San Antonio-based nail tech Chloe Reed returned to an early passion when she began designing T-shirts. “I was having issues with my hands and I was looking for a way to supplement my income in the event that my diagnosis was not great and I would not be able to do nails,” she explains. “The idea came to me because in my early years I was a seamstress and my undergrad degree is in fashion merchandising.”

Reed enjoys creating shirts with slogans and designs to help fellow nail techs market themselves. “In my first manicurist position at a salon, I wore a smock with my name on the back and would pass out cards in the mall to gain new clients,” she says. “The cool design of my airbrushed smock also encouraged people to ask me where I worked, and I’d give them my information.”

Reed loves making designs full of sparkle and shine using Swarovski crystals and other types of glitter. “There are so many different foil and glitter mediums that the possibilities are endless,” she says. In addition to creating her own designs, Reed takes custom orders. She says one challenge is making sure logos and designs are easily readable.

She sells her shirts through her Instagram (@GlamNailZ210) and by posting on Facebook. The venture has been going well: “A lot of my nail buddies have been supportive in my new business venture and it’s also taking a lot of the stress off of my hands,” says Reed. In some ways, designing T-shirts isn’t so different from being a nail tech: “I still get to use foil and glitter, which is my absolute favorite thing,” she says.

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