NAILS is pleased to welcome a new team of bloggers to The Coaching Chronicles: salon coach Jill Wilson and nail tech Sandy Combs.

A licensed nail technician since 1994, Jill Wilson started her career at Snips SpaSalon in Bloomington, Minn., where she is currently a nail technician and an owner. As the owner, she has grown her nail department to represent more that 30% of the salon’s income. Due to this success, the salon was featured in Salon Today's Top 200 Fastest Growing Salons.

After hitting a financial ceiling doing nails, Jill helped to author and launch the Nail Associate Program for Summit Salon Consulting Group. The Nail Associate Program not only changed the way she did nails, but it also changed her income. She has had $1,000+ days, service and retail sales over $10,000 a month, and makes over $100,000 annually as a nail technician.

As a former cosmetology school educator, Jill has worked with school educators and implemented nail technician classes at cosmetology schools. She's also a consultant for Summit Salon Consulting Group. Jill travels the United States and Canada consulting with nail departments on site. She guides salon owners on how to build strong, successful, money-generating nail departments.

As part of salon trainings, she customizes add-on menus, introduces time saving techniques, implements The Nail Associate Program, and teaches artificial nail application and filing techniques. She also teaches good body mechanics for longevity and has added CND Shellac and OPI Axxium to the visit. She gives advice on how to increase retail and ask for referrals, implements a guest recovery system, and motivates stagnant nail technicians.

Jill will be mentoring Sandy Combs, a nail tech based in Walla Walla, Wash. Sandy’s path to a career in nails was an unusual one. She got her start in the beauty industry after an injury took the very tip of one of her fingers. 

Sandy explains: “I started using the store kits to make the nail look normal and one day my fiancé said to me, “With all the money you spend on those kits, we could send you to nail school.’ The light bulb went on and I went to cosmetology school. I started as a full-service cosmetologist doing hair, facials, and nails. A few years ago I moved to a new state and decided to specialize in just nails (always my favorite services to do anyway). I am completely fascinated with all aspects of the nail industry and am always looking to increase my knowledge and skill.”

Check back here next week to read their first posts.