Meet Makiko Fukaya | Owner of Comma Unwind – nail shop

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

Hi Makiko, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?

The reason behind starting my business is not one simple answer but a combination of accumulated feelings.

When I was kid, I was a fearless monster. I imagined and created whatever came to my mind. As an adult, this feeling gradually faded away with my daily life and responsibilities.

Time flew, I’m turning 40 next year and my career has totally burnt me out. This hit me hard and I thought – Do I want to try something different? Use all of my imagination to produce something new? Try to make the best out of my final year in my 30’s and be that fearless monster I once was? So as daring as it was I made the decision to jump into an unfamiliar world, no guidance no help, just my drive.

From the beginning, I knew that what I wanted to do needed a clear message that can be conveyed to others. It had to be meaningful. During my brainstorming sessions I realized that what was missing in my life was a lack of self-care. My day started and ended with tasks and chores that work or society demanded. And it wasn’t only me, my family, friends, co-workers. So many people were feeling this dilemma. That’s when it hit me that I wanted to make a brand that celebrated self-care. A brand that helped people a little bit to take a step back and breathe in their life, add a comma, a break in our bustling day. This is where I got my inspiration for the brand name, Comma Unwind.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.

I am a commercial/animation art director working in the motion industry for over 12 years. I have worked on projects including commercials, music videos, TV packages, events, and branding for businesses that are located in the US, Canada, and Japan. This industry can be very competitive and starting my career was very difficult. When I started I lived in New York where many admirable talents reside.

I not only met very talented artists throughout my career but had opportunities to work with many entrepreneurs, marketers, project managers and many others experts from small to large businesses. For many years I wanted to understand their point of views on a deeper level, where they got their thoughts and inspirations. Running Comma Unwind definitely gave me visions into their perspectives. I feel that I am learning a lot more than ever in my past few years as if I am back to my childhood.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
California’s nature stole my heart. It’s one of the major reasons I can’t think of moving somewhere else. Going around some of my favorite nature spots is a must. I also like to discover new places that are unknown. Sometimes I drive around without a map and see what kind of gems are awaiting for me. I would love to try this for a weekend with my bestie who has the exact same interests as me including our love for local handcrafted food/shops.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My cousin, business partner, has been a big part of making Comma Unwind happen. She understands everything I want to do through this business from the beginning and provides ultimate support. In the beginning we both thought that we would have some conflicts as we are both very opinionated, but our bond grew as we faced challenges through starting this business.

I’m also truly lucky to get support from very driven friends around me. They are all passionate about what they do and they have no hesitation sharing their knowledge. I really feel that the person I am now is because of the wonderful people around me.

Website: commaunwind.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/commaunwind/

Image Credits
Comma Unwind