multiple courses and watched so many videos trying to make my manicures the best they can be. When you get a manicure with me, my goal is to create a clean and welcoming environment and a safe precise manicure that you will love. I’ll be the first to admit that i am not the best at detailed hand painting on the nail. I admire artists that are, but my hands just don’t do that. I’ve learned over the years that it is OKAY, I am not the same as other nail artists and they are not the same as me. I have a market and so do they, we are all different and that’s what makes the world a better place we do not need to compare ourselves to each other. I’ve learned that just because I can’t perform a certain skill the best doesn’t mean I am not a good nail artist, I honed in on another area and perfected the clean manicure process. I niched down and realized there is a huge market, lots of girlies want clean, plain, nude, simple designed nails & that’s where I come in.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Whittier is such a great little city and there are so many cute & yummy places to go & see. Okay! If probaly start off by hiking in Turnbull or taking a spin class at DripCycle in uptown. When we finished I’d get a coffee at local fixture and browse the store they have the cutest little nick nacks and “whittier” native cups, shirts, stickers. I’d probably also take them to the dog park on Philadelphia and then stop by la bodega for breakfast and get their chilaquiles. If it was later I’d go to uptown provisions for a sandwich and then walk around in uptown and maybe have a picnic at Central Park. Later at night my 2 favorite places for dinner & drinks have to be Rokka if I want a steak and a strong drink or Azabu if I’m feeling sushi and cutesy drinks. These are the best places in my opinion for Whittier.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Of course! Currently I am the only “employee” at KittyClaws Beauty Bar however I couldn’t have gotten to the point I am right now without the constant support of my family. I would like to dedicate this shout out to my boyfriend, mom, dad and sister Megan. They are my backbone <3

Website: https://kittyclaws-beauty-bar-llc.square.site

Instagram: @kitttyclaws

Other: TikTok: @kitttyclaws

Image Credits
Megan Martinez, James Murillo