Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephany Lugo.
Hi Stephany, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
So, I’m going to try my best to sum in up, but I do love to go on about things I’m passionate about, and telling my story is one of them, so we’ll see. I can’t say I always knew what I wanted to do or who I wanted to be out of high school. There’s usually this big pressure of going to college and studying a field that you’re interested in and/or know you’re going to spend the rest of your days in. But that wasn’t the case for me AT ALL or in my adolescence years. I was truly carefree and going through the motions. I mean high school is bad enough to add that pressure of becoming a doctor or nurse, I don’t know what it is about society with labeling those professions as “good jobs “what makes them so good anyway; the long-tired hour, the sacrifice of sanity, oh it might be the paycheck. What’s really missing is the part about true happiness and finding your purpose, which I love with the generations now we are more in tune with following our dreams. Which pans back to my life, (like I said I can ramble on so lots of side story) out of school I went on from job to job, the longest one I had was I’m guessing a month but I really can’t remember because it wasn’t that long. I really had no ambition for working in retail or food service. One day my mom came in my room and said Stephany you have to do something with your life get a job that you will keep and start saving money you know that talk you get when you’re living off your family only paying your phone bill kinda talk. Now I know you’re probably thinking that I really had no ambition for anything and was just lazy doing nothing but there was this dream I did end up having and it was a passion for makeup. I would do glam, gore, and extravagant looks just to go to Walmart and it was something I never got tired of, eventually, I decided I wanted to go to makeup school this was 2015/2016. At that time, I’m in Kissimmee, and there no makeup school around there were cosmetology programs but that was mostly about hair services. Eventually, my mom and me checked out this school called FTC in the Osceola square mall now called the Plaza del Sol. We went to see what curriculum they had to offer and it was a bust again, another cosmetology school, the only programs I seem to find were out of state, so I definitely lost some hope as we tell the tour administrator lady we’re not interested, she then suggests a new program about nail enhancement, my interest peaks and that’s where it all started. Thank God my mom got me into the program it was 1,000 dollars at the time that’s a steal compared to the prices today. So, when people ask me how did I start doing nails I always tell them it was an accident or it just fell in my lap because it kinda did., and I’m so happy today 5 almost 6 years later that it turned out that way.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
To say if it’s a smooth road would be a lie, anything worth having is going to take blood sweat, and tears, lots of tears. I’m a cry baby and I’m fine with that. So, after my nail program I got mentored at a salon I used to get serviced at across my home and it was my first time being consistent with anything. Bear with me I’m just trying to build context. I worked there for a year basically working my butt off staying extra hours and coming on off days to make $300 a week, at the time that was great for an 18-year-old. Years passed, and two salon jobs later I decide to go back to the corporate work world due to the stressors of working with all women and a high-stress culture of fast salon pace. I got fired…That’s when Phanny beauty came along it wasn’t overnight I’m 3 years into being a home-based salon service and I believe it’s the future. I’ve been 5 years in the beauty industry from clients leaving to me switching salons to me going home-based moving homes 3 times it has not been easy but has it been worth it. ABSOLUTELY. Every tear, every pain, every second thought is worth the struggle to see it through. There’s a saying that goes, choose your hard, life hard whether you try it or don’t. And I rather keep on getting up.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I specialize in making you feel beautiful. That’s not exactly what I do but I pride myself in knowing my job is more than my title. I am known as a nail artist I provide nail services such as acrylics gels, and hand-painted art and I love it. But the best part of my job is the connection with my clients and the moments we share. I know it sounds so cheesy but it’s my truth. I’m going to be starting a podcast 2022 talking about being more than your job, title, or label. So be on the lookout for that, what I’m most known for is my attention to detail I like to call myself a perfectionist it’s really crippling, to be honest but I’ve been embracing the fact that my art is subjective and the mistakes make it original, it’s a work in progress. I’m most proud of how far I’ve come, to be 23 years old and being able to afford a living for myself I’m not rich rich … YET but I am blessed. I can’t wait to see what else is in store I have a lot of ideas and plans. As for what sets me apart, I would like to think I’m one of a kind, of course, doubt and comparison come in that’s just the social media era we are in but there’s a light inside me that chooses to bear all the good bad and ugly in my life, my business I think that definitely set me apart and the fact that I’m a bomb-ass artist who’s always willing to grow and learn.
What do you think about happiness?
At the moment I’m working on Custom made Press- Ons in my business life, trying to add that to be a part of the Phanny Beauty Empire. It’s a way for me to escape and let go without the pressure of making something for someone it’s all subjective. Recently I’ve been saying I want to just create art and that’s what makes me happy being free to do so. Maybe making some coins off it too.
Contact Info:
- Email: Info.Phannybeauty@gmail.com
- Website: Phannybeauty.com
- Instagram: Phannybeauty
- Youtube: Phannybeauty nails studio
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