The process of doing manicures and pedicures can differ greatly, and Nail Technician Maria Laura Hidalgo Lopez saw an opening in the local market for her style of nail care after coming to the United States from Venezuela a little over five years ago.
Lopez came to Madison with her husband Edgar Torres Baños and quickly realized that finding a job for someone who recently immigrated and did not have a degree would be limiting and considered her options. After time and thinking about her introduction to the beauty industry in her teenage years, Lopez landed on nail care through her business Nails By Maria as a way to spread her skills.
“When you decide to change your life and come here, you need to try to figure out what the plan is. What are we going to do with ourselves to make the immigration worth it? I was looking, and it took me a while to figure out what I wanted to do,” Lopez told Madison365, remarking on the cost and other barriers of getting a four-year degree.
“When I came here, I saw nail businesses are in a business that’s rich in high demand. I think people value that, feeling pretty and that somebody else is doing that for them,” she said.
Lopez saw a gap in the market for offering a more natural style of doing nails that doesn’t rely on acrylics, dips, or gels, and focuses on the process rather than the result. When it came to the idea of using chemicals all day and the residue that can be left from products, Lopez decided that cutting back to the basics and committing more time to the experience would be better for both her and the customer.
