Magazine for the professional nail industry.
Issue link: http://nailsmag.epubxp.com/i/207630
TECHNIQUE} behind the scenes Reach for the Star(s) Elaine Watson (right) has been part of the Star Nail family since 1995. She left a salon, her clients, and her family in Maine eight years ago to move to California to work at Star's headquarters. She is now the vice president of marketing and sales and the global education director. 80 | NAILS MAGAZINE | DECEMBER 2013 Elaine Watson has a very long title at Star Nail International. In addition to being vice president of marketing and sales, she's also the global education director. That means she wears a lot of hats. Her main focus is on Cuccio Veneer gel-polish and Cina nail art lines. "When I'm in the office, I do a lot of research and development," says Watson, who worked in the lab to help formulate Cuccio Veneer and is currently working on the 2013 Cuccio Colour collections. But that's not all she does. Traveling internationally, she helps Star's international customers learn how to build their business with the company's many brands. "I teach them how to sell our products, how to use our products, and how to teach their customers about our products." She also works on all of the company's photo shoots for ads, catalogs, websites, etc., and works with a team on marketing concepts. Working with Tony and Roby Cuccio since 1995, Watson joined the staff full-time eight years ago when she left the salon she owned with her dad and sister in Maine and moved to California. Advice for other techs who might want to work for a professional manufacturer? "Align yourself with a family-owned brand. I was never a number at Star. Tony and Roby knew who I was when I was working from Maine. A nail tech can make an impact on a multi-million dollar company. The opportunity to grow in a family-owned business is so great. I am so lucky that I met Tony at my first beauty show in Boston in 1994. I made sure I introduced myself and that he knew I was ambitious. Set goals — no matter how high. No one ever became successful while being complacent." The set of nails she created for this month's cover is relatively simple and wearable. She said it would probably take her about 45 minutes (including the manicure) and she'd charge about $7-$10 more than her basic manicure for the nail art. "So if I charged, say, $20 for a manicure, I'd probably charge $30 for this design," says Watson. "Of course these prices would vary according to the economics of your salon's area. But my entire cost of materials to do the manicure with art (per service) is under $1. That's a really nice profit by adding the nail art." PHOTOGRAPHY BY VU ONG/KIMBERLY PHAM