Today we’d like to introduce you to Raven Marshall.
Hi Raven, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Being a young woman in her 20s without an idea of what I wanted to do was hard. While overpaying for my nails, I thought, “I could do this. I’ve gotten my nails done so many times.” So I bought a small kit and started doing mine and my friends, and I was pretty good at it. A local nail technician reached out to me after posting photos, helped me sign up for school, and gave me a job at her shop, where she gave me extra training. Since then, I quit my 9-5, and I have been doing nails full-time for the last 4 years. In the last year, I ventured off onto my own, running my business my way. It’s more than a job. It’s a lifestyle. Making women feel beautiful and complete is honestly the best feeling in the world. There are so many ways to represent beauty, and women are beautiful.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The main challenge with service is doing something you don’t want to do. I have my style and the way I like to do things. Sometimes other people do not like everything you like, but if you take what they want and add a little bit of your style, they will honestly love it. Another challenge is not being available when everyone wants me to be. If I had another set of hands to fit all of my client’s appointment needs, I would buy them. It hurts not being able to fit someone in when they need to come, I know how it feels to have an event to attend, and the person you want is unavailable. I know my whole world would feel like it’s crashing down. Being overbooked makes the day go by fast, but when I do it, it is exhausting, but it helps when everyone leaves with a smile on their face. My solution is to open my shop and have trained nail technicians ready and available to take the women of Jacksonville.
Please tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others.
I specialize in acrylic nails. I’m known for my shaping and designs; I am all about my nail designs. When I was growing up, I would draw all the time. My main thing with acrylic nails is keeping them strong and having excellent retention. Over-drilling on the nail bed is harmful and affects retention; not many nail techs pay attention to that. When I throw my style on a nail set, none of the nails are the same, and each hand will look the same as the other but will not have the same designs. It’s like having two different nail sets at the same time; it is a work of art.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
The most important lesson I’ve learned since I started doing nails is not lowballing myself. It’s hard to understand what worth means and what you are worth to yourself. I can’t put a price on my worth, but I know I’m not worth just anything. I missed out on the opportunities and benefits of not knowing my worth. Once I learned what I was worth, so many doors opened up to me, and they kept opening. Only I can block my blessings.
Pricing:
- Basic Full Set $50+ (w/ gel)
- Gel Design Full Set $60+
- Acrylic Design Set $60+
- Rhinestone Designs $10+
Contact Info:
- Website: https://ravenbeauty-100197.square.site/
- Instagram: @jefenails_byrae
- Facebook: Raven Beauty
Image Credits
Raven Marshall
Andrea Cochran Simmons
December 2, 2022 at 1:10 pm
First time I sat in Raven’s chair to get my nails done, I knew she had skills . I knew some day if she branched off on her own, she would succeed and she did. Raven does eyelash extensions too, she is gentle when installing them. If you follow Raven’s instruction on caring for your lashes being careful cooking around extreme heat and being careful in water, they will last longer. I’m so proud of Raven!