Find Out How Winnie's Perfect Beauty Bar is Thriving

From Tomboy to Beauty Queen: How Winnie’s Perfect Beauty Bar is Thriving After She Found Her Passion in Nail Art

People often believe tomboyish girls associate themselves with unfeminine things because they are free-spirited, tough, sassy, and wild. However it is a different story for a 24-year-old founder of Winnie’s Perfect Touch Beauty Bar, Winnie Pondwa. When Winnie was growing up, beauty was not on her radar. As a self-described tomboy, she was more interested in sports and other boyish outdoor activities. However, when her family moved in with extended family, Winnie discovered a whole new world of femininity, including dressing up and wearing makeup.

In an exclusive interview with her she said that one day after doing her own nails for the first time, she was hooked.

“I started looking into the whole femininity side of life, the dressing up, make up and stuff. And we weren’t allowed to put nail polish, you know, parents and the whole ‘inzipho yidoti’ item. I never really cared much then,” she said.

But one day, she decided to do her nails for the first time and fell in love with it. It became an obsession of hers until she wanted to feel how it felt to actually make someone feel better about themselves, make someone feel beautiful and happy with just the work of her hands.

Servicing Customers

She started her own nail salon in Bulawayo, in 2022, after learning the skills from YouTube videos and online courses. She named it Winnie’s Perfect Touch Beauty Bar, because she wanted to offer more than just nail services.

“I wanted to create a place where customers can feel comfortable, relaxed and pampered. A place where they can get a perfect touch of beauty, whether it’s nails, hair, makeup or massage,” she said.

Her business’ growth was not an easy journey as she faced many challenges, such as losing clients, buying products, adapting to new trends and expecting profits.

“For me, it was being a beginner at nail tech, having to gain clients and lose them, having to go through the whole ordeal while trying to buy products and adapt to new trends at the same time and expecting profits from all of that,” she said.

She had to find ways to attract and retain customers, such as offering great service, creating a cosy working space, perfecting her skill, being loyal and having God-fearing prices.

Customer First

“Customers will always come back where they are treated nicely, where there’s great service, where they are comfortable. I had to make sure that my working space feels both like home and work to accommodate them,” she said.

She added, “I also had to practise on perfecting my skill too, to make my nails advertise for themselves. That way someone sees them and goes like ‘Hey, I like those. Where did you get them done? I also want.’ And being loyal to my customers so that they stay loyal to me.”

She also had to keep up with the new trends and not have a target market, so that she can accommodate everyone.

“That way you have customers everywhere and also maintain specials and discounts,” she said.

Managing Her Business

Winnie as the founder and business manager at the same time also had to manage her finances wisely and not spend extra money on things she did not need.

“I think it’s all about knowing what you need and what you don’t. Once you establish that you won’t have to spend extra money on things you think are ‘cool’ because you saw them on the internet. And always knowing that not all the money you make is profit. Some have to go back to product restocking and business savings,” she said.

She said that practising beauty is really easy for her, because she loves what she does.

“My advice is to love what you do and you won’t feel like you’re slaving away for nothing. Each and every penny will be worth it,” she said.

She advises other fellow colleagues who want to venture into a similar business to love what they do.

Loving What You Do

“Loving what you do also makes you look forward to work and do your work with love. I’m sure your customers will see it and appreciate it,” she said.

She said that prayer, discipline, patience, diligence, advertising and never giving up are some of the keys to success in her business.

She said that she does not know what the future holds for her business, but she hopes to grow and achieve her dream to expand it.

“I don’t really know because of these new trends that don’t stop. But I assure you that I might be somewhere further than I am now and maybe greater too,” she said.