Nicola Walls has long been a presence throughout the Magic City. Her previous jobs in bartending and veterinary health, along with her contributions on the Two Blunt Broads podcast, have introduced the caring creative to hundreds in the city who are now excited about Walls’ latest adventure: nail tech.
The journey to becoming one of the Magic City’s most cherished nail professionals began about a year and a half ago for Walls. She’d been watching nail art videos on Instagram and decided to make the jump from getting her nails done to doing other peoples’. She went to Sally Beauty Supply to pick up supplies and started her training by offering free manicures to friends in exchange for donations so she could keep getting the necessary materials.
The learning curve wasn’t too drastic for Nicola as she’s been around nail art most of her life. “Muscle memory and not hurting people are your two big tenants,” she explains. After a few months of training, Walls walked into SoHo Nails & Spa seeking an apprenticeship. She works there to this day, and has nothing but praises for how the owners of the spa provide space to grow but are always there whenever a nail tech needs them. This is where we found her for this interview (and my first ever nail art experience) on a Saturday afternoon.
Pop art is one of Nicola’s signature styles, and she loves the light-hearted fun the experience provides. “You can do something different on every nail, and you really get good variety,” Walls explains. One of her friends, for example, is going to get an all-fruit set of nails soon. Many trends come from social sites like Instagram and Pinterest including a recent chrome uprising, which Nicola has had fun participating in. She loves when people come in with ideas or examples of what they want, reflecting that “I think imitation is the greatest form of flattery, and that’s really how I learn best. Doing other people’s stuff first then putting my own spin on it.”
Nails have become a huge part of Nicola’s life, and she’s very happy with where she is at. She may eventually aim to open her own place, or use the funds from this new hustle to go to law school and become a defense attorney - but Walls is content with the work she is doing now. “As long as what you’re doing, you’re doing it passionately. Anything can be a passion,” she shares of this philosophy on different jobs.
Walls may not always stay in Alabama but she has big plans while she is here. “I think it’s important for people to stay in the South and change the environment we’re in,” Nicola explains, “I love Birmingham. I grew up here so it’s important for me to see change in it, which I have seen. That’s why I stay.”
We are certainly glad she’s stuck around and beautified our nails.
