When it comes to nail designs, Zandra Maldonado of Green Bay is dazzling clients. From marbling to polka dots, she shows off a creativity that sets her salon apart. But her current location in a home-based salon is limiting her growth, and she is looking to expand into a bricks and mortar space.
“I had a lady call after she saw my work online,” Maldonado said. “She wanted to make an appointment, but when I told her the salon was in my house, she decided not to come because that wasn’t as comfortable. That’s when I was like, ‘I have to move this business.’ I have put myself in a box, and the home is a distraction.”
That led her to meet with Green Bay SCORE mentors Paul Carron and Dan Pawilitzke. In the video session, she showed them how small her current workspace is and talked about her desire to locate in downtown Green Bay, hire staff, and serve more clients.
Maldonado impressed them with her work ethic and creativity. Despite a hard childhood, she has proven to be a go-getter. She was born in Chicago and moved to Green Bay with her husband in 2010. At the time, she was at home raising five children. When her husband got injured and could no longer work, something needed to change.
“I knew I needed to do something. I went to NWTC (Northeast Technical College in Green Bay) to get my high school diploma and then to the College of Menominee (Nation) and Rasmussen University to earn degrees as a certified nursing assistant and then licensed practical nurse. I thought I was meant to be in health care,” she said.
But she also liked to dabble in nails. As she worked full time, she began to do nails for friends and family.
She said, “I found nails to be relaxing and creative. It’s like health care because you are taking care of people, but taking care of them in a different way.”
That care also involves working in areas that other nail techs often avoid. She has become an expert in doing specialized pedicures. Services include problem feet, ingrown toenails, pincer nails, fungus, thick toenails, and impacted toenails. Maldonado says that offering these services gives her a niche in the industry since it is something many salons avoid.
“I want to be a person who can and will do all things and do them better,” she said. “I use products that will help people keep their nails healthy.”
She considered working at an established salon as a nail tech, but said that sanitation wasn’t always a priority at some of those salons. Some reused nail files, buffers, and solutions (that is illegal) and put profit above client care. In her salon, it is a priority to use all new or newly sterilized implements and products. In addition, Maldonado spends hours learning about the latest trends and techniques.
“A woman who had looked at my photos on Instagram said that the pictures didn’t do justice to how good her nails looked after her appointment,” she added.
With those encouraging words and many others from satisfied clients, Maldonado looks forward to doing whatever it takes to reach her goals. She continues to work with the SCORE mentors and is taking a business management class at NWTC where she is working on a business plan.
She said, “I want to have a business that doesn’t fail, and I believe in life-long learning. The business plan will educate me on the ins and outs of this. I want to be my own boss and have something to pass down to my kids, and for my kids to see what can be accomplished. I’ve been going up, up, up and I don’t plan to stop.”
That means a busy life. She operates the salon, works in health care part time, takes classes, and finalizes the business plan. She also posts on social media and is developing a marketing plan to brand Dazzled Nails as a widely known salon. But her larger goal remains: finding a space where the business can grow.
Wendy Townsend, projects and planning manager for the city of Green Bay, has assisted in that endeavor by helping identify potential locations. She is also looking into the Urban Hub in downtown Green Bay to take part in programs for minorities and also hopes to find grants or other sources of funding.
When it feels like it is taking longer than hoped, she thinks back to the words of one of her favorite movies, Finding Nemo.
“Keep swimming,” one of the characters advises.
Even if the journey is upstream, that is what she plans to do. As an example of her ability to thrive, she talks about the pandemic and not being able to work at her health care job. During that time, she was one of the first to start making masks in an assortment of patterns and selling them for $7 each. She also canned and sold pickles.
She said, “I am creative and adaptable. Even now, I continue to try new things. I am studying to be an herbalist and have started looking at natural remedies. I’m also making soaps that I can sell in my salon.”
The salon will also carry products like cuticle oil, skin oil, and body butters. She hopes to make many of them. Within a year, her goal is to be thriving in a new space with three pedicure chairs, three manicure tables, and several employees. Once established, plans call for an apprenticeship program. When she talks about her plans, it is with confidence.
“I am a person who adjusts to circumstances regardless of what life brings," she said. "I was a housewife with self-doubt because I did poorly in elementary school because my mother moved around so much and I was behind in school. But now I am taking off and I am not afraid to try anything.”
That enthusiasm bodes well for Dazzled Nails. Despite a busy schedule at home, work, and in class, she manages to find time to study and learn new things.
She said, “YouTube is my best friend. I follow the trends — now it is darker colors for fall like maroon, browns, dark reds, fall leaves, and greens. I have some tiny leaves that I can lay down and it looks like a glass nail with leaves inside. The nail industry is booming right now and I am a meticulous manicurist. This is a confidence booster; when people leave after getting their nails done, they feel good.”
Tina Dettman-Bielefeldt is co-owner of DB Commercial Real Estate in Green Bay and past district director for SCORE, Wisconsin.
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Owner of Dazzled Nails looks to expand, find downtown Green Bay space
