In this episode of Clawgasmic Nail Tech Talks, Chantelle shares her incredible story. She went from working at a regular salon to doing nails backstage at London Fashion Week. Then she opened her own salon and ran it for seven years. Now she teaches nail techs worldwide through Clawgasmic.

Whether you dream of working from home, opening your own space, or want to know how to get more clients. This chat is full of real, honest advice you can use today.

Meet Chantelle: The Co-Founder of Clawgasmic

Chantelle has been doing nails for 17 years. She studied beauty therapy and worked at a salon for seven years. That’s where she fell in love with nails.

After her husband, Jouvan, made her a blog, celebrity nail artist Katie Jane Hughes found her work online. Katie invited Chantelle to do nails at London Fashion Week. She worked six seasons there!

After that, she opened her own salon and ran it for seven years. Now she runs Clawgasmic a website that helps nail techs learn and grow.

You Don’t Need Lots of Money to Start

Many nail techs think they need thousands of dollars to start their business. Chan’ thought the same thing when she wanted to open her salon.

“Your fear was I haven’t got the money to create this grand vision,” Jouvan remembers.

But here’s the truth: you don’t need everything perfect on day one. Chantelle started with just a desk and some chairs. She built her dream salon slowly, learning what she really needed as she went.

Her clients loved being part of her journey, watching her grow from handing out flyers in the rain to running a busy salon.

The lesson: Start with what you have right now. Get moving first. You can make things prettier as you earn money and grow. Waiting for perfect means never starting.

Share Your Work Online (Even If It Feels Weird)

When Jouvan first made a blog for Chantelle, she wasn’t sure what to think. But she decided to post her nail art anyway, just for fun.

That choice changed everything. Katie Jane Hughes saw her work and reached out. “She just messaged me like, ‘Hey, I love your work. Do you wanna do London Fashion Week?'”

Chantelle wasn’t trying to get famous. She was just sharing what she loved. But by putting her work out there, amazing things happened.

The lesson: Post your work online. Share your nail art and let people see what you can do. Don’t worry if some people don’t get it. You never know who’s watching or what doors might open.

Your Personality Matters As Much As Your Skills

Here’s something important: clients don’t just book you because you’re good at nails. They book you because of how you make them feel. Your smile, your chat, your energy. All of that matters.

“It’s not just about the space,” Chantelle says. “You are more than a nail tech. It’s your bubbly personality. It’s everything, you know?”

This is really important when you’re starting out and don’t have a fancy salon. How you treat people will always matter more than expensive chairs.

The lesson: Be friendly and warm. Make people feel special. That’s what keeps clients coming back and telling their friends about you.

Use Slow Days to Build Your Business

When Chantelle first opened her salon, she didn’t have tons of clients right away. But she didn’t waste time scrolling on her phone. She used every free hour to grow her business.

She went to hair salons and barbershops to leave flyers. She offered discounts when people referred friends. She posted on local websites. She made special deals for holidays like Valentine’s Day. Every quiet moment was a chance to get more bookings.

Jouvan points out that when clients weren’t there, Chantelle was out promoting, not just sitting around waiting.

The lesson: Use free time between clients to post on social media, hand out flyers, or plan your next special offer. Make things happen instead of waiting for them to happen.

Find People Who Believe in You

Chantelle says Jouvan was a huge help when she was starting out. When she felt scared, he asked, “What if it works?” instead of “What if it fails?”

But not everyone has that person. That’s why we created Clawgasmic. We want to be that cheerleader for nail techs who need someone to believe in them.

The lesson: Find people who support your dreams. Join online groups, follow inspiring nail techs, or find a mentor. If people around you discourage you, look for your support team somewhere else.

Ask “What If It Works?” Instead of “What If It Fails?”

When you feel scared (and you will), flip your thinking. Stop asking “what if I fail?” Start asking “what if I succeed? What if this is the best choice I ever make?”

This mindset helped Chantelle a lot. After London Fashion Week ended, she had bills to pay and no job. She could have played it safe. Instead, she thought: “I’ve got nothing to lose. Let’s just try.”

And it worked. Opening her salon was the best decision she ever made.

The lesson: Taking risks feels scary, but staying stuck feels worse. Think about the good things that could happen instead of only worrying about bad things. Sometimes the scariest choice leads to the best life.

