We were lucky to catch up with Rita Pinto recently and have shared our conversation below.
Rita, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?
I am really passionate about what I do and the people I work with. In times of stress or financial troubles, as we have seen in the past 5 years, knowing that I have built an amazing team of artists and administrators around me has given me the resilience I need to be creative and persist beyond problem solving and focus on real brand development and growth.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I am the Founder and Owner of Vanity Projects Nail salons in both New York and Miami. We focus on elevated hand painted Japanese gel manicures and work with an elite team of celebrity nail artists. The salon started as a pop-up in New York in 2010 and opened it’s first brick and mortar in NY in 2013. In 2015 we opened our first location in Miami. We are now in our third location in Miami where we have expanded to a 3,000 sq ft space on the ground floor in Wynwood. Our flagship location in New York started with 4 stations and has since grown to operate on 3 floors and can accommodate 26 stations. We are passionate about the location in New York as we feel that we are part of the architectural landscape of Chinatown and the Lower East Side. This destination has been the heartbeat of our brand and has hosted top tier talent and clientele since its inception.
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?
Drive, Ambition, Leadership are three traits that I have had to continue to propel through my journey. I have learned a lot and still have a lot to continue to learn so I think that it’s a constant path. When you grow a team of people finding a support system is also vital to maintaining the quality and integrity with which you intend for the brand. Leadership is so hard because as an entrepreneur you aren’t taught skills on leadership or how best to manage people with various needs and emotional boundaries. Sometimes you learn in hindsight and then you move ahead knowing just a little bit more so you can try harder next time. I think mistakes and misgivings are also part of the process of learning to be better so it is important to make some. Kindness rules over everything. Sometimes people will use your kindness as a weakness, especially as a women in business but in the long run make sure your contracts and communications are all clear so that you can continue to be yourself and know you are protected. I also think being generous with your team is vital!
What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?
Education & Travel, no doubt about it. My mother always told me that the IRS can’t take your education from you. You might never end up doing what you study but what you study will always infer what you do and how you do it. From unpaid internships, to traveling all over the world, I have used all these influences in how I built my business and how I continue to operate and grow my business.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://vanityprojectsnyc.com
- Instagram: vanityprojects
- Twitter: vanityprojects
Image Credits
Head Shot: Anton Kirindongo
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