Hi lovely nail techs,
I hope this message finds you well and thriving in your nail ventures! Today, I want to share a recent experience that highlights the importance of our #CompetitionFreeZone philosophy and the real-life challenges of maintaining a supportive, collaborative community in the nail industry.
The Incident
A few weeks ago, we shared a fun reel about cuticle oil and linked to the Dadi Oil we sell. Soon after, we received a cheeky comment from another cuticle oil brand, Cuti, stating, “Or Cuti… we’re way better 💅🏼😎.” At first, I interpreted this as a snarky and unnecessary remark and responded defensively. However, the next day, I realized that the reel we had shared was actually created by Cuti, and we hadn’t credited them properly. We were, in fact, the ones who had made the mistake.
The Conversation
Here’s how the conversation unfolded:
My initial response:
“I dunno about that – I like my brands with a lot less snark. Super happy for anyone starting a new business and wish you luck with your new venture but you mustn’t have been following us for long if you think DMing us to put down what we do is the best way to build relationships in the industry? Best of luck anyway – cause that’s how we do things around here. Penny”
Their reply:
“It was a joke… but ok Penny. Thanks for your message 😊”
Once I realized our error, I reached out to them again:
My apology:
“Hi! I just wanted to clarify something 💜 Our team takes turns managing our stories each day. One of my staff had shared your Reel, and when I saw your message pop up, I clicked to see what you were replying to and thought it was just a cute Reel – I didn’t see it was YOUR Reel. I read your message as rude and unnecessarily anti-competitive, which is why I responded the way I did, but actually WE were the rude ones, using your content to promote our own product without crediting you properly. It was an honest mistake and I’m really sorry 💜 Penny”
Their gracious response:
“Hi Penny! Thanks so much for your message, absolutely no hard feelings at all. We were just replying with a cheeky comment to a cheeky share 😅 but we are really sorry it came across as being rude to you – it definitely wasn’t our intention! We don’t take ourselves too seriously round here – we’re usually just poking fun at ourselves in one way or another. We love what you do. You have so many talented artists training with you, so we totally want to support however and whenever we can 💕 Ashleigh + Tessa”
The Lesson
Living in the Competition Free Zone requires thought before emotion, and failing that, enough humility to apologize. This experience was a humbling reminder that living in the #CompetitionFreeZone requires thought before emotion and, when necessary, enough humility to apologize. We don’t improve the industry by never making mistakes; we improve it by acknowledging our errors and fixing them.
Moving Forward
Let’s continue to support each other, learn from our mistakes, and grow together.
Let’s continue to support each other, learn from our mistakes, and grow together. To that end, check out Cuti’s fabulous cuticle oil and, of course, our trusted Dadi Oil. Both are excellent choices for keeping your nails and cuticles in top shape!
Remember, we’re all in this together. Let’s keep building a kinder, more collaborative nail industry. 💅💜
This is what else we loved last week –
- Techs that use #CompetitionFreeZone to show that they are an industry ally and happy to collaborate and communicate with other Nail Techs!
- Finding other Nail Techs going through the same things as we have done!
- Delicious apex structure
- Neon freaking ombreeeee
- Awesome tips for attracting clients that want daytime appointments.
Click here to send us YOUR thoughts, feedback or highlights, we would love to share 
PS Have any stories of your own about navigating the #CompetitionFreeZone? Share them with us – we’d love to hear from you!
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