Vay Holloway’s waterless nail spa draws clients from around the region, inspiring her to consider expansion opportunities elsewhere.
Vay Holloway’s willingness to pivot led her to a more fulfilling business and to finding the right location for it.
Her business, Curxe Waterless Nail Spa, is on the lower level of Revolution Mill in an area called Mill House. It's a haven for people seeking non-toxic nail care services or who need toenail transformations. Her skilled nail techs provide care specific to the needs of the elderly and those with diabetes or other foot conditions.
Vay says her work is especially rewarding because many of her clients leave feeling more confident about their feet. Her techs also share her sense of purpose because the work they do is so important to their underserved clients.
She didn’t set out to serve this specific clientele, however. Her longtime interest in nails prompted her to pursue opportunities in nail care while working for Piedmont Natural Gas in Charlotte. She moved to Greensboro in 2018 after finding an evening nail tech program in Greensboro. Upon completion, she offered her services at a friend’s salon. But her business didn’t take off like she had hoped. The COVID-19 pandemic shuttered many service-oriented businesses, but once they started reopening, Vay wasn’t entirely sure she wanted to stay in the nail business.
“I only knew what they taught us in school, which was an acrylic style of manicure and I knew that, long-term, I didn’t want to smell the fumes. I also just felt like my work wasn’t good enough to make a career out of it,” she says.
While serving pedicure clients at her home, she heard about waterless pedicures. Her clients were also training to be nail techs and wanted to specialize in natural nail care. Initially drawn to a more natural process for enhancing nails, the more Vay learned about the benefits of waterless nail treatments, her interest grew. Waterless nail treatments are beneficial for elderly people and those with diabetes, who must be especially diligent about foot care. Polish lasts longer when nails aren’t submerged in water and callouses are easier to treat when feet are dry. Clients are also less likely to receive minor cuts, which can lead to infections.
The waterless approach seemed to be an untapped market because there weren’t many local salons offering such services at the time. Vay started following an Atlanta-based waterless nail spa on social media and was especially intrigued about their toenail transformations for clients with foot problems. She enrolled in their classes and returned ready to start her waterless nail spa business.
After a failed attempt to launch her business elsewhere in downtown Greensboro, Vay found her home at Revolution Mill. It was a blessing, she says, because she could customize the space as she needed while it was being built. She’s energized by the connections she’s made with other business owners and appreciates its history as the South’s first flannel mill. She likes to browse the museum onsite and marvels over the original fixtures and mill equipment placed throughout the building. She also enjoys the restaurants and tries to promote them to others who don’t know as much about Revolution Mill.
“It’s just a nice place to be,” she says.