Junior Alyse Nicholas has turned her passion for nails into a business she calls “Nailz by Khlo.”

The inspiration for her business began in eighth grade when Nicholas started getting acrylics and press-on nails. This led her to start practicing acrylic nails on her sister and further fueled her interest along with her aunts, who are also nail technicians.

Nicholas officially launched her business at the end of last school year. As a teen entrepreneur, she has faced the same challenges that many business owners encounter. Finding new clientele is something Nicholas said she struggles with.

     “Some months are better than others, like the beginning of summer, back to school, holidays, and prom,” Nicholas said.

     As an up-and-coming entrepreneur, Nicholas takes pride in what she offers her clients. Her portfolio includes a variety of nail designs, such as chrome, French tips and 3D flowers. She said her favorite part of doing nails is the end results and her client’s reaction to their new look.       Appointments can be scheduled on Nicholas’ Instagram page, @nailzbykhlo.

     Looking to the future, Nicholas has set her sights on gaining more certifications to set her business in stone. She is currently working to save money for school and other personal expenses, but hopes to move up in the nail industry in the near future.

“My dreams and goals with this business are to get a lot of money and to get my cosmetology license so I can be certified and maybe get my own studio,” Nicholas said.

Reflecting on her journey to learn the craft, Nicholas admitted it wasn’t always easy.

“When you don’t get something right away, you tend to give up, but I still tried, and now I’m just happy that I continued,” Nicholas said.

Though she’s unsure if she’ll pursue nails as a full-time career, for now, it’s a fulfilling pursuit. As a student too, balancing classwork and her business hasn’t posed too much of a challenge for her. 

“It’s actually easy since I only do nails on selected days out of the week. It gives me time to myself,” Nicholas said. 

Nicholas and her nail business has continued to grow over the course of time. And as she continues to do what she loves, she inspires others to do the same.