Today we’d like to introduce you to Molly Nagle.
Hi Molly, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I started Spruce Nail Shop in 2015. I love all things art, and you can usually find me either painting tiny nails or large murals… I tend to paint in extremes.
I studied visual arts education at Indiana University, and I was an art teacher for 5 years. I taught for 4 years with Chicago Public Schools, and 1 year with Cincinnati Public Schools, and I absolutely loved my time teaching. I had several side businesses while I was teaching (a woodworking shop, painting pet portraits, commissioned paintings, etc), but I knew one day I wanted to create a brick-and-mortar space for art and creativity, and this is how Spruce Nail Shop came to be.
I am so proud of the environment we have created over these years. Spruce would not be what it is today without the amazing team we have. We work hard to create a safe environment and fulfilling careers for our team. I work alongside 30 (as of today 31!) amazing women, and I’m thankful for you following along to see what we create.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I don’t think anyone could say that owning a business is a ‘smooth road’. There are so many ups and downs, it really can feel like a rollercoaster sometimes. I’ve learned so much since our first year, and I like to think we are making Spruce better every year. I learn more than I did the previous year, I run into new obstacles every year, but they always make me and Spruce better. I am so thankful for the team I am surrounded by at Spruce, the success we have today is in large part because of the team we have running it.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I studied art in college, and I love all things painting. I have painted murals for many years, and I always loved painting my friends’ nails ever since I was little. When I started Spruce Nail Shop in 2015 I wanted to create a nail salon that felt more like an art studio, like you were in a creative space where everyone around you was creating these tiny original pieces of art. Over the years, Spruce has definitely become known for our nail art. Many of our nail artists are creatives who also paint, make jewelry, pottery, and so much more. One of my favorite parts about what we do at Spruce is that we don’t have pre-set nail art designs. We love for our clients to bring in inspiration (ranging from an album cover, a piece of art, a mood board, anything!) and we get to create something inspired by this on their nails. This allows us to stay creative all day and always trying something new. We love a good art challenge.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
I think one of the shifts that I have noticed in our industry over the last 5 years is the change in product quality and ingredients. At Spruce, we only work with polishes that are 5Free or more (meaning free of the 5 most hard ingredients found in most polishes: Toluene, Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP), Formaldehyde, Formaldehyde Resin, or Camphor). When we first opened we could only find maybe 5 brands that fit our standards, and now just 5 years later, there are probably hundreds it seems. It’s been really wonderful seeing so many changes happen in our industry, and I think it’s only getting better. At Spruce, our focus is on keeping a safe a healthy environment, both for our clients and for our team.
Contact Info:
- Email: info@sprucenailshop.com
- Website: sprucenailshop.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sprucenailshop/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sprucenailshop/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/spruce_nailshop
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/tiny__canvas/
Image Credits:
Amy Elisabeth Spasoff
