Nail tech and Young Nails mentor Mindy Morgan goes for the long-term payoffs with her students at Nail Logic The Institute of Nail Technology in Mesa, Ariz. At this 1,346-sq.-ft. school, her students sometimes get upset with her in the short-term. “My students usually think I am mean and hard on them. This does truly hurt my feelings. I tell all of them, ‘You may not like me at this point, but give it a couple of months into this profession, and you will thank me for pushing you so hard,’” Morgan says. “The best reward is when they come back and do just that: They come back and thank me.”

REAL-WORLD READY

“Our students are fully prepared not only for their boards, but for the salon,” Morgan says.

One way Morgan prepares students for the real world is time-testing them against the clock. “In the real world, a customer does not have hours to get their nails and feet done,” Morgan reasons. The school also introduces students to electric files, specifically focusing on enhancement removal. Trends are also covered, such as having more than 200 glitters on hand so students can practice nail art with colored acrylics and gel enhancements. Robotic hands are a lifelike alternative to stiff plastic hands in training. And Morgan’s training with Young Nails also comes into play. She teaches her students how to do a reverse application.

Training for the state board exam is of course also incorporated. “We also mock boards every month to month and a half,” Morgan says.

ROAD TO OPENING NAIL LOGIC

Like many school owners, Morgan founded a nail school because she felt there must be a better way. “When I held monthly classes for Young Nails, I noticed how the nail techs were being turned out into this beauty world with just enough to pass their boards! In Arizona, the cosmetology schools had gotten rid of the nail programs. Cosmetologists take about 40 hours in nails during their course, and I was so tired of seeing these techs walk into a class and blindsided with what they were not taught. I had had enough.”

In addition to being the owner, Morgan is an instructor at Nail Logic too, which she loves as it lets her share her knowledge and years of experience with the students. Her favorite lesson to teach is nail diseases and disorders. “We have mnemonics to remember things,” Morgan says. “For instance, onynchophagy = bitten nails; we remember it by thinking ‘when nails are bitten they look choppy and haggy.’”

SWEET SUCCESS

Since opening in July of 2011, the school has grown in leaps and bounds. “When Nail Logic first opened, I was a one-man band. Six months into it I hired my first instructor to help me, two months later I hired my right-hand helper Lisa Randal. We both have 20 years in the business and we are here to make the students the best we can. In November of 2012 I hired Sheri Deal, who brings more than 25 years of experience with her. I sought my instructors out. When educating for Young Nails, I would pay attention to their demeanor, work, and years of experience in this artistic world. I approached them to become instructors and join my team.”

Enrollment has increased as well from 11 students in the first year to 16 students in the first nine months of the second year. Morgan also recently opened a salon next to the school, and two school graduates rent space there.

In the future, the school plans to increase its square footage to 1,800, plus it is in the process of being accredited — sweet success for a school that is 100% nail-focused.

Fast Facts

Nail school: Nail Logic The Institute of Nail Technology
Location: Mesa, Ariz.
Owner: Mindy Morgan
Square footage: 1,346 (soon to be 1,800)
Opened: July 2011
Number of Employees: 4
Number of hours to complete the nail course: 600
Website:www.naillogicinstitute.com

Editor’s Note:  This profile is part of a series spotlighting successful nail programs. To nominate a nail program for an article, please e-mail sree.roy[at]bobit.com.

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