Nails of New York: Christy Meisner Doramus
Beginning her career as a beauty publicist, Christy has always embraced how crucial a perfectly-polished manicure is for both her confidence and professional life. While she has transitioned out of that realm to focus on curating gorgeous flower crowns (in both fresh and faux flowers), through her beautiful Crowns by Christy, her reliance on having a manicure has not swayed.
Read more about her creative process, her entrepreneurial spirit, what she's learned in beginning her own business, and the commonalities that nails and flower crowns share. And check out all of her recent work–we certainly can't wait to get our hands on one of her fresh blooms this spring.
Why do you paint your nails?
My business requires me to constantly work with my hands and when I host DIY classes and events, my nails are front and center. A fresh manicure is an instant confidence boost, which is much needed when I feel like I am staring at my hands all day!
Do you have go-to nail color palettes?
Bright red and pink are my go-to colors, but I also love a light blue or mint green.
When did you start getting manicures?
When I started working as a beauty publicist after college, it was important to always make sure that my makeup and nails were done considering that I was constantly in meetings with beauty executives and editors. I was lucky enough to have access to so many amazing products, so it would have been a shame not to try them out!
Can you tell us a little bit about Crowns by Christy?
Crowns by Christy began as a passion project while I was still working full-time. During the summer, I made flower crowns for friends and guests in the backyard of our house for fun and when there was an opportunity to make them for a client even, I jumped at the chance. With the support of my collegeagues, friends, editors (and boss!), I was lucky enough to turn a fun art project into a full-time business. I wouldn't be doing any of it without the encouragement from so many incredible women.
Although my business has no limits when it comes to working with flowers, I specialize in making fresh and faux flower crowns for corporate and special events, such as weddings, bridal and baby showers, bachelorette parties, and birