Some of the most talented artists in the world call Nashville their home. Musicians, obviously, but chefs, authors and visual artists also cite Nashville’s cooperative – not cutthroat – culture as one of the biggest draws to the small town in a big city. Melissa Stephens is among the talented that Nashville’s nature is nurturing, and though her canvas is one of the tiniest, she sees the big impact it has in her clients’ lives.
Melissa, a native of Fairview, Tennessee, always dreamed of making waves in Nashville. She assumed it would be in the world of journalism, but life had different plans. “Growing up, I was the consummate overachiever and never felt like I had a time to just live. So I decided to take a break [from college] and do something with my hands. I went to school for nails, and it was a break that never ended,” Melissa exclaims.
But, it did almost end several times. When you’re on the other side of the manicure table, you get exposed to some ugly truths about the beauty industry and the lengths that shop owners will to go to make a profit. After time, Melissa grew weary of continued conflicts in ethics and decided to continue the career she grew to love on her own terms.
Melissa has seen her business grow from seeing clients in the back room of a hair salon to moving into a bigger space and even being in a position to hire an assistant, which she doesn’t take lightly. “It’s important to me to create an environment where I help build her up and not take advantage of her. I also like helping her to build confidence and independence,” she says. She carries the same attitude into her work with her clients, making sure her prices are fair and encouraging clients to break out of what they think their manicures should look like, based on the opinions of others. Instead, she insists that you wear your manicure your way, and let the world conform to you instead of the other way around.
Melissa Stephens Nail Artistry is dedicated to bringing a fun and fabulous nail salon experience to today’s independent working woman. She knows that nail art is an extension of self-expression and believes that every woman should be free to experiment and discover how to best express herself. Learn more at melissastephensnailartistry.com
###
Hi, I'm Kia 