From a house filled with colorful polishes, to the scent of glue lingering in the air, a young sophomore entrepreneur at NHS is painting her own future. Her vision? A nail business that isn’t just about the money, but about the friendships it carries. Maya Wilson started painting her own nails in December of 2023 and then spontaneously started her business, MayaWilNail, in January of 2024. Since then, it has grown into something to remember.
“People would see my friends’ nails and word would get around. Then people were telling me I should make an Instagram account and TikTok account to further promote it, which is how it sped up even further,” Wilson said.
In the beginning, Wilson was designing her own nails for fun, to save herself some money and time. After a while, her friends started to notice her nails and would ask for her to work on their hands as well. One thing led to another, and Wilson’s easy hobby turned into a side gig. She had people contacting her through social media, offering her money for her nail service.
“I would do my own nails and then my friends were like, ‘Oh those are good, you should do mine,’ and so I started doing theirs. And then their friends saw it, because it’s their own advertisement because you’re walking around with your nails done,” Wilson said.
Bela Henderson, a sophomore at NHS, is an example of how Wilson’s nail artistry expanded to friends as well.
“Maya’s performance exceeded my expectations and she is so inspiring,” Henderson said.
Not only is Wilson’s work worth the money, but she also takes the time and effort to perfect her skill. One for those who have trusted her to design their nails, and two, for herself and her reputation going forward.
Wilson has managed to maintain a balanced lifestyle despite the hectic schedule that comes with being an entrepreneur, requiring her to balance school and social life.
“I have a calendar that I put all of my appointments on, and people can text me on my Instagram, TikTok, or just my number if they want to make an appointment,” Wilson said.
Not only does Wilson get to do what she loves for a living, she’s also her own boss. She says this arrangement comes with a lot of perks.
“I like it because I don’t have to work on someone else’s schedule, I can just work all the time. It’s definitely a lot better than having an actual job,” Wilson said.
NHS business teacher Neil Rafferty, had the same perspective as Wilson. He added that not only can she make her own schedule, but she can also pick the time and place.
“Talk about efficiency. You don’t need the overhead of a place to do it. You can go to their place,” Rafferty said.
Wilson’s work correlates with Raffertys suggestions for high school business owners. Rafferty says “we all have the entrepreneurial gene.”She feels full time students can run businesses on their own and people still doubt themselves.
Rafferty has advice for students who want to start their own business. In fact, he says he wishes he had done this years ago.
“Do it. Be not afraid. I’ve had a million ideas throughout my lifetime, but I was always too afraid to try doing anything,” Rafferty said.
Wilson has her own words of wisdom, stating“I would definitely say social media is very good for spreading the word, as well as meeting new people from others.”
Advertising is what’s going to be a make or break in a business. Wison not only used social media as a technique to promote her work, but because of the fact that one walks around everyday with nails designed by Wilson.
Along with finding ways to promote and get eyes on her business, Wilson also talks about the process behind the scenes. With a business comes a lot of responsibilities, and in order to keep everything in line and easy flowing it is important to stay tidy and organized.
“You also have to stay organized, that’s probably my biggest thing.” Wilson said.
It only takes drive, an idea, and a bit of risk. With no risk, there is no reward, considering that entrepreneurship is more about the results than how quickly you reach them.
“I’ve had a million ideas throughout my lifetime [yet] I was always too afraid to try doing anything I thought I should [have been doing] since third grade…I made up my mind and for my whole life it was a straight line.” Rafferty said. “ Anything that deviated off that line, Nope. Nope, I was too afraid. So I say, don’t be scared. Don’t be scared of your ideas,”.
