FingerNailFixer

Tech-to-Tech Sharing: What Are Your Favorite Resources?

by Holly Schippers | April 5, 2011 | Bookmark +

Have you ever heard the tip debates asking if we prefer to be thought of as a waitress or as a doctor-type person? I’m not touching the whole tipping debate with a 10-foot pole today, but I would love to chat about our similarities to a doctor. I have a disorder that requires regular check-ins with my doctor, which makes it almost feel like a friend is guiding me along in better care of myself.

Upon visiting her yesterday we were discussing medication adjustments again and she practically lit up and said “At the conference I just got back from, we learned that…” How many of us have ever done that? In that moment I felt a kindred professional spirit, excited about what she does and yearning to do it better every day. She has said that many times over the years and it has been wonderful to be on the cutting edge of care at all times. I strive to be that for my clients and even my fellow professionals. I love, LOVE sharing what I learned and I even love learning it! We do not always have to attend a class or show to learn something new. What are your very favorite resources to use in answering client questions and concerns? Please share your favorite resources in the comments as the more information we have and share, the better the expansion of our knowledge base. Feel free to leave us a link on where to find it for the less web-savvy if you have a chance. 

Having our own set of resources helps with confidence in caring for clients, for example, my newest addition to the list of annoyances is plantar fasciitis. While I had heard of this and she gave me a brief idea of what it was and the things I am supposed to try for treatment, I wondered how I could further educate myself on it so as to have a general idea if a client were suffering from it and know when to suggest they visit their favorite medical professional. My newest online resource of info is the NAILS Encyclopedia, so I looked it up and was so happy to find great information and a fab photo! How many of you have even popped into the Encyclopedia to check it out since the new site launched? In the times of smart phones, tablets, and salon PCs there is no reason you shouldn’t be able to pull something up quickly to better assist a client.

The go-to book for me is Doug Schoon’s Nail Structure and Product Chemistry. My copy is looking well-loved and I have found many an answer to many a question in there, and even learned things I didn’t know I needed to know until I knew them! He is so excited about the nail industry that he will even autograph a book by request and send it anywhere in the world! I hope you enjoyed the brain presentation while it was open. Picking up the book at least once a week and opening it to a random page offers a chance to refresh and expand knowledge. The more times you are exposed to something, the better you know it.

My doctor looks things up for me in books or quickly on the computer all the time. Since we as nail professionals have a set of resources, passion for what we do, and the desire to improve daily, it seems as though we are more a guide to better nail care and not so much a servant. So go to work the next time, head held high, resources in tow, and confidence in the fact that you are not “just the nail girl,” you are the nail guide to improved natural accessories.

— Holly

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