Meet Jackie Devito | Nail Technician

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

Hi Jackie, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
My business was never suppose to be a business. It started with an interest that turned into an obsession and later my passion. I started doing nails to simply save mine and my boyfriend (now husband) at the times money. I asked him for a 27$ kit off of amazon. My first set of nails took me 3 days! I even spilled a bottle of glue on myself. It’s all laughs now but I immediately wanted to quit. I thought to myself that nails wasn’t for me. My husband told me I couldn’t quit now, I had just bought the kit. So I gave it a couple more tries. I became obsessed at this point. Doing all the research that I could. Watching tutorials. And my sets got better and better. My friends and family asked if I was going to pursue this because I was so into it. But I simply brushed it off and said it was a hobby. I kept practicing and finally started practicing on friends. I just kept going with my passion for the art, for the different techniques, and the different ways I was finding not just peace in my art, but God. I let my faith guide me and kept going, the more I learned, the more I saw that I was in love with doing nails and God wanted me to focus on this. I had been waitressing for 14 years. Always looking for what I was meant to do because I knew I was meant for something greater than waitressing. I had originally wanted to be a marine but after a knee injury when I was 16 it was no longer possible and I was lost for a very long time. I didn’t find this passion for nails until I was 29. Soon after falling in love with nails me and my husband decided to leave NY to Georgia for more opportunities. Including my pursuit for my nail technician license. On September 1st 2023 our landlord informed us of a rent raise starting 2024. NY was already a bit of a struggle as things were and we never wanted to stay and raise a family there and so he had been putting out applications for jobs in GA. The next day, September 2nd, he was offered a job in Georgia and by September 16, we had picked up all of our belongings, said our goodbyes to our entire family and friends. And left. It has been a struggle to move across the country from everything we know but my sights for my dreams haven’t left my eyes. I’m more in pursuit of my dreams to be a great licensed nail technician now than ever. In April I enrolled in Beauty school for their Nail Technology program and will be graduating in September. 1 year of us living in GA. My business is having success with my press-ons in the US and I am practicing and studying my butt off to get my license. I am taking clients and of course loving every second of this beautiful journey that God has put me on.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Art has been the soul of my drive. At the end of the day I love doing nails not because I want to be some cool instagram influencer and do like cardi b’s nails or anything. I don’t care about any of that. I just want to do nails, my art. Express my art on tiny little canvases on people’s hands. For them to go out into the world sporting my art. Showing it off and it brings me so much pride. But nothing beats the peace it brings me and the closeness to God it brings me. It’s own type of worship. My mind is quiet. Nothing beats the peace and even power I feel sitting at my nail desk expressing myself on these canvases. I believe this is what has brought me as far as it has. To have my own business, to bet on my art that someone will like it and pay their hard earned money on it. I am not afraid to be different in my art and I’m not afraid of a challenge either. My first set I tried molding hearts and encapsulating glitter. None of which I had any business doing but I love a challenge. And that’s where my art has come today, I’m not afraid of going the extra mile in my art and taking extra time. As long as the nails look like a master piece after. It was definitely not easy to get to where I am today, constant practice and doubting myself but trusting the process. I think that’s where coming so close to God comes in through nails. You have to put all your faith that this will work. That your God given talent and hard work alone will make your dreams come true. And every day is hard work. My secret to keeping myself motivated is keeping my life organized with a giant calendar on my wall. I’m a visual person and I highly recommend it to anyone starting their own business. It’s definitely kept me together and brought me to where I am now. I want the world to know that I have put every drop of faith and passion I have into my art and business. And I know that it will take me where I want to be because of that faith. And of course 14 years of waitressing and customer service definitely helps!

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?
I’ve only been in Georgia for 9 months so I’m not sure actually where I would take them. Since I’ve been here all I’ve seen is my nail room and my Beauty school! I guess I’d take them to Lovett Beauty school where the girls and teachers are all amazing and full of passion. It’s a sisterhood and we do provide services at the school! Shout out to my teacher Ms. Artis. She would definitely be introduced to my best friend. She has fed my passion for my art like gasoline to a fire since the day I met her. Thank you Ms. Artis!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are many people I would love to give a shout out to. Especially my friends and family. I have received so much support from my girlfriends and family back in NY. Always reaching out and even ordering sets, keeping me challenged. But the most important person in this beautiful journey has to be my husband Alex Devito. So many times I’ve doubted myself, especially in the beginning. Wondering if I was even good enough, wondering if I could get to where I am even now. Saving for school and even to have the supply I have. I couldn’t do any of it without him. He always pushes me forward with positive words. He believes even now, in me when I don’t. And I would never have even tried nails, if it wasn’t for him. Thank you husband!

Instagram: @JackiesVelvetNails