Stop the crusty, dusty nailbeds immediately and consider some basic hygiene. If you’d like to go further than nail clipper action, Lauralyn is awaiting your appointment notification. Lauralyn Jackson is a sophomore media and strategic communications major at Iona. Learning the hands-on artwork of multi-media, you’re bound to meet many people for content creation. So, upkeeping your nails’ appearance is likely to help you gain favor.  

Jackson, a native of Queens, N.Y., set her sights on her new passion during the first COVID-19 lockdown in the spring of 2020. Alongside being a dance teacher, Jackson began practicing nail techniques on her relatives and friends, which soon led her to take a Valentino Beauty course that certified her as a nail technician.  

Material girls know the importance of self-care. School and work are cardinal in pursuing a career for students, but it easily becomes overwhelming. Getting your nails done is an instant confidence booster, even more so while typing away with your freshly manicured fingernails.  

“I fell in love with being able to give people confidence and make their day by offering them my services,” Jackson said. “Getting your nails done is a very relaxing and therapeutic experience. We all deserve that especially as college students since it is so easy to get stressed from schoolwork.” 

During the semester, Jackson is campus-based and during the breaks, she works from home. There are pros and cons to maintaining an individual-run business. According to Jackson, the positives are being able to offer people a discounted service in a very convenient location. Being able to meet new people & make new friends are also pluses.  

The main downside, however, is the scheduling- being a working college student can be challenging. Jackson manages her own website and social media accounts. Therefore, she must learn and study algorithms to best reach her target audience. It’s not easy to juggle responsibilities as a young adult now learning about life, but she thoroughly enjoys every part of it.  

The heart of Jackson yearns to make everyone feel pretty. Being able to service a variety of clientele is vital in maintaining her reputation within the beauty industry. Her nail services include acrylic nails, acrylic soak offs and gel manicures. She hopes to expand her knowledge of different techniques and nail-related materials soon to meet popular nail preferences, such as SNS powder and Gel-X extensions.  

“My end goal is to own several nail salons nationwide and eventually worldwide in predominantly low-income areas to offer nail services at discounted prices,” Jackson said. “Everyone deserves to be pampered and money should not get in the way of that.”  

Jackson encourages the “practice makes perfect” theory, so she advises others to perfect your craft before accepting clients. Also, the use of social media yields mostly positive outcomes for the beauty servicer. Documenting your progress and sharing it both generate more attention to your brand and will get you clients, when you’re ready.  

For nail services, please visit Lauralyn Jackson on Instagram @itsthenailwizard.