Meet
NAOMI GONZALEZ- LONGSTAFF
FOUNDER • NAOMI NAIL LACQUER • CELEBRITY MANICURIST WITH ARTIST BY TIMOTHY PRIANO , NYC
NAOMI GONZALEZ-LONGSTAFF LOVES A CHALLENGE . Whether it ’ s balancing her thriving career while being a mother , or navigating the obstacles posed by the COVID-19 shutdown , Gonzalez-Longstaff figures out a way .
The key is time management — as well as coffee and FaceTime .
“ I start my day early ,” she says , “ and that ’ s when I do my best work , so it gives me time during the day to focus on some personal endeavors — especially family time .”
Gonzalez-Longstaff , the founder of NAOMI NAIL LACQUER , has been a manicurist since 2008 and loves being able to provide a memorable experience for her clients , which include the likes of Serena Williams , Shakira and Jennifer Lopez . She has always loved beauty and fashion , and she felt being a manicurist would allow her to not only be fashionable but also build relationships
while creating artful experiences . After working with companies like L ’ Oreal and Revlon , she learned the value of incorporating the spa mindset into her brand and respecting the efforts of practitioners to create the most valuable care for clients . That ’ s how she developed trust among her clients and developed brand loyalty .
Gonzalez-Longstaff typically splits time between Florida ( where her nail polish business is based ), England and New York City . Despite not being able to travel for her business like she normally does , she was still able to sell out of her product line during the pandemic . A quick thinker , she had to get creative and be resourceful . With everyone oversaturated with email marketing and ads , she looked outside the box to rebrand her company , starting with fresh content , PR process and strategy . She enjoyed the process of networking with LinkedIn contacts and other business groups to discuss storytelling from a business perspective . Also a Zumba instructor since 2019 , Gonzalez- Longstaff has figured out the proper work-life balance that still prioritizes her family . Being a mom — her daughter is now 24 and actually the face of her brand — has helped mold her into a better version of herself and kept her focused on her goals . “ The advice I ’ d give to other women juggling a family and career life is to remember to set boundaries with time management , scheduling meetings and also operational responsibilities ,” she says .“ Especially with the new norm of working from home and kids also being home , this can be tricky , but if everyone has a routine and structure it does help to keep the ship afloat .
“ Also , don ’ t take things too seriously . Everything has a solution and will end in a positive way . Knowing this allows for flexibility , learning and growth .” n
JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2021 ■ PULSE 57