Meet Catie Buda | Nail Artist & Salon Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Catie Buda and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Catie, what do you attribute your success to?
As a a veteran nail tech in the industry, I have experienced many different types of work spaces, techniques, and clientele. One of the most important factors that I implement in my every day job is quality. Providing a quality service and quality nails is a very important factor for me and my success in my business. Quality nails to me is the attention to detail, taking my time with my clients and giving them a personalized and curated appointment. Surprisingly enough, I have learned and witnessed from my clients and my prior experience, is that it is much harder than one would think to get a satisfying service with exactly what the client is requesting. I feel that I stand out as a service provider because of my emphasis on quality work and using quality products in my salon. My clients are made to feel relaxed when they come into my space and I always do my best to deliver a unique experience when they get their nails done with me .

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I specialize in Japanese Nail Art and hand painted nail art. Being half Japanese, I was inspired by so many of the artists in Japan and love to use gold metal decorations and charms to create on nails. I use high quality gel polish products exclusively from Japan and Korea which a lot of my clients have never seen before. I also hand paint all of my nail art which I believe sets me apart from the traditional nail salons. Having an artistic background has definitely helped me with my nail career and just practicing new techniques and staying on trend also makes me stand out to clients. Apart from my nail art, one of the other things I am most proud about is specializing in growing natural nails long and strong and being able to give my clients the nails of their dreams. With my Natural Nail Goals service I use a specific product that gives the natural nail the strength it needs to grow long without bending, breaking, or peeling. I’m going on my 11th year of doing nails which is crazy to think about but I have definitely encountered challenges throughout the years of my career. I’ve dealt with difficult clientele, difficult nails and have learned to handle those situations with ease after a while. This experience has allowed me to be able to deal with all kinds of people and situations with my prior experience. If you are passionate about something keep pushing through the difficult times and work on your skills all the time. Your confidence and passion will outweigh the hard times and in the long run you can loo back and reflect on how much you’ve grown. I started nails young and I never thought I would be a salon owner when I was 25 years old but I am eternally grateful for where I was and how far I’ve come doing what I love.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Living in South Florida has so many perks and activities to do. Of course we have beautiful beaches galore around which is always a great activity to do when the weather is nice and sunny. The water can be so clear and blue which makes for great snorkeling and shell collecting. The food scene is heaven for foodies. I love to go down to Miami and go to areas such as Wynwood to explore during the day. You can see tons of street art, have an incredible lunch or dinner at the restaurants down there and grab a fancy cocktail. There are all kinds of food cuisines to try and the decor and ambiance in the restaurants are unmatched. South Florida has a great amount of art museums to check out with seasonal exhibits to see such as Banksy or Warhol at the art museums in Miami. There’s a great club scene down in South Florida especially if you are into house or EDM music. There are tons of clubs and lounges and areas with tons of bars to have a drink and dance!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
The beauty and creative industry has grown so much over the years and I would. say social media has been such a great platform to connect and discover other nail artists in my industry. I have been able to make some great connections with my fellow nail techs from across the states and they have helped me if I have ever run into an issue with a product or giving me tips when I was trying out a new technique. I have a handful of local friends who are small business owners in the industry and I love being able to relate and ask them for advice. Of course having love and support from my family and friends has been incredible to me throughout my journey in my career.

Website: www.schedulicity.com/scheduling/nbcfr8

Instagram: @nailsbycatie_

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