Meet Patty Najar | Nail Technician

We had the good fortune of connecting with Patty Najar and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Patty, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I actually get this question quite often! I have been getting my nails done since I was 15 years old but I had always liked everything nails since I was a kid. I would really enjoy watching the process and I would think to myself “this looks so easy!” plot twist- it was definitely NOT easy. One of the reasons I would get my nails done often, (or would try to), was because I used to be a nail biter. Acrylics would help me grow out my nails. When I graduated high school, I got my first job. I found out that it was difficult to get my nails done as often as I wanted so my sisters suggested I purchase an acrylic nails kit from walgreens. Off we went to purchase a kit thinking it would be a piece of cake. I did my sisters’ nails first. It took me over 6 hours! I then started practicing on myself. I would post them on social media thinking nothing more than just posting how they looked. Eventually, people started asking me for my prices and that was something that took me by surprise since I was doing nails for the fun of it. I admit, I was terribly nervous when I took my first client but I continued to push through. Something that began as a hobby grew into a passion that I have continued for 3 years now!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I often think about ways to improve my business, things I could change, things I could add/remove but, sometimes I stop and look back at how far I have really come in these past few years. When I first started doing nails. I worked out of my garage. As you know, summers in Houston are BRUTAL. While I did have an old fan to hold my client and me through the appointment, it could only do so much. That was definitely a challenge that I did not have much control over since I could not work from anywhere else. Thanks to my family, I was able to get a better place that is much more comfortable for my clients and me! (AC/Heater included). Another challenge was getting out of my head. Doing nails is so much harder than it looks and the perfectionist in me would oftentimes get frustrated when things would not come out the way I intended to. I feel that in this industry, it is very easy to compare yourself to others and that was something I would struggle with but I began to realize that everyone has their own path, their own timeline for learning and that I had to focus on mine. I won’t lie and say that I never compare myself to others but I have learned to appreciate my growth and continue to improve and work with what I have.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I myself have just started exploring the city more but I have definitely found some good spots! For food places, honestly, you can never go wrong with Whataburger but some of my favorite restaurants are Longhorn Steakhouse, La Tostada Regia, Mi Rancho, State Fare Tx, and many other taco stands in the area such as Tacos el Toro, Taconmadre, etc. For fun, there is always bar hopping in midtown! I love going to the movies but to spice it up, the rooftop cinema is a great option. I enjoy arcades, bowling, or just places to play games so Main Event, Dave & Busters, Glowzone, and TopGolf are some of my favorites! For something chill, a walk at discovery green or buffalo bayou park is nice! There are also some good refresquerias in the area!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are several people that I continue to be grateful for throughout every step of this journey. Starting off with my family- my sisters Stephanie and Yosie and my mom, who would be patient with me and allow me to work on their nails for HOURS at a time. I was able to try new things and further my knowledge with the practice I would get from working on their nails. To my parents who pushed me to be the best I could be in whatever I did. To my best friends and my boyfriend, who loved and supported me unconditionally from the beginning to the present time and reassured me when doubts would arise. A special shout out to one of my best friends and fellow nail technician Jenni, who mentored me and would answer every single question without hesitation, to this day! It is nice to have someone in the same industry as you who wants to see you grow too. And of course to my clients. I appreciate every single person who ever came to get serviced by me. I am thankful they allowed me to get that experience, even if they did not return, I hope they know that I will cherish them forever.

Website: patsglamgram.square.site

Instagram: @patsglamgram__

Twitter: @patsglamgram__

Other: Tiktok: @pattynajar