Maryam Naderi: Paloma Nail Salon

Tell us a little about yourself, and what you do? I have spent 11 years in management consulting for a private global firm, mostly working in Energy here in Houston. Working in Energy has afforded me the ability to travel around the world and experience different cultures, etc. I am also the founder of Paloma - as of Nov 2016. What inspired you to open Paloma? Simply put, I love getting my nails done and hated the typical nail salon experience for so long - finally after reading the NYTimes expose in May of 2015 I realized, it really is as bad as I thought, and even worse! I thought there was a market for a nail salon that is nicer than the average strip center salon but not as pricey as a day spa. That is where Paloma fits in — the nontoxic ethos was paramount from day 1. I knew I didn’t want harsh chemicals that had been proven as carcinogenic in Paloma — so from the beginning I was committed to avoid the “dirty 5”. On top of that, I wanted somewhere extremely clean, modern, yet inviting. A place you wouldn’t want to leave, and couldn’t wait to come back to. -What’s your favorite part about your “job”? and What is your least favorite? Most favorite - well two things: providing a clean environment for nail technicians to earn a fair income, and also connecting with clients who love our approach to nail care // least favorite: how difficult it is to find great techs! -What are your must have beauty products? What can't you leave the house without? Pure Argan oil, concealer, and some type of cream blush — or just really big sunglasses ;) What do you think defines beauty? Kindness What is one piece of advise that someone told you when starting out that you felt was valuable and stuck with you? “People think being an entrepreneur is glamorous, it’s not” — AMEN! What is your guilty pleasure? Sugar What is your favorite thing to do on downtime? Anything with my husband What do you think is the next trend in nails/polish Happy happy colors! I think we will see so many more chic yet fun designs in nail art, a lot of our clients want something edgy but office appropriate - there are so many fun options here Tell us one thing on your bucket list. Give back in a big way to children struggling to receive a good education Tell us something you love about the area/ community you live in and what makes it special. I love that Houston is SO business friendly, it’s a big city with a small city feel. People are eager to help others in any way they can, knowing that even if the person can’t return the favor in the near future, they know that the universe always makes sure it works out in the end.

IG handle: @palomanails