Meet Mely Saldivar | Nail Artist, Manicurist, and Nurse

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

Hi Mely, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Starting my own business was a very difficult decision for me to take, but also an easy one. Personally, I am not someone who likes to take big risks, and opening my own business was definitely a huge risk. However, this path also meant I would be pursuing my dreams, and work toward something that would bring me incredible joy. So after weighing my options, it just made sense to take that dive

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I feel as though there are two artistic parts to what I do. The more obvious one is nail art, but there is also the artistic view of cuticle work and overall presentation. Nail art in itself is such an expression, not just from the nail artist, but also of the wearer. I also love the art of a beautiful looking, clean and structured nails.

My journey has been years in the making. I started almost 9 years ago by posting nail art as a hobby. I used to be a severe nail biter, and I decided I was going to try nail art as a way to encourage myself to stop biting my nails. I was, then fully immersed in the world of nail polish and nail art, along with cuticle care. This evolved into having a personal blog, and later the decision to get professionally licensed. There was much to learn over the years, but I had always felt support from other women in this community, wether it was DIY’ers or professionals. I still have much to learn and there are many personal and professional goals to achieve when it comes to my business, but I look forward to that every day. It is what drives me. And I am so grateful to have had this opportunity in my life.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I love food and I love a good time! I would try to hit some of my favorite spots to eat, especially Mexican food. I always recommend Bishop Arts District, as there is a great variety of foods and shops that are favorites. Downtown Dallas is a great place to be for all kinds of night activities, but my favorite is to use the scooters to get around, and go anywhere. I highly recommend velvet tacoI am a lover of soccer so I would recommend an FC Dallas game, but I would also love the Dallas Zoo and the Dallas World Aquarium for daytime activities. Another favorite is the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden.

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?
The first person I want to shout out is my husband, Johnny. Without his support throughout the years of this hobby turned career, I wouldn’t have made it. I share this incredible journey with him.

The next shout out, without a doubt, goes to the collective group of nail artists that I have met through social media, particularly instagram, throughout the years. There are so many amazing women on that platform who just want to help others succeed and I would not have been able to do this without their encouragement, the knowledge they shared, and constant uplifting and positive messages.

Website: https://www.rockyournails.org/

Instagram: @rockyournails

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRuZvipdM95orhPLTswzFjA

Other: TikTok: @rockyournails