Two years ago, junior Ximena Arellano was inspired to start painting nails because of an influx of nail art posts she’d been seeing on social media. While at first, she only painted for herself, Arellano started to branch out by painting her sister’s nails. After making posts on social media showing the nail art Arellano had done on her sister, people began asking if she would paint them for other people. This interest in her work prompted Arellano to begin her own nail business. She also felt inclined to start because of the social aspect. “It’s just another way of meeting new people…it’s fun for me,” Arellano commented.

In the beginning, Arellano struggled with support from her family, but they quickly accepted her. “At first they weren’t [supportive] and said that I wasn’t going to make anything,” Arellano stated. However, their concerns were misplaced as she’s been able to make $2,000 in sales over the past month. Along with this, Arellano had to deal with the pressure of having two jobs at once on top of school. Despite this, she manages it well, usually taking customers on Tuesdays and Thursdays as she’s often occupied with her other job and schoolwork. “I make time for everything. It’s hard though,” Arellano added.

While Arellano has been painting nails from home for the past year, she plans on expanding soon. Arellano said, “I’m working on getting a building next to my house…right now it’s just in my room.” Despite her business’s rapid growth, Arellano stated, “I want to pursue nails, but I also have other things I want to do in life. I want it as a side job.” Though, whatever she chooses it’s likely to be within the field of cosmetology.