We continue our profiles of Gothenburg businesses this week with a spotlight on Nail’d It By Makenna. Owner Makenna Ruppert shared lots of insight on her thriving business.
The 20-year-old Ruppert grew up in North Platte and graduated from Brady High School. After that, she went to school to be a nail technician and that is what brought her to Gothenburg.
“When I was in high school, I always went and got my nails done. I always thought that was a great thing and I just decided to help other people with their nail needs,” Ruppert shared. “I chose Gothenburg because my teacher in nail school said Gothenburg was looking for a nail technician. I walked into every salon in town before finding Shear Elegance and I just fell in love with it.”
Ruppert currently shares a space with Shear Elegance, but she is her own separate entity.
She has been open for a year and a half and said that business is good overall. “We are still building clientele, but I love everybody that I have gotten to help.” Ruppert shared that during schooling, she was measured by how many hours she had completed practicing. She completed seven hours in just three short months. “You basically just have to have enough hours in each credit category.”
Ruppert offers a wide array of services including acrylics, dip, gel polish, Gel X, pedicures, and even simple nail trimming. Prices start at $30 but can be more or less depending on the service you require.
When asked what inspires her art designs, she shared that she garners several ideas from Pinterest. “I also just love when people walk in and say, ‘I want this’ and have me bring it to life for them. I don’t have a signature art style but if you come in with an idea or a picture, I can usually do it for you.”
Ruppert continued by sharing some of the things she cannot do. “Little details can be hard. The other biggest thing is when people bring in an AI-generated image. Some of them are just outlandish and I have to explain that it would not be possible to complete.”
Some of the questions Ruppert faces in her line of work include people asking if their nails look infected or if certain nail polish brands are okay to use. She also shared that Gel X is the most popular thing right now. “It’s pretty much press on nails, but they stay on a lot longer,” she explained.
“My advice is to not give up on yourself,” Ruppert said when asked what advice she might have for newcomers to their own business. “Starting out is not easy and all you can do is practice, practice, practice.”
Every job comes with its rewards. Ruppert shared that the biggest reward in her line of work is making people happy. “When people can leave with a smile on their face, that is all that I need.”
Nail’d it is located at 821 Lake Ave. inside of the Shear Elegance building. You can find many flyers around town with contact information to book an appointment.
