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Have you ever noticed how so many people around you have their nails done? Or maybe you are someone who likes to get your nails done regularly and is willing to pay a lot of money for it. Some people pay to get their nails done every three weeks, which can cost anywhere from $70 to $100. This is not doable for many college students, yet so many of them have their nails done.  

Isabelle McCann is a freshman at Grand View University who is a self-taught nail artist. McCann is majoring in graphic design and communications and is a member of the dance team. She started doing nails less than a year ago, in February of 2024. McCann bought herself a starter kit and practiced on her sister. She is now a self-taught nail artist offering nail services to GVU students and beyond. 

 “I realized I could be pretty good at it. I’ve always been artsy and creative, so it just worked out,” McCann said.  

McCann continued to do her family and friends’ nails over the summer. It was not until McCann came to college at GVU that her business took off. She started doing her roommate’s nails, which spread the word on the dance team about McCann’s talent.  

McCann now offers gel, gel X and builder gel nail services from the comfort of her dorm. McCann is located in Langrock Suites at GVU and can be contacted through her Instagram @nailswithisabelle, where you can schedule an appointment. Once clients arrive at Langrock Suites, McCann will let them in and walk them up to her dorm. McCann has a nice setup with a little table. Clients will sit on the couch with the table in front of them. There’s a TV that might be playing or some music in the background to make the experience more comfortable for clients.  

McCann is a friendly person and tries to make the client’s experience as comfortable as possible. Her starting price is $35 for gel X nails and may go up depending on the design. McCann keeps friendly prices for college students considering they are not the richest people in the world.  

“I know most of my audience are broke college students, so I like to cater to that demographic,” McCann said.  

Going to a nail salon can cost anywhere from $70 to $100 for a set. McCann wants to offer something more affordable for college students. College students have saved money going to McCann over a traditional nail salon.

Depending on the design, it takes McCann about an hour to an hour and a half for a nail set, which is a bit longer than a certified nail artist.  

“I’m always trying to be more efficient and speed it up,” McCann said.  

The first time I got my nails done was when McCann first started doing nails at GVU in September. She did a cute flower design that I loved. They popped off within a week, which I brought to McCann’s attention, and she was more than willing to redo the ones that fell off. McCann knew this was something she wanted to fix so she bought new products. I went back to McCann for my second set of nails and asked for a cute brown, French tip, ombre look. I showed McCann a picture from Pinterest for inspiration and the nail set she did looked identical to the inspiration picture. She did a wonderful job, and the nails stayed on for three weeks. Her nails now stay on for even longer.

GVU Sophomore Jenna Mintle has done business with McCann and enjoys supporting small local businesses that care for their clients.  

“I loved the time and dedication she put into my nails! She did an amazing job, and my nails lasted over four weeks. I really enjoy that her prices are cheaper than a regular nail salon, so it gives me an excuse to get them done! I also love how creative she is and how each design comes out even better than I would have expected,” Mintle said.  

McCann wants to continue to grow her nail business. She has plans to grow her social media presence and clientele and continue to upgrade her equipment to offer the best services. McCann hopes to one day become a licensed nail technician in gel X nails.  

“You always feel more put together with your nails done,” McCann said.  

I always feel more confident and ready to tackle the day when my nails are done nicely. I love that McCann offers quality service at an affordable price right here on campus. McCann’s small business born at GVU represents the many small businesses that support creative passions and the best interests of their clientele. McCann will continue to provide nail services to GVU students and more, fulfilling her passion and goals for nail art and designs, and it all started in her room.