Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kristin House. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Kristin, looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?
I received my work ethic from my family. I’m second generation, Portuguese-American from my mom’s side. My mom’s story of continuously pushing for a better life her whole life; was intimidating and inspiring all at once. She single-handedly worked to pay for me, my brother, and my dad to go to college all at the same time. She has never let that fire inside her die.
When I was around 12, my Dad went back to school to get his degree in Kinesiology. When he finished, he wanted a job with his favorite soccer team (the San Jose Earthquakes) and one day we went to a soccer game together. As the team practiced we waited beside the field until they finished and were heading to the locker rooms. My dad took that chance to speak to the head Athletic Trainer as they walked. He introduced himself and reminded him that he was the one who had been trying to reach out via email and phone calls. Long story short, my Dad ended up getting that position, and from then on I kept that belief that if you really wanted something, you exhaust all options to get there.
There have been plenty of days of feeling burnt out, and I’m thankful to have a family full of inspiring people to keep pushing me.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
My name is Kristin, I’m 34 years old, and I’ve been a nail artist for 13 years, I grew up in the Bay Area and about 2 years ago I moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma with my partner David, and my 2 kids Asher and Benjamin.
I have been a part of so many sectors of the Nail industry. I’ve assisted in opening salons, I’ve been an educator, and I was part of a beauty tech start-up. Now I’m back to being an independent artist, I have a podcast that talks about the business side of the nail industry (The C Curve), I’m an ambassador for Light Elegance, and I help train nail techs/salons on the side.
I love that the Nail industry has given me an outlet as an artist. I get to connect with amazing people on a daily basis, create art that people get to wear, and build a sustaining career I can live on.
It’s definitely not an easy industry when you first start, I have made many mistakes. Beauty School does not prepare you for the real world. And that chapter of my life lit the fire for me and my passion for education. I love teaching and creating educational content, and my podcast was solely created for new artists. We go through a lot of topics that aren’t touched on in school that I find to be incredibly important. As well as interviewing different people in the industry and getting their stories out there so people realize they aren’t alone in their struggles.
I have nail artists and salon owners who reach out for training and consulting. I think I will always leave the door open to offering help and education; it’s my way of paying it forward to all the people who ever offered classes and training that helped me get to where I am now.
I hope one day to open a nail salon for independent artists where they can build their careers and get the training they need to succeed. There is enough room for everyone to grow in this industry.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
When it came to hiring nail techs, I always kept in mind that I can teach them the skills they need to know; but I cannot teach passion. Passion is so important because it is the fuel you will need in moments when you feel like you’ve hit a wall. When you’re an artist in any field, passion creates authenticity in your work. It is what will make people gravitate to you.
The openness to continued education is so important. My teacher in school once told me “The day you believe you know everything is the day your business starts to fail” and she was right. This industry is constantly changing. How I do nails now will not be the same in 10 years. We are constantly evolving in skills and art forms. I strive to take, at minimum, 1 nail class a year. Even 13 years later, I still have pieces of my work that I can perfect. The day I stop growing is the day I retire.
Learning to fail was one of the hardest skills for me to grasp. It feels like such a vulnerable place to be. If we do not allow ourselves to fail, then we cannot grow. Being an artist is thinking outside of the box and creating something new. That’s uncharted waters for you, that’s scary, there’s no denying that. The greatest things come from those moments.
Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?
I learned early on that the best way to grow was to read every book and listen to every podcast I could get my hands on that touched on any aspect of my goal. From entrepreneurship, women in business, and even artistic expression. The topic that impacted me most was people’s stories of growing their businesses. We have a habit of focusing too much on the end; the success. However, the biggest growth, and what we need to be more attentive to, is the chapter on building and where the struggle is. When things would get rough for me, those moments where you can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel, I held onto those stories. Remembering that these moments were totally normal, and I wasn’t alone, helped so much.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://blackdahlianails.glossgenius.com
- Instagram: Black_Dahlia_Nails
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristin-house-8b440517
- Other: podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-c-curve/id1594421712
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
