Meet Amarpreet Suri | Aesthetician/ Nail technician & Educator

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

Hi Amarpreet, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
It was inevitable that I would one day find myself drawing and creating wearable fashion on the body and eventually taking it seriously as a career path. Pursuing my passion with purpose is particularly important to me, without a purpose the chances of failure are quite high, which includes quitting one career path and moving on to another without truly giving it your all. My purpose has less to do with myself and more to do with those who come to me for nail services. The beauty industry is an incredibly competitive and vulnerable place as the industry is sought to be a way for all people to express themselves in ways that brings out their inner confidence, which can sometimes be forgotten or hard to do. As a licensed aesthetician, I have seen the positive reactions that come pouring out of each client as they smile and love themselves a little more with each service. Through my exploration in the aesthetics field, I noticed doing nails was more intimate and healing for many. The healing aspect of my art is where my purpose comes from. Many clients have come and gone, and many have become regulars. I have seen the emotional changes they go through while amidst their service and it encourages me to keep pushing creative boundaries. Seeing clients’ self-esteem increase became my driving force. This is why I chose to pursue my career as a nail technician. I get the honor to add that much more joy into someone’s life, the opportunity to add to every individual’s beauty and most importantly I get to help them explore their creative sides as they put their trust in me to try new designs. Being a nail technician is more than just making art on nails. It is about being present for my clients when they need a shoulder to lean on and I get to hold their hand through it all, quite literally. It is about the comfort and safety they feel when being serviced by me and entering my space. At the end of each service, I get to see a smile on a face that may have truly needed our time together for their self-care and clarity. That to me is incredibly special. It is not something I take lightly or for granted.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?

To get to where I am professionally has taken me many years. It consisted of a lot of hard work, self-pep talks, long hours, late nights, intense planning and initiating and most importantly consistent character building. “Was it easy?”, definitely not! But as time goes by it only becomes easier if you can form discipline in all aspects of your life. It may seem simple running a business on your own terms but unless you establish a regular routine for all the daily tasks prior to client appointments, during and after, the experience never seems to get passed a chaotic schedule. You want to be able to establish a healthy work environment for yourself with regular routine. This is where staying consistent plays a key role. Character building should never be a “one night stand.” There is no such thing as overnight success. It is an everyday commitment to yourself. You must build the person you want to be. You can present yourself in expensive fashion, but unfortunately that is not significant unless you have what it takes to assertively handle each task at hand accordingly. Confidence is key! It took me a lot of observing, reflecting, character building to overcome the challenges that were once new to me.

Lessons I’ve learnt:

Patience will take you to where you want to be without creating an unhealthy environment. Do not allow external forces to cause confusion and take you off the path to achieving your goals. Learn from your surroundings by educating yourself through more than just books and classrooms. Your experiences shape you. Step out into the work field. Find a mentor if you can. Participate in conversations with other like-minded artists. If you work in a nail salon, be observant, be confident and keep an open mind to what clients wish to get done. This will help you decipher whether you wish to focus on specialties or if you are open to it all. You will also learn tolerance and how to manage tough situations that can cause disruptive behavior between you and your client.

Take time for self-care. It is true, we can overwork ourselves leading straight into a burnout. I have learned to prioritize my health more as I noticed the effects of working long hours has on my body and mind. I personally enjoy working and would do it every day for hours until nightfall. This eventually exhausted me. I am now a regular at the gym and I make sure to book time off each month for self-care to receive mental and emotional clarity.

Do not splurge on products and make sure to work on your fiscal management skills. When you enter the beauty world, there is a saturation of products and nail art decorations that can easily empty your wallet. You end up with items you may not use for weeks, months, and even years. Buy what serves your clientele directly and not what serves fads and trends.

Stay positive through it all. There will be obstacles that will get in the way. Try your best to resist quitting. Push through it. Use what you have and can do to your advantage. Lastly, learn from your mistakes.

If I had to tell the world about NailvenOM, I would let the world know that I am an individual who cares to stand by my actions. I am here to deliver. I am here to expand and share my knowledge with those who seek it and continue to provide a safe space in the nail industry for everyone.

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?
If we are talking about a fun night out or a week filled with fun activities, there sure is a list. I am located on the outskirts of the city, which is why I recommend Toronto! I personally love the concept of self-care which brings me to my favorite place to unwind and hang out, Go Place. This is a beautifully built day spa resort where you can also spend the night and enjoy delicious food and drinks. Let’s not forget about outdoor activities. There is so much to do! From helicopter rides over the city to taking the Ferry to Toronto Island. For my nature lovers, Niagara Falls is a great option. The beautiful part of the city is that there is a little bit of everything for everyone. I recommend staying overnight so you can experience fun rides, attractions, food and even stay indoors for a relaxing spa day.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
During my years of working in the nail industry, I have grown in ways I never imagined I could have in the past. There are so many people I would love to thank individually, but that is a list which may go on for a while. To sum it up, I have to thank my wonderful friends, family and especially my clients, for always giving me their trust and pushing me to put my best foot forward. My dear friends, who continuously encourage me to reach beyond the chair I work in and to expand my horizons, have helped me work my way up into the competitive side of the industry where I became a finalist for Contessa Awards 2022 under the category of Canadian Nail Artist last year. I’m grateful to be supported by my family members, from whom, I have learned to follow through in my passions whole heartedly, to always push myself past my own boundaries, and to explore new opportunities without hesitation and of course they are my biggest cheer leaders. Lastly all my clients who have established a trust with me to deliver my art with the utmost detail and precision. To be successful in any industry we always need a team. This is my team (friends/family/clients).

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Image Credits
instagram accounts photos- @nailvenom @desideriobeauty @allysandracervantes digital agency- @paxtechservices