Here We Are: What Makes Us Human

68. Randi Slack [The Art of Nails]

• Joy Bork • Episode 68

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The art of Nails is SO much more than just polish on your finger cartilage. Today's guest is here to tell us that it's actually about connecting. Caring. Being with.
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Joy Blue:

Welcome to Here We Are. The podcast where we celebrate the beauty of being a nerd by learning about nerdy things from fellow nerds. I'm your host, Joy Blue. I love those moments in life when I learn something completely new about a person. Today's guest really is all about care. She works at a nonprofit, educating those who care for youth. She makes world famous baked beans, which I haven't had the chance to try yet. And is also a certified nail tech. If you know me, you know that I'm not really a girly girl. My journey with getting my nails done began in 2008 when some college friends had me come get my nails done with them. It was incredibly uncomfortable for me, for reasons that make a lot more sense after conducting today's interview. I had never before thought about the art of nails. It's so much more than polish on a piece of finger cartilage. It's close up, personal, human care. I could keep going, but I think I'll leave the rest to the interview. So without further ado, here's Randi Slack to tell us all about the Art Of Nails.

Randi Slack:

hi everyone. My name is Randi, also known as Bink. I am an entrepreneur. And I also work in human services. So I am family friend here of Miss Joy,

Joy Blue:

you are.

Randi Slack:

I'm just here to chat. What's up?

Joy Blue:

So excited. I met you because you work with my wife, Brie, and you're her work bestie. So thus you are also my bestie because that's how that works, obviously. I don't know a lot about you and I'm so excited to learn more about you. I know you've got some stuff that you nerd out about, so hit me with something. What do you wanna nerd out about today?

Randi Slack:

I would say I'm a nerd about Nails.

Joy Blue:

Nails.

Randi Slack:

something that I've done as an entrepreneur in my early career before I got in the field that I'm in. I still take clients actually, but I've been doing nails for over 20 years.

Joy Blue:

Okay. How does one get started in doing nails?

Randi Slack:

You know what my situation is very different and special. I have an older sister who introduced me to the beauty industry. She was doing nails and I would go to school with her. I was her first client, so I saw what it did to her life and how it changed her and the opportunity that she afforded for herself for this, cuz it's just a rewarding and great craft to know. Right. And, and especially being a black woman, I'm gonna just say that too it's not a lot of opportunities where you have black nail tech. So to see my sister do that and thrive. And we're originally from Seattle, we moved here about 21 years ago. And when we moved here, my sister was just building her clientele in Seattle. So she moved here and we moved to a whole nother city, right. Where it's not a common thing and built a whole like business from ground up. So

Joy Blue:

That's

Randi Slack:

started from her. Yeah. She inspired me. I went to beauty school after a couple semesters at college. And I was telling my mom, I want some money now. I wanna get in the industry now, and I'm, I'm passionate about that. And so I did a little bit of school and then I went off and went to cosmetology school and I was a cosmetologist for a while. I did hair, but then I just focused on partnering with my sister and just doing nails. And then, In my career of doing nails, I went back to school after I had a established career as a nail tech and yeah, got my degree and then actually my, my job that I have was based off of one of my tenure clients' sister was looking for a program assistant. And so I was like, I gotta, I wanna do something different. I want some structure. I've been doing nails, this is a great, rewarding job, but it's wear and tear on your body.

Joy Blue:

Yeah.

Randi Slack:

And just doing something different. Human service was always something I'm attracted to. I am a service provider by trade, by my heart. That's just how I am. I like to be impactful in everything that I do. So if doing your nails and making you feel good, let's do it. Or, giving you a pedicure, that's, that's spiritual in itself. Doing people's hands and feet, that's like a big deal. So that's something that I don't take for granted, and I've always been attracted to servicing people. Like every type of job I've had. I've been a waitress, bartender, yeah.

Joy Blue:

That's amazing. I'm really excited to have this conversation because I have not grown up with the beauty industry close by. I've always kind of dressed as a tomboy. I've always preferred myself without makeup. I generally have very naked nails. And so to interact with somebody who that is a point of value and that is something that is important to you in order to bring value to both yourself and others. I'm just, it's so different for me and it's so amazing and I just wanna learn so much. So when you do someone's nails, when you're interacting, like you said, in that spiritual space of really, truly caring for people on a body level, what do you feel? What does it give you?

