Today we’d like to introduce you to Nika Lamothe.
Hi Nika, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hello! My name is Nika Lamothe aka Iconik Nails. I was originally born in Miami, FL but also raised in Atlanta, GA. My journey with nails began when I was 14 years old, however, I didn’t realize it. I remember doing my own press-on nails for school because my mother wouldn’t allow me to get acrylics nails. I felt it was the perfect cheat code as a teenager. As I got older, my mother finally allowed me to get acrylics and I abandoned the thought of doing my nails completely. A year after I graduated high school, I joined the military; Air Force. My hobbies switched constantly and I was always doing something new, trying to figure out what my passion was. I’ve done creative writing, photography, fashion designing, and journalism. Obviously, creativity is what spoke to me the most! Though I still enjoy these hobbies, it was never enough. After basic training and technical school, I received orders to North Dakota. It was over a year living up North and I came up short on trying a new hobby. Most of the year it’s cold and during the winter, people–and I mean me, tend to hibernate.
One day while browsing through my phone, I passed by a video of a nail technician doing a client nails. I was stuck on videos similar to it for hours and eventually decided to buy a cheap nail kit online. It brought me back to the days I use to do my own nails. A month later in late August of 2019, I received my kit and begged my friend to let me practice on her. Honestly, her nails came out terrible, but I enjoyed every little bit of it. That’s when I knew nails were it for me.
I started practicing more, using all of my friends as guinea pigs. Once I was comfortable with my skills, I promoted myself with people I work with. Eventually, I was able to get a small clientele to work my skills on and build a home-based salon.
In July of 2021, I received orders to South Carolina. By this time, I was confident in my nail work and skills and knew I wanted to open a salon in my home for other people that would allow me to work on their nails. It took about 6 months after moving to Sumter for me to open my business publicly. March of 2022, Iconik Nails was up and running again, better than before.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Absolutely not! Being a Nail Tech is not as easy as it looks. Starting a nail business is very costly. High-quality supplies gives the best results but also it damaged my pockets! There was plenty of times I wanted to give up and thought I would never be able to have success in my skills. I am a perfectionist and tend to compare my work with other nail artist. As a beginner nail tech, my work was not where I wanted it to be. I felt I was lacking in the learning department especially since I’m self-taught. I still have days where I feel this way. Being in the military, it takes most of my days away from practicing so balancing it all is a struggle. However, these obstacles only motivates me to be a better nail technician than I was yesterday.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a Beginner Nail Technician who service people nails or toes when needed. I specialize in Acrylic Full Sets no matter the length, shape or location. I am proud to be a self-taught nail tech that started a business with no prior knowledge. Even with being in the military, it never stop me from practicing and bettering my nail journey. I believe that getting your nails done should be a luxury for yourself. Therefore, I created a space for people to relax and unwind. I completely allow clients to either vent, cry, seek advice or just relax while getting their service done. I like to say that nail technicians are a different type of therapist for their clients.
Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
Where do I begin! I remember the days where my brother and I would beg my mother to stay over our cousin’s house. We would always browse the internet for new music videos and even try to make a couple of our own. We would make mini dance tutorials and practice them all the time, sing our hearts out, and usually try to cause some type of mayhem.
Contact Info:
- Website: Iconik.as.me
- Instagram: Iconik.nails
- Facebook: Iconiknails
- Other: TikTok: Iconik.nails
