Did You Know..?!

Hello! My name is Shannon Adams, and I'm the owner/creator/head coffee maker over here at Seventy7 Nails. I was born right here in Tampa, Florida, and have lived here my entire life. 

When I hit 40, I started getting fed up with my job. I was venting to my nail tech (as we all do!), and she suggested that I start doing nails. Immediately, I scoffed at the idea. What did I know about doing nails? I could barely pick designs for myself, let alone do it all day for others!

After some thinking, I decided to go for it. Lots of people change careers at 40, right? If they can, so can I, right?!

Fast forward, I finish school and go to work in a salon. Surprisingly, I LOVED it!

 

I loved working for myself, making my own hours, and most of all, I really loved making my clients feel gorgeous. Seeing their smiling faces when they left was more than enough to keep me excited. (In another life, I was a boudoir photographer, and my favorite part of that was making women feel badass and gorgeous and empowered as well!) I've always loved the reaction to making someone else feel pretty. 

About 2 years into doing nails, I suddenly developed a pretty crazy allergy to some of the products I was using. It was itchy and painful, and made it difficult (if not almost impossible) to work. After multiple dermatologist appointments and medicines, it wouldn't go away. I was devastated! I had no other real skills and had no idea what I was going to do if I couldn't figure out a way to do nails!

Just as I was starting to realize I had to figure something else out, the universe aligned almost perfectly and opened a door!

Unfortunately, that door was the COVID-19 pandemic. In Florida, many businesses were shut down, including nail salons. For 8 weeks, I wouldn't be able to work! EIGHT WEEKS! I was really freaking out by now, because I still had bills to pay. Like so many people, I had no idea what I was going to do!

During the time I was doing nails, I had made a couple of sets of press on nails for close friends. Nothing serious, and honestly, they were not good - at all! 

I have a love/hate relationship with these photos. I cringe when I think that I actually made these, but then I love seeing my progress over the last couple years! 

Well, now that I had plenty of free time, I decided to dive into making press on nails - GOOD ones! I still needed income, and this was pretty much my only option. I researched long and hard to see what other well-known makers were using, how they were packaging and shipping, and whatever else I could learn. I learned as much and as fast as I could! I opened an Etsy shop, and within a month or so, I was making sales and was busy!

Then it hit me...

I could make pretty nails and ship them off in pretty packaging, but I had NO IDEA how to run the business side! I made a ton of mistakes along the way; it was pretty much a crash course in business! I made small mistakes, big ones, and EXPENSIVE ones...but it was more than worth it to be where I am today.

I absolutely love having a company that allows me to have the benefits that come with it, but my absolute FAVORITE part is receiving a random email or message from a customer raving about their nails! I love seeing the photos I'm tagged in and seeing how happy they are. That makes the tough days easier. 

In the end, its not about the clout or the money, or how many followers I have on social media. Its truly about the way people feel when they have a fresh sets of nails on and walk out the door ready to take on anything the universe throws at 'em!

I love you all-

Shannon

xoxo