Just Start! Things Get Easier Once You Do

Starting is the hardest part. But once you take that first step—booking your first client, posting your first video, opening your salon door things get easier.

Jouvan says once you start building momentum, it carries you forward. Each client leads to another. Each win makes you more confident. Each day gets a little easier.

The lesson: Don’t wait until you feel ready. Start messy, start small, start scared just start. Once you get going, things will flow better than you think.

Keep Going When Things Get Hard

Running a nail business isn’t always fun. There are slow days, money worries, unexpected problems (like the pandemic), and times when you doubt yourself.

Chantelle is honest about this: “You will have quiet days. You will. Even when you’re established, you will have quiet days. But you have to keep going, keep pushing.”

The nail techs who succeed aren’t the ones who never struggle. They’re the ones who keep showing up anyway.

The lesson: Expect ups and downs. That doesn’t mean you’re failing—it means you’re running a business. The secret to long-term success is showing up even when it’s hard.

Set Time Limits for Social Media

Social media is great for getting clients, but it can waste tons of time if you’re not careful. Chantel’s trick? Set a timer.

She suggests giving yourself 20 minutes to post, comment, and like things, then put your phone down. Before opening any app, ask yourself: Why am I opening this? If you’re just scrolling to kill time, that’s okay during breaks, but not during work hours.

The lesson: Use social media as a tool, not a distraction. Set aside a specific time to post your nail art and talk to potential clients, then log off and do your other work.

Write Down Your Tasks and Check Them Off

Planning your day can help you get way more done. Chantelle uses a planner and a diary to organise her week. She even suggests getting a pen you love so you feel excited to use it.

Write down what you need to do, then put a check mark next to each task when you finish it. Those little wins add up and keep you motivated.

The lesson: Don’t just work hard—work smart. Plan your time, track what you get done, and celebrate finishing things (even small stuff). Having a plan gives you freedom.

Build a Business That Fits Your Life

For Chantelle and Jouvan, Clawgasmic isn’t just a business. It’s a way to work together, spend time with their son Kingsley, and be there for family moments that matter.

That’s why they built an online platform instead of being tied to one place. It gave them freedom while still helping nail techs around the world.

The lesson: Think about what you want your life to look like. Then build a business that fits that dream. Want flexibility? Go mobile. Want community? Open a small salon. Want to reach people everywhere? Teach online. Let your life goals guide your business choices.

Try This: Your Week One Action Plan

Ready to use these lessons? Here’s what to do right now:

If you’re waiting to start: Write down three things you can do with what you already have. Can you practice on friends? Post your work on Instagram? Message one local salon about working together? Pick one thing and do it today.

If you have free time this week: Spend 30 minutes promoting your business. Drop off flyers, post something fun on social media, message five potential clients, or update your Instagram bio with how to book you.

If you’re feeling down: Write this question and answer it: “What if it works? What if this is the best thing I ever do?” Put that answer somewhere you’ll see it every day.

Check how you spend your time: For one day, write down exactly what you do during work hours. How much time do you spend scrolling versus actually promoting? Make changes if you need to.

Find your people: Join one nail tech group online this week. Look on Facebook, Instagram, or websites like Clawgasmic. Find people who understand what you’re going through.

You Can Do This

Building a successful nail business doesn’t need a perfect plan, tons of money, or zero fear. It needs you to start where you are, use what you have, and refuse to quit when things get tough.

Chantelle’s story from salon worker to Fashion Week to salon owner to online teacher shows there’s no single “right way” to do this. Your journey will be totally yours, and that’s perfect.

So whether you’re handing out your first flyer, posting your first nail photo, or unlocking your salon for the hundredth time today, remember: you’re building something real. Keep going. The nail world needs what only you can bring.

And remember…

Every successful nail tech has a superpower.

Click here to take our FREE quiz to discover yours!

Listen to the full episode of Clawgasmic Nail Tech Talks Below

“Chan help! It takes me so long to do a set of nails”

I hear this all the time.

It’s totally normal to feel this way.

But honestly, I think we need to stop putting unrealistic expectations on ourselves…

To get our pics flawless, our prep perfect, our gel applied correctly, all of this is going to take some time.

Rome wasn’t built in a day  just be patient with yourself and just keep practicing I PROMISE you’ll naturally get faster.

Speaking of getting faster take a look at our builder gel application video.