Randi Slack:

I share very vulnerable, intimate moments with my clients. And it makes me feel like I'm not alone or it's, it's, it's a form of therapy, right? It's not, I still suggest get a therapist and go see a therapist, but to be honest, that is, Even just going back how I grew up, right, culturally speaking, I'm a black woman again, and, and I grew up in the salon. That's like a culture. Saturdays were for the salon, that was a whole thing. Me, my mom and my sisters, we get our hair done. This is something that has been part of my life since forever. It could be like a church at times. It be a celebration, a party, it could be, a place to mourn. It's a place to just take off your crown and be respected, important to, right. So that is something that has been a part of my life since I was a child. Like my mom used to do my hair until I got old enough to where now I can get a hair, have a hairstyle, hair. So it's been a. A journey for me. I'll even go back and this is so funny. This is thing I'm thinking about this. In my sixth grade, I had a project, right? We had to pick an African American who invented something. And my choice of person was Madame CJ Walker. And Madame CJ Walker, if, I'm sure people have heard of her name, but she was the first black female millionaire and she was an entrepreneur. Netflix even did a story about her life, right? That was my person. And Part of my presentation was my mother came in and she showed how she would press my hair and, and I'm sitting in between her legs like we are at home. It's, it's more than just, oh, I gotta get my hair washed and done. Right. I remember my mom would pick nights that Michael Jackson was premiering videos that were like a big deal as a kid and we would sit and get our hair done. Like it was just like a thing, that's how it's been embedded in me. It's a big deal and I, I recognize it's a big deal to other women as well

Joy Blue:

Yeah. I love how you depicted that because what I see in my head is all the cultures I've visited, all the places I've been, the one common place is the kitchen table. The place where everybody can come and be human. Lay down what you got on. Like just be human. And what I'm hearing you say is you have a bonus space where it is home for you. It is a place of, of caring at the body, level of caring, at the human level, of being able to have dedicated time for interpersonal communion.

Randi Slack:

Hmm.

Joy Blue:

That's amazing. I've never thought about it that way.

Randi Slack:

And thankfully we have way more spaces, right? Yes that was a beautiful, family spirited types environment and upbringing. But to be honest, like also there, there was not a lot of options. You know, My mom had to come home from work and wash three girls' hairs and press and curl you know what I mean? We had picture days. And that's why being a black nail tech was so important to me too, is because I feel like representation as we're learning and knowing, us that don't have a choice, can say spin on this. But now that it's being recognized for people that may, look over that, I feel like it's available more and more places, more spaces. I could turn on the tv. We got a black mermaid i, I get teary eyed every time I was just telling my mom this weekend you should take me to go see it, cause it's, that's a big deal. It's a big deal. Like all these videos you see of the reaction of all children, especially, black children. It is just been so inspiring and it just makes me feel good. I, I wish this came about a long time ago, but at the end of the day, I'm happy to say I'm here today to see it, still. So I'm sure there's a lot of examples I can to hear and say, touches my heart being, but when it relates to this, yeah.

Joy Blue:

That is amazing. What I'm hearing you say is challenging my preconceived notion that I've never actually thought about or had words about. It's important for us to have representation is so interesting and to hear you come from the position of normalizing. It is humanizing for me is so interesting because my default, like the first time I ever got my nails done, I almost had a panic attack. I was like, what is happening? This is not a part of me that ever gets cared for. I don't know what you guys are doing, but why are you doing this to me? But yet I know for so many people it is such a place of relaxation and centering. And also for some people it's the thing that they do to feel their best. So then to hear you say when I get to do this with people and for people, it's actually an honor. I'm processing this as I'm saying it, but Typically feet are the things that are untouchable. But what I'm hearing you say is that it's a spiritual experience for you to care for someone's feet.

Randi Slack:

Yeah,

Joy Blue:

That is truly mind blowing to me. I

Randi Slack:

Holistically speaking too, you think about it, everything in our body, organs, everything. You can pick one spot on the bottom of your foot that connects to everything inside your body, and and same with our hands too. We use our hands for almost every single thing. And how often do we stop and get our hands taken care of? Nurtured, massage, so holistically speaking, hands and feet, the health of that and, and taking care of that is important. If you get sick, there's old school remedies where they're like, put an onion in, in your sock and go to sleep. Detox, pull out. Yeah. So I, I encourage people to, to take care of yourself. Like I, I'm a nail tech. I always do my own hands and feet. I just started two months ago making sure I go and get my nails and feet done by someone else because I'm like, I deserve to let go. Not be all crammed up, working on myself on top of this is a moment where I should relax and take in. So I, that's one thing I've been really. Self-care I've added to my routine cuz I would do my nails like my own nails. And that's a beautiful blessing to have but I wanna be serviced.

Joy Blue:

Yeah. Okay. Taking it to a logistical level, what is your most favorite part of doing someone's hands?

Randi Slack:

I think it's the reaction. Right. I've painted every single color you can think of. I, you know, I've tried or attempted or achieved mul multiple designs, but I feel like that reaction of, Ooh, take a picture. I love my clients. They feel some type of way when I don't take a picture of the nails oh, you didn't take a picture of my nails today. I'm like, oh, you really feeling your nails today? Take, lemme take a picture. Like that right there brings me joy. That's

Joy Blue:

Oh.

Randi Slack:

And even when like servicing and doing a pedicure, like when they're just relaxed, I, it's okay. Some people are relaxed sitting on their phone. Like I'm one of those people at times, but honestly, I like when someone is, I've knocked some people out, like just going to sleep, just relaxing and letting go and waking up and just ah, I love it. So I just feel like the aftermath of seeing how I made someone feel, that's what you do it for.

Joy Blue:

Hmm.

Randi Slack:

That's, that's what makes me happy.

Joy Blue:

I feel that same way when I cook for people,

Randi Slack:

Yeah.

Joy Blue:

like I love the process because I get to see the faces afterwards when they do feel nourished. When they do feel cared for. Okay. Okay.

Randi Slack:

I love some food it's a way to my heart,

Joy Blue:

I will cook for you. Come on over. What is the hardest part of a manicure or a pedicure? What takes the most time

Randi Slack:

I have a full-time job, so I do my set clientele I've had for a long time. I'm not really in a position of take new clients in, so I have a schedule for them. So having that schedule, I'm able to get in and get out. I, I kind of read the room too cuz I, I'm a mobile nail tech. I go to my client houses at the time. Ever since Covid, I've been mobile. And so I block off this amount of time to come service you. And sometimes I know when you need me to get in and get out, and sometimes you wanna sit and talk and we might watch an episode of a show we're watching together while I'm servicing them. It just depends, it, it depends on how social I am with the service,

Joy Blue:

that's valid.

Randi Slack:

But I do I said, I have a set clientele and so they appreciate me and the service that I offer them, and so I feel like they accommodate me based off of the time that it takes to go set up at someone's house, do their nails. You can imagine how uncomfortable it is at times. But it's you, like I said, it's rewarding and I can stop at any time, but I say that in my mind. But my clients are like, no, you can't. No, you can't.

Joy Blue:

Well, we're coming back to the thread that I'm hearing throughout the whole thing. Part of my fascination and who I am is figuring out what are the steps along the way, and then we file and then we, whatever, whatever, whatever. But what I'm hearing is most important to you is the human connection,

Randi Slack:

Yeah.

Joy Blue:

which I love too, but that's not something I'd ever thought about in context of, of doing nails. My mind is blown right now.

Randi Slack:

Yeah, I, and I'm, I feel like that's just me, period in life. I'm a relationship builder. Look, look, I'm on your podcast. Like I, I feel very blessed in that I thrive off of relationships and I'm just thankful that I continue to get blessed and cross paths like people like you, people like Brie I just, I'm very thankful and grateful. And, I think I'm very open and receptive and, and it's important to me because, remember I moved here from a whole different city, so I moved here in the middle of my junior year of high school. So I was, it was traumatizing because I grew up with the same kids my whole life. Um, City I'm familiar with. I moved here. So a lot of my friends that are, are here, they have. Friends they grew up with, I don't, I don't have that privilege here. Right? So I, I'm very strong on building relationships and connections, especially if they're just natural. I'm not gonna force it. I can work the opposite side of the room with someone, but I just love energy in the way I feel welcome and love, I'm gonna reciprocate that, or I'm gonna throw it out there, and if you, you're with it, join me. So that's just my, yeah, my attitude. Now as far as nails and the steps and all that. I, like I said, I can do that with my hands closed. I've been doing it for so long. Like I, I haven't done anything different. I typically do natural nails on my clients, so it's it's,

Joy Blue:

What do you mean by natural nails?

Randi Slack:

so you know how people wear acrylics?

Joy Blue:

Yeah, those are extensions, right?

Randi Slack:

yep, yep. Typically I have A big chunk of male clients for one, so they don't get really polished. I do buff on their hands, but a lot of my female clients, they get no chip on their feet, so no, no chip pedicure, and then they'll get no chip on their hands. So I don't really do like chemical, like heavy chemicals or anything like that.

Joy Blue:

sure. Okay, let's back up. Let's do some basic definitions here. So I heard you say Natural nails. I heard you say, Just buff, I've heard you say no chip. We've talked about acrylics. Are there other categories?

Randi Slack:

Oh yeah, so no chip is a gel polish, but it's typically what we reference when we're talking about color. So like how regular nail polish, you know. It comes in a gel form, which you cure in a light, it's supposed to not chip. That's where the nickname No chip. But there's another process called a gel builder where you do layers and layers of hard gel. Cause nochi is kind of more flexible. So this is hard gel. Right. That's something, that's a process. So that's typically what people, when they reference, they want gel nails. That's what I would consider gel nails. And that can do over, it could be over a natural nail or it could be on a nail tip. Like you said, with the extensions. There's so much, so much, so much,

Joy Blue:

Okay. I've watched people that have acrylics, the nail tech often has to file them down, like with a Dremel. Do you do that with what you were talking about with the gel layers?

Randi Slack:

I don't. I typically don't use a lot of drills, we reference that as a drill, on my clients because they're typically natural nail someone who's getting acrylic because you have that thick buildup that gets applied to your nails every two weeks, and you have to drill it down.

Joy Blue:

Mm-hmm.

Randi Slack:

Sure. But like anything, Like gel or natural nail meaning regular polish or, or no chip. I wouldn't use a drill on anyone. I wouldn't advise them to use a drill on their nails. I think hand filing would be more efficient and less damaging.

Joy Blue:

Sure. Okay. The times I've got no chip, getting it off is a beast.

Randi Slack:

No, it's not.

Joy Blue:

Okay, then tell me how to do it.

Randi Slack:

It's so easy. You just, so you take a regular buff, like black buffer. One, and you just buff the layer so it's not shiny. Put little polish remover or acetone on a piece of cotton ball. Put on your nail bed and wrap it in foil and just sit and watch TV for 10, 15 minutes. Then once that do that, you pull'em off. You should be able to buff or file away any product. It should all be softened and easy to come up basically,

Joy Blue:

Okay. Okay. Does doing gel hurt your nail at all?

Randi Slack:

I always say anything that's not natural, natural meaning nothing on your nail, then no. A anything. Whether it's a high shine buff, like I mentioned earlier, that's still something being done to the surface of your nail bed to give a result, right? So same with anything you put on your nail. It's going to be damaging in some way, shape, or form. With when I used to take new clients, my first question would always be, what's more important? The integrity of your nail or the look of your nail, because you can only get one or the other. Yes, I can do something that's ultimately damaging if I didn't properly as a nail professional, take care of your nails, but like I advise my client, it's time to self off. It's time to let your nails breathe. It's time, here's some cuticle oil. Like I always recommend things that will help if you're gonna do something artificial. Because we live in a world where who's gonna stop me from wearing my nails? Like

Joy Blue:

Right. Right. That's so interesting. What do you wish people knew about getting their nails done? Or what's something that people get wrong often?

Randi Slack:

I think in this day and age, to be honest with you, There's been a lot of talks on nail techs and their prices. And one thing I just can never agree with is not paying a nail tech appropriately according to their time, their products, their attention. I know nail techs who you know, it may take three hours to get your nails done. You have to pay for your time. If you come in with those details, you have to pay for the time. Like inflation affected nails. We buy products, we buy polishes. Like that stuff is very expensive. Very expensive. I remember back the day where you can go get a full set of nails for$25. Sure. Right. But that's not where we're at today.

Joy Blue:

Yeah.

Randi Slack:

Like, we're doing different things. We're using different products. Like you gotta pay people for their time with any service. I'm big on that. I'm a, I, I know what it's like to be a service provider and, and so I try to take care of anyone, even if I feel like my experience wasn't that great. I always, you gotta ta pay for their time because you never know. People are people and humans are humans. Right. And, and although that's the same thing, I just feel like you gotta give people the benefit of the doubt. I never know what's going on with someone and. I'm not perfect, but I try to approach everyone like that until they, establish something different, I feel like. But yeah, like these are people who spend their quality time. I know, those crystals on the nail, that's money, cost a lot of money. So

Joy Blue:

Fascinating.

Randi Slack:

I say that.

Joy Blue:

This has been so amazing

Randi Slack:

I know I, I can keep talking for like ever, ever, ever, ever with you. I was like all worried about am I gonna have a son to talk about. But super easy to talk to you and especially about my, something that I'm passionate about. I had no idea we were gonna talk about this, but I love it, just the space to even talk about like the spiritual and cultural relations I have to being in the beauty industry, which is also something that gave me a whole career in, my life that I'm living, thankfully.

Joy Blue:

You're amazing. I love how you got here, and thank you for sharing with me about your journey.

Randi Slack:

Yes. Thank you for having me, inviting me. I would love to come and run my mouth anytime. You're like one show, Randi.

Joy Blue:

All we can do as many as you want. So Here We Are! Wasn't that just so fun to listen to? I learned so much that actually changed my perspective. To those like Randi who provide services, thank you for creating spaces for care. Thank you for giving of yourself in ways that add value to those around you. And Randi, thank you for sharing with me and being a friend of our family. If you've got a flavor of nerd that you want me to celebrate, I would love to hear all about it. So go ahead and email me at herewearethepodcast@gmail.com and tell me everything. I love taking time to sit and make space for nerd to be celebrated. If you really like this podcast, I want to financially support what I'm doing. Head on over to patreon.com, search for Here We Are The Podcast and sign up for one of the many beautifully written support tiers. So until next time, don't forget that curiosity wins and the world needs more nerds. Bye