Woman In Business Spotlight: Magic By Michelle

Twenty-six-year-old Michelle McFann created her business Magic By Michelle in 2020 and has been doing nails ever since. Creating her business name came naturally — one of her previous clients told her that her work was magic, and this is how it came to be.

Source: Michelle McFann

As a previous hairstylist assistant working at a salon, she wanted to branch out to other aspects of the beauty industry, but she was discouraged and was told to focus only on hair. It wasn't until the COVID-19 pandemic that she decided to follow her passions and learned how to do nails, which she ended up loving.

McFann decided to move out of her mother's house and rent a studio apartment where she practiced doing nails. She was constantly on the move, but her business remained throughout the process. She is currently open in Hidden Havens in Staten Island, New York."I just kind of moved out and moved up in a way," she says.

McFann has been a nail tech for about four years, which means her business has continuously evolved.

“It was slow in the beginning," she says, "I had to work other jobs, but then 2022 [came around, and] I had an abundance of clients (85-90 clients). Then I moved to the suite I rent out now, and it got slow. Maybe it's because I raised my prices or moved farther — I'm not sure why, I got a bit discouraged at the time but I was patient and I’m doing better than I ever have before. I couldn’t ask for a more abundant clientele."

The most rewarding part of the job for her is making people happy and being a listening ear for her clients. Creating a safe space for her clients is crucial to her. When it comes to her inspiration, her passions are what drives her.

“My work is motivated by painting," she says." I like to paint — I've always liked to draw, so I ended up loving to do nails because I'm able to create little art pieces on nails; that's what motivates me the most."

As a woman running a small business, McFann shares some challenges she faces:"I feel like you have to always mentally be there, and as women, we go through different phases all the time— it’s a lot to balance everything at once because you need to be there one hundred percent, if not your business takes a toll, then you take a toll because you're not making as much or doing as well as you want to and you have to remind yourself why your doing this to keep going," she says.

In addition to this struggle, she was looked down upon because she did not want to attend college. She was told that she couldn't go to cosmetology school. She felt as though her dreams were misunderstood by others and downplayed because what she wanted as a career was different from others' expectations of her, but this did not stop her. She is now a successful nail tech with a small business that will only continue to grow.

"I wouldn’t be where I’m at today without the love and support of friends and family," she says.

If you are a woman who wants to create a small business or if you have been discouraged by your dreams, McFann advises never giving up. "Stay humble, and believe in yourself."