Guest Post: Two Perspectives on the Nail Those Profits Cruise

Every year the Nail Those Profits at Sea Cruise sets sail from port and goes on a great adventure with nail education and vacation blending into unforgettable memories you take home and cherish. I have tried to bring you my perspective over the years as an attendee and an educator, so this year for something different, you are receiving a guest blog from another person who has been on the cruise with Vicki Peters, the originator of the cruise, as well as cruising since she passed.

Nikki Law is a salon owner in Michigan who started out as a salon professional and grew into a salon owner. As a bonus, her husband Justin was kind enough to add his perspective to the blog. So if you have been considering going on the nail cruise and your companion doesn’t know what they would do with themselves, have them read Justin’s point of view! — Holly

Nikki:

Welcome to the best type of education with Nail Those Profits at Sea. The 2020 Nail Cruise had us on The Carnival Conquest, a truly beautiful ship. This is our third Nail Cruise and let me tell you how awesome it was. The first and foremost reason is the EDUCATION! This year’s education line up did not disappoint. Janet McCormick was this year’s keynote speaker. Her background in this industry is impressive and she brought that to us, sharing tips and tricks to become a six-figure nail tech. Being a 16-year veteran in this industry and a salon owner, I took so much away from this class, including learning about menu changes, increasing production, and upsell percentages.

The Profiles girls, Traci and Ami, taught us all about the hot trend of cat eye gel-polish and there was even a friendly competition. Angela and Deb showed us all about Xtens — proper application and troubleshooting. Hazel Dixon came aboard this year to show proper form fitting, and how to build a stiletto nail and 4-D nail art. Having never done 4-D art, I found her technique made it super easy. Gina showed us how to use different picture editing apps to get those perfect nail pictures that we all know she does so well. She also demonstrated crystal application.

So that was the education breakdown, and the classes were all so great. Whether you are a nail veteran or new to the industry, you will walk away learning lots.

Waking up on a beautiful ship, warm weather, palm trees, great drinks and even better food is awesome, however being surrounded with other professionals in this industry is priceless. What happens outside of the classroom is what draws me back year after year to cruise. I have made lifelong friendships that have also created a professional network that has allowed me to continue to learn and grow in this industry. Gathering around the pool or sharing a table at dinner is when you can really sit and talk with educators and other nail professionals and really have a chance to connect and get to know them. This experience is something that you need to do.

2021 is not going to be too shabby. We will be on the Carnival Horizon, heading to Aruba. For details follow the Nail Those Profits at Sea Facebook page or reach out to my friend Braden Jahr. For three cruises I have had my husband join me. He is going to share from a non-nail pro point of view why if you get a chance to tag along you definitely what to. — Nikki

Justin:

Hello! I have been asked to share my experience of being a non-professional attending the Nail Those Profits at Sea Cruises. First let me say that my three experiences have been nothing short of phenomenal. First and foremost, I truly enjoy seeing my wife totally in her element out of the “work” setting. It’s actually really great seeing all these ladies and men, who have given their all to this industry up to and including missing date nights and kids’ sporting events and burning the candle at both ends to make a run at being truly successful. Every one of them who I had the chance to meet and talk to has been amazing.

Now you may be asking yourself what does an individual who does not do nails do while on these cruises. The answer is simple...I have the time of my life. Even though these cruises are set up for nail professionals there are lots of things to do to keep a non-professional busy. During the sea days when nail classes are going on I keep myself busy with going to the gym (have to work off all the delicious food that is overly consumed through the week), pulling up a chair out near the pool and reading, playing basketball, and I have even entered ping pong tournaments. When lunch arrives I pick Nikki up at class so she can tell me about all she’s learning. If you are into watching sports instead of playing them, this particular ship had a sports bar with tennis, soccer and MMA playing steadily on their TVs. Also a casino is readily available if you’re into risking it all. And the activities for kids are far too numerous to mention.

Port days are the days I really look forward to. Nikki and I spend time before the cruise picking out exactly the right activities for us to enjoy in all the great countries we visit. We have done everything from hiking to cave tubing to sitting on an all-inclusive beach for the day. I enjoy these days the best, as I get Nikki all to myself for a little while. Even if nail friends join us and discussions of the industry pop up or they discuss tips and tricks while drinking chocolate martinis it is still a stress-free, no-work environment. No phones, no clients and just the company of a few great people who want to relax and enjoy themselves as much as you. And as anyone in this industry can attest, having time to relax and enjoy yourself is worth its weight in glitter.

After dinner all through the cruise is when activities really get going. The have stand-up comics and karaoke to make you laugh. There are also a variety of stage shows to take in. I found the offerings on this last cruise to be fantastic! There also always seem to be little parties popping up randomly throughout the ship. Dance parties, trivia parties and even watch- and jewelry-selling parties. In short, cruising is a fantastic way to spend time with your loved one and to truly enjoy yourself. And I for one am so looking forward to the next time I can go and get a little break from reality.  — Justin