Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in beauty & personal care but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Simone Mabry, Founder & CEO of Pressed & Applied, located in New York City, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

Pressed & Applied started off as a business dedicated to those who love getting their nails done but don't have the time to get their nails done. When I launched P&A, I was working as a Home Health Aide and couldn't wear nails or polish. I started making Cash Stuffing videos on YouTube (NaturallySimone), and my hands were one of the main focuses. I didn't fully feel like myself with bare nails. I knew I couldn't wear polish or have long nails, so the next best thing was to press on nails! That's when P&A was born. It branched off into the budgeting community once my cash-stuffing videos started to go viral on TikTok, and my nails & money (budgeting) photos started to gain so many new followers daily on Instagram. P&A is for anyone who loves having their nails fly while on a budget! Even if you aren't on a budget, it's for anyone looking for those 5 minutes and ready nails. Not only that, it's for anyone who wants to get started on budgeting and gaining financial freedom.

Tell us about yourself

Since I could remember, I have always enjoyed painting my nails and changing my nail polish colors daily to the point where my mom would say, "I know you aren't changing that polish again!" Ha, who knew that would spark my continued interest in all things nails related? I taught myself how to work with acrylics and builder gels. I launched Pressed & Applied after I started my budgeting journey. I missed doing my nails weekly. Being a content creator, the aesthetic draws people in, along with being relatable while showing potential customers the products you sell. Many of us in the budgeting community wear nails and film 2-4 videos weekly, and around that time, no one was creating press on nails within the budgeting community. Our goal is to save and budget our finances; $ 15-20 reusable custom nails beats $50+ spent in the nail salon every 2 weeks! I turned what I loved into something that I can grow with for years to come. One of the main things that keep me motivated is the number of customers that told me how my cash-stuffing videos changed their life and allowed them to finally get started on their own budgeting journey.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

My biggest accomplishment as a business owner, for one, is owning my own business. Besides myself, my mother is the only other person in my family who own a business. I didn't see myself as a business owner; I only saw myself as someone who wanted to be in a better place financially. Working for someone else has its downfalls overworked and underpaid, money missing from your check, and so on and so forth. I knew I wanted and deserved better for myself. I took that small leap of faith when the demand was hot from my TikTok followers. One of my biggest accomplishments was allowing myself to step into the unknown after resigning from my position as an HHA and hoping for the best. To be fearless and allow what I love to do daily or weekly to be my drive to continue on and aim for my ultimate goal of owning a nail salon.

What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?

The hardest thing about being a business owner is the lack of sleep, especially when you are first starting out and a person's army! You have to do all the things. Come up with new creations, manage marketing and finance, be the content creator, respond to emails, and much more. Being a business owner comes with lots of roles you must play until you get the help you need to take the load off. You also have to find time for yourself and your family. The burnout is real!

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Have a business plan! Don't go in without research and knowing who your target audience is. However, your target audience may change; learn how to adapt when needed.
  2. Mistakes can and will happen. Breathe. Give yourself grace. You are human, after all!
  3. Just do it. It may be scary, and it may not go exactly according to plan, but that's how you learn and grow as a business owner. Always have a backup plan. Remember your "why," remember the end goal & go for it!
  4. A little bonus tip: those that support you will support you! That goes for family and drinks. It's okay not to be everyone's cup of tea!

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.pressedandapplied.com/
Facebook (Personal): https://www.facebook.com/BudgetWithSimone/
Facebook (Company): https://www.facebook.com/PressedandApplied/
Instagram (Personal): https://www.instagram.com/budgetwithsimone/
Instagram (Company): https://www.instagram.com/PressedandApplied/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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