As part of the college experience, students often discover passions and expand them into something bigger.
For some UH students, their passions and combination of an entrepreneurial spirit lead to the start of their businesses.
As the owner behind Klawzbysteph, biology junior Stephanie Briggs takes manicures to a new level by crafting innovative designs on acrylic nails.
From a classic french tip to a bold ombré design, Briggs does it all, using her artistry to cater nail art within the Houston area.
Along with being the owner of her business, she juggles many responsibilities to keep it afloat, including managing a site to schedule potential customers and producing content for marketing using pictures of her designs on clients.
Although she uses marketing to attract all customers, Briggs notes being a student at UH places her at a unique advantage.
“I promote my business through various social media apps such as Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok. I also promote on campus with business cards as much as I can, ” said Briggs. “Being a student at UH has been immensely helpful to the vitality of my business due to the influx of people, and the amazing environment is definitely an opportunity for business.”
How she started Klawzbysteph includes her longtime passion for being a nail tech and last year’s quarantine.
“I started my business one year ago during quarantine when COVID-19 came into the picture Because we were required to stay home, I had so much time on my hands. I decided to pursue my passion of being a nail tech, which is something I have been pushing off for a long time,” she said.
“My perfectionist personality inspired me to do nails because I knew if I started, I would be amazing at it,” she continued.
Like Briggs, other UH students, such as media production sophomore Kendalynn Thomas, took advantage of the coronavirus pandemic to create their businesses.
Using the extra time she had and her love for clothing, Thomas created ADIACLOTHINGANDCO and adiacustomsinc, a clothing company inspired by streetwear, Y2K and vintage fashion.
“I first began during the pandemic, when I got a little extra money and a lot of extra time and decided to invest into something that I had been thinking about for a long time,” said Thomas. “I was inspired by local streetwear brands like Swag Boy, and I hated the fact that there were not a lot of affordable good quality streetwear brands that made clothes for everybody.”
Since starting their businesses a year ago, Briggs and Thomas have juggled their responsibilities with school, especially as classes occupy more of their time than usual.
“It’s honestly been difficult to balance school and a business because school always comes first. Additionally, you have to stay up to date with trends and continue to make new clothes if you want your brand to grow.” Thomas said.
While difficult to balance, Briggs and Thomas eventually found a solution making it easier for them to juggle both activities.
“Balancing school and practicing my craft at first was very challenging, and when school resumed in fall 2020 it was something I had to make time for along with homework,” Briggs said. “As time went on with trial and error, I found a schedule that works perfectly for both me and clients.”
As she continues building Klawzbysteph, Briggs leaves behind advice for other UH students on their entrepreneurship journey.
“When pursuing your passions, there will always be rough times, times of doubt, and even times when you want to give up,” Briggs said. “However, my advice is to push through because, in the end, it will be worth it doing something you love.”