The Nail Hub Podcast Transcription: Moving Forward

Below is a transcribed version of The Nail Hub Podcast, Episode 94: Moving Forward. To listen, click here.

Welcome to The Nail Hub Podcast, powered by NAILS Magazine, where you'll find all the business advice, motivation, and nail industry information you need to be a successful nail professional. I'm Elizabeth Morris and thank you for joining me today. Today is Martin Luther King Day, and I thought how appropriate it is to talk about some of the things that relate to today. One of my favorite quotes from Dr. Martin Luther King is, "If you can't fly, then run. If you can't run, then walk. If you can't walk, then crawl. But whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward." 

 I think that is such an awesome quote. And obviously, Dr. Martin Luther King was a big advocate specifically for civil rights and human rights for that matter. But I also think that it's amazing to think about the type of personality and the type of drive that we all should have when it comes to making our mark on this world. And it is so easy to just get kind of hung up with the day-to-day doldrums of, you know, having to run errands and doing chores, and working and supporting our families, and being there for our friends. And just trying to get up and shower and do our hair and makeup every day seems like a big task at times.   

But we're all here for a reason. I believe that wholeheartedly. I think that, you know, during this time, during the new year, it's always a time of reflecting on what we want to do going forward. It's a reminder that we have lived through another year, that we've got a lot more in our rearview mirror than we did before. And knowing that and especially with hindsight being 20/20, what do we want to do? What mark do we want to make on this world? What do we want to leave behind as our legacy?   

I mean, I think that's something that's really important to think about, and it could be something so small. It doesn't have to be something as big as having a holiday named after you because you made such a mark on history. It can be something as small as bringing life and love, and beauty to your clients, being a source of positive energy to your colleagues, helping by contributing what you're really good at. Maybe you're excellent at, you know, massage. Maybe massage is something that you really feel connected to human beings and you love making people feel comfortable, and you love helping people relax. I actually had the pleasure to work with someone when I was running my salon that she just really spoke through massage.   

It was like she was a great nail tech and she did beautiful nails, but nobody massaged like she did and nobody gave you that feeling of connection like she did. And she really loved what she did and you could feel that positive energy every time that she worked on a client. Or, you know, I had the pleasure of her, you know, massaging my feet a couple times for a pedicure. It was amazing. And something as small as that, if we think about it in terms of the mark that we can leave as nail technicians or people who are nail technicians and also live our personal lives, think about what that might be for you. What mark do you want to leave on this planet, especially in 2018?   

You know, I think the New Year's resolution thing is a little bit overdone, as far as, you know, having to sacrifice something to become a better person and having to give up chocolate, sugar, coffee, whatever that might be for you. You know, maybe you're going to quit smoking. Maybe you're going to quit drinking. Maybe you're going to lose weight. Maybe you're going to just have more personal time with your family. Whatever that New Year's resolution is, I think New Year's resolutions, in a way, they feel more like giving something up than they do actually applying something to our lives.   

And so I think what better thing to think about today than what we can contribute. And I'm definitely thinking about that. I recently was surprised by the February edition of NAILS Magazine that just got released. And I saw all these people posting on Facebook about this, 35 nail techs who have changed the industry. And I was like, "Wow, that's so cool." And I saw, you know, people like Lauren Wireman and Tom Bachik and, you know, Vicki Peters is on there. And I'm thinking like, "Wow. Like this is really cool." And, you know, Vivian Valenty and all these amazing people that I think really have made a mark, really have contributed to the industry, and I just think that's so cool.   

And lo and behold, I go on the website, and I'm looking through all of these profiles and all of this stuff, and I'm on there. And I was like, "What? No way. There's no way that I have been able to be in the same league as these people." I mean, Holly Shippers, Tammy Taylor, Jill Wright, I mean, these are names... You know, Athena Elliot, these are names of people that to me are people that have really made a mark on the industry. And you should really check out the article in the February edition of "Nails Magazine" because I think it is just so cool. NAILS Magazine is celebrating their 35th year as a publication and so they did this special article about 35 nail techs who've had a positive and lasting effect on the nail industry.   

And to me, being a part of that group of 35 people out of everyone that's in this industry almost brought me to tears. Because I was thinking like, "Wow, I've only been in this industry for five years." And it has been my goal. You know, one of the things that I set out when I started in this industry as a nail technician and I started my own salon, and I saw all the challenges that can come your way being a small business owner in this industry and all the things that come your way as a nail technician... And having that pressure to provide happiness for our clients, and trying to be an artist and find your own identity, and do excellent services and, you know, be a finance guru at the same time and a business owner, and find time to be with friends and family... I mean, it is really challenging.   

And so that, for me, inadvertently became almost my mission in this industry which was, "How could I almost pay it forward for those people? How could I help someone else who is or is going to go through that same situation? What could I do to help them out? What could I do to make their life easier?" And it's so funny because I kind of did it just thinking like, "Gosh, you know, this is really hard to do. I've learned so much through this five-year process. I really want to help others if I can." And I never thought in a million years that I would be listed as one of the top 35 people that have helped change this industry. And I am seriously humbled by that.   

And as someone who... I am someone who I just drive myself forward a lot without really giving myself credit for the accomplishments that I've made. And so to have this kind of recognition, to me, is really awesome. So without getting super-emotional, I just wanted to remind you that no matter how big or how small your contribution in life, just sometimes smiling and giving people positive energy is all that you need to do to really make someone else's life better, and I constantly think about that. At the end of my days, when I'm hopefully 120 years old and I'm laying in my bed like the lady from "Fried Green Tomatoes" and, you know, thinking about the amazing adventure that I've been on, what do I want to look back and be proud of and what do I want to say that I've done? And what do I want to be known for?   

And for me, that has been something that has always motivated me. And I know that It's not every day that I feel motivated. There are days where I feel very tired. I don't want to get up, I don't want to do anything, and I just want to lay in bed and pull the covers over my head. Because sometimes life is difficult and sometimes feeling that pressure to perform can consume you. But I think being someone that really wants to accomplish something important and wants to inspire others, I have to remember that I have to keep going. And so I want you guys to keep going. And I want you guys to think about 2018, what do you want to remember 2018 for? What do you want to be remembered for, and what mark do you want to leave on this world?   

And even if you can't fly, or you can't run, or you can't walk, then just remember that you have to keep moving forward. And I think that Dr. Martin Luther King said it absolutely correctly, which is we need to keep progressing. We need to keep advancing. We need to keep improving. We need to think about the choices that we're making. We need to think about how it affects others, live life full of love and respect for one another, and just do what we can do. And making that mark on the world, I think, is something that we should all contribute. And I think that this is a great thought for entering 2018 to think about what we all want to do.   

And it may be in the nail industry. It may be in your personal life. Whatever your goals are, take a second to meditate over that, and just sit there and think about what do you want out of this year. And you don't necessarily have to have a plan as to how you're going to get it. But I think that there is something to be said for manifesting things by really focusing your energy towards it. And the more that you focus and the more that you stay focused, the more that those things are going to come true. And I wish you guys all the success in the world this year. I hope that The Nail Hub Podcast and everything I've done has really helped you.   

I hope that you take this momentum and you go and help others. Because if we really can have that trickle-down effect where, you know, we help each other, we get inspired by other people and we take that and use it as motivation to help others, then this planet is going to be one hell of a planet. And I'm excited to see what all of you guys do this year. Can't wait for all the amazing things that are going to happen. And again, I'm very honored to have this recognition. I just can't believe it. And I want you guys to think about, you know, what ways I can help you this year. If there's something that you're looking for that we haven't covered here, I would love to hear about it.   

So please, don't hesitate to reach out to me. I love reading all of your emails. I get emails all the time from listeners and whenever I can help, I really like to. And I'm also going to be teaching a lot this year. One of my personal goals is I am going to not attend as many trade shows as I did last year. Trade shows are great, but I want to really focus on some other activities. One of my biggest goals for this year is taking what I've learned in Spanish from my husband, who's Mexican... And, you know, as someone who now speaks Spanish, not perfectly but I would say fluently, I really want to take what I've contributed in English and start to do that in Spanish.   

That's one of my personal goals for this year. Because I think that there's a lot of Spanish speakers, and especially in Mexico and South America, where people are looking for high-quality education and it's not there yet. So I'd like to be someone who offers that. And also, I want to teach this year. I really want to continue this momentum of helping others, consulting others, helping people turn their businesses around, helping people start businesses. To me, there's nothing prouder than seeing people who decide to enter this industry and start their own businesses, become entrepreneurs in whatever capacity, and become successful.   

To me, that is the most amazing journey. And as someone who, you know, hesitantly did it myself by, you know, my husband pushing me to leave my corporate mentality and really become a true entrepreneur, It's been one of the most exciting, crazy experiences I've had. It's also been super-rewarding. And I want to see more people do that if they are so inclined. So I encourage you guys to really get out there, get motivated, think about what you want to do, manifest your realities. Make your wishes come true by focusing on all of the things that you want to see come to fruition. And think about what kind of mark you want to leave on this world because I think that's a very important thing to focus on.   

So can't wait to see what all of you guys do this year. More amazing podcasts to come. And as always, reach out to me, liz@thenailhub.com, or hit me up at The Nail Hub if you'd like to let me know what your thoughts are for this year. And again, as always, I'm going to post this on YouTube. So I love reading all of your comments. You guys have been so awesome interacting with me and, you know, letting me know what your thoughts are on everything that we talk about on the podcast. And I can't wait to see what you guys have to say about your goals for 2018. Happy Martin Luther King Day. Bye.   

This is Elizabeth Morris signing off from The Nail Hub. This podcast is sponsored by "Nails Magazine," the professional nail industry's leading publication. Have a suggestion, question, or concern? Send me an email at liz@thenailhub.com. And don't forget to follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter @thenailhub, and check out The Nail Hub YouTube channel for more episodes and tutorials. Want customized business consulting, access to classes, amazing products, and more? Visit thenailhub.com and check out all of the wonderful things we provide. Our goal is to help you reach your ultimate potential. Thanks for listening and I'll catch you in the next episode.