Feel like no-one takes you seriously?

[Violet Star]

Hi,

Im feeling a bit down at the moment because i feel like family and friends dont take me seriously when it comes to doing nails or beauty treatments or dont see me as a real technician.

My sister got married last month and ive been qualified in manicure and pedicure for nearly a year now and instead of getting me to do her pedicure she booked in another therapist?:irked: in the end it worked out the therapist done a slopy job and it wasnt good enough, i went home and painted my toes in french and they looked amazing my sister then said i wish i got you to do mine as yours look better.

My close friend goes to the MMA chinese shops and has her nails done (awful i know and i have told her she doesnt listen) I said oh im doing my course end of this month once ive had my practice etc do you want me to do your nails instead as the products i use are much nicer to your nails, she said oh no ill just carry on having them done where i have them done.

Another senario my other sister was started her new job and her nail polish had chipped off partly so i said oh how about i give you a manicure and do your nails for work give a good impression she said oh ill just paint them myself i said but i am qualified and i have all the professional products - she said oh but i can do it just as good But she cant she doesnt do it the professional way!

They have tans from me apart from my friend she is worried incase i make her streaky even though none of my clients have complained of this. But then i asked to tan my sisters for a pamper event i have coming up so i can promote my tanning - they both said no and wouldnt help me out for just one day.

Im just getting so annoyed with it and i dont know what to do, should i tell them how i feel? i thought my friends and sister would love the advantage of having a beauty therapist at hand with free treatments but they just dont make use of it!

Any advice would be appreciated sorry ive babbled on xx

 

[kylieb]

Ar hun I feel for you...how mean of them!
I think it's always nice to be able to give your family some pampering so I can understand your frustration. Before I trained I thought I was the best at painting nails ...ha ha how wrong was I! I always like to look down at the persons toes in front of me in the que just to remember how I used to do them lol

Have it out with them and just ask them why don't they come to you? They should be wanting to help you out and if that involves them being pampered too then they are mad to say no.
Chin up chick and at least you are saving on products hee hee xxx

 

[fifitrix]

You know what hun? Let them think what they like and once you've made a name for yourself, back they will come!

I had exactly the same thing happen to me. When I first started training in nails my dad was like, why are you wasting your time. Now he supports me 100% and knows how hard I have worked and is really proud now when he tells his friends what I do, he just didn't get it at first.

As for my outlaws, well, they don't even see it as a proper job. My sister-out-law was going on and on about her job in schools and how qualified she had to be, and turned to me with disdain and said of course, your job is easy. I smiled sweetly and said anytime you want to have a try at what I do just let me know,oh and I want my nails like this, and showed her my nails and she just looked at me.

I don't let it bother me at all, and you shouldn't either hun. It takes a special kind of person to do what we do, if it didn't none of us would be working! :lol:

Let them think what they like and you carry on doing what you do and before you know it they will be asking to get treatments done. :hug:

 

[SunSpray]

Just like Fifitrix says, you concentrate on becoming the best you can be and you mustn't let your family's non-supportiveness upset you. The term 'sibling rivalry' was invented for this sort of situation, but you can't let it affect your dreams and aspirations. Maybe one last time you can say "if you ever want me to do your nails, just say" and then leave it at that, with them knowing the door's always open if and when they change their minds. Don't give it another thought after that, just look after yourself, your clients and your business xx

 

[Susie H]

Actually, I would find it worse if they were always expecting me to drop everything and give them treatments for free. So yes their indifference hurts but it gives you the chance to concentrate on your business with out their interference and with out them telling you how you should be doing things.
Their loss hun is your gain.:hug:

 

[ch4rli3]

Friends can be very strange.....

I have a few friends that wont come to me for any treatments as they are ""too embarassed"" ( Their own words )

I have been fully qualified for 5 years now and I have said repeatedly 'Let me do your waxing', 'Come to my work for your Spray Tans', 'I'll give you a massage' etc etc etc but nope!!

One friend in particular has said she would prefer to go to some one she doesn't know so she doesn't have to feel embarrassed about me seeing her undressed.....

Although I have to admit, I often come in handy when they have forgotten to book in for their waxing before going on holiday and need me to do it last minute for free!!!

 

[Mrs.Clooney]

Violet Star, I can understand where you are coming from, but hold your head high, because you are proud of what you do, and continue to offer your best service and skill.

If your friends and relatives want to go off and have the job done else where cheaply and sloppily, then leave them to it. My sister was having her nails done for £12 every 3 weeks at the chop shop. First time I warned her, she said, "thanks for the advice" and carried on! Second time I actually removed one of her enhancements to show her the damage underneath. Replaced it with a nice gel overlay to which she say, "thanks for the advice" and continued with the chop shop .

Recently, she has had all her extensions removed because her nails are b*ggered and can't believe the damage they have done and swears to never wear enhancements again!!

You just can't win sometimes.

 

[Violet Star]

Thanks so much for your help and advice everyone.
I just find it dis heartening as my expectations when i first started out training for treatments was oh my friends and family will love the advantage of having a beauty therapist at hard - on to realise no-one actually does:irked:.

