Today we’d like to introduce you to Shonell Kissoon
Hi Shonell, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My name is Shonell I am 23 years old, owner of TipsByShonell. Ever since I was a little girl, I always had an interest in beauty care, I used to go around my house painting my sisters & mom’s nails. In 2019, when I finished high school I went to Valencia College & was majoring in nursing. I quickly realized that was not for me. I knew I wanted to take care of people but just not through nursing. When the pandemic shut down during the pandemic, it pushed me even more to want to go to school for beauty. In 2021, I enrolled into nail tech program at Hollywood Beauty Institute. I graduated with my nail technician license in February 2021 & started to take clients right away. I started doing nails at home with $25 sets any length & designs to get some models for me to practice on. My friend, that I met in nail school, & I decided to move to a salon setting & split a suite to get both of our businesses started. In the beginning it was a lot of slow days, but I used that time to promote my business by passing out flyers & business cards to locals to get my name out there. There was a lot of trails & tribulations that brought me to the position to where I am today. Over these 4 years, my clientele has grown significantly through social media & word of mouth! I’ve met & made some connections with amazing people. My regular loyal clients, promote & talk so highly of me to others & I am so blessed for them. My family & friends were also very supportive from the jump & was willing to help me with anything towards my business & without them I wouldn’t be this far.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It definitely has not been a smooth road. I’ve had slow days, salon owners trying to take advantage of their tenets, clients that weren’t fit for me etc. It can also be really discouraging seeing others do the same thing as you & they are much farther than you but you can’t compare yourself in this industry. Everyone has their own journey & honestly watching other people’s success is so inspiring for me to push myself for & that it is possible.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a nail technician. I specialize in acrylic nails, natural nails & toe services. My clients tell me all the time that I’m known for my french tip nails & toes. What I’m most proud of is me getting my own nail shop, how far I have came & not giving up on myself & my brand. What I believe sets me apart from other nail techs is that I do not do nails for the money. Yes it pays my bills but I genuinely love doing nails, it doesn’t feel like I’m going to work everyday & I genuinely care for my clients & their nail care. I do my best to make it the most relaxing experience when you come get your nails done by me because I feel like every girl needs that time to their self to not think of work, school, or just life in general & just relax & leave feeling refreshed & relaxed with beautiful nails!
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
The most I like about our city is how big & diverse it is. It is really a melting pot, a lot of different cultures & people move here all the time & I love to meet different people from different parts of the states.
What I least like about it is how sometimes talent can be overseen by popularity. There is a lot of hidden gems in Orlando but they may not get the same business as someone who has more followers than them.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Tipsbyshonell.as.me
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tipsbyshonell?igsh=dmZyM3h4eDY3czk3&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1DxrajdPbB/?mibextid=wwXIfr
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@tipsbyshonell?_t=ZT-8uRCpYvDEPy&_r=1