The only person who has helped me out for practice is my mum now and then she doesnt usually like having manicures and pedicures but she lets me do them ocassionaly and is starting to like it.

I supose i need to let them get on with it, there isnt much i can do hey?

thanks again xx

 

[RedAdmiral]

Some Fab advice here as usual, I know its hard but dont expect them to come to you and you wont be disappointed. None of my outlaws wanted me to do there's either until I got really succesful as a mobile spray tanner then they got the odd french poilsh and tans. At the time I nearly refused to do it as I was training to become a teacher and had over 5 yrs in the industry! My sister outlaw (hee hee) trained to become a beauty therapist and she kept asking me to come for facials and I was genuinely too busy so just got the odd wax, last yr I went to a fantastic wax studio nr my salon and am always raving about them which I know is not nice so I decided to go back to her home salon and help her out (and also as i could get an app for 9pm!!) and now I'm her reg. To her she prob feels excatly the same as she's coming up for 3 yrs as a therapist................
Dont sweat it - I get more happiness from giving a gr8 service to strangers as even now when I do people I know I worry something bad will happen to their nails, tan etc.

 

[oldgaltherapist]

Can I just butt in here and say I know exactly how it feels Violet Star.

I have been in the business since 2002 and I still don't get taken totally seriously except from my mother in law who constantly encourages and praises me (she gets lots of nice treats from me:lol.

I always feel disappointed when I hear of friends and family who have gone somewhere else. I always smile and let the conversation roll on, the one think I don't do is to shout that 'but I can do that too and probably better'!

One of my daughters will not let me do a bikini wax :lol:, she says it is just too embarrassing for her!

Oh well back to slogging my bits out trying to persuade 'other' people to visit me!

He he

 

[Ragdoll >^..^<]

I know its upsetting and not encouraging but dont let it bother you. It will be a blessing in disguise when you are sooo busy with FULL PAYING clients. Your 'friends' and family will soon see that you ARE good at what you do and will be begging you to treat them AND expect you to give them mates rates and freebies, but you can just then say 'sorry im fully booked' ! think how good that will feel :hug: x

 

[ukfaye]

Hi I know exactly how you feel hun, I have loads of friends that dont come to me. I've always thought if it was the other way round I would have supported them not gone somewhere else.
But slowly they have come to me as there other therapitsts have done smoething wrong or not fitted them in. But im getting so busy now, they can see im professional and take me more seriously as i cant just fit them in at the drop of the hat.
So just keep on going hun, they will come one day, and like has been said already you can say, well i can fit you in, in a couple of weeks:lol:!!
Chin up.:hug:

 

[Terese]

Awww,that must be so hard to deal with....but like other geeks have mentioned at least you can have full paying customers.

Have you thought about approaching your clients when you ve done a treatment and taking a picture and popping it into a portfolio..so you can leave it casually lying around for all to look and admire?.....your nails sounded like they were fab, well done to you

Do you think they may be embarrased about using you for treatments?What I mean is would they feel awkward not paying you full wack...and they just feel as times are hard they might be putting you out?

An idea maybe to have a pamper party for all.....few glasses of wine, each do treatments and no doubt yours will come out top...

It will be all come good for you..just wait and see

 

[Anna Lee]

I'm sorry you feel so disappointed by your family and friends. :hug:

But can i just say though, in my opinion, I actually prefer it that friends and family don't ask me to do treatments.

That way, clients can be kept as clients and I can keep my business completely separate from my private life.

I find it works much better this way.

 

[pretty-in-pink]

i feel like that all the time hun im at college at the min doing my hairdressing and im wanting to do as much as poss so i got plenty of expierence under my belt...ive applied for a nail course which starts this sept at my local college but awaiting a interview and hopefully applying for level 3 beauty...ive always said id like to do mobile or own my own salon or having a home business my family,friends and boyfriend just laugh at me it makes me feel so rubbish and knocks my confidence (which is low as it is) just makes me feel like i cant do it i want better for myself than what people i know have...whats wrong with that? arghh people! lol

x

 

[catsaremad]

I know what you mean about the confidence when I first did my beauty therapy my ex husband just thought it was another way to keep me busy but when I completed my course and wanted to do it full time he was not happy at all.............. he liked having a 'accountant' as a wife but a beauty therapist was not 'quite the right image'.

We have know been divorced for three years and my lovely boyfriend Lee has encouraged me to get back into the industry and I have just started my Ezflow Gel course and I will be doing manicures/pedicures mobile at week nights until I have finished my course. Its great that he is behind me all the way even doing my website/leaflets and business cards. I actually feel more positive than I have for many years.

Even my sister phoned me Sunday to ask me to get on with my nail course so she could get her enhancements done !!!!! She has agreeded for a manicure as a trade until I can start practicing on her lol ................I can see many freebies going her way !!!!

 

[sknight]

Well I know how you feel. All I can say is keep doing your own nails and toes and they will see how it is SUPPOSE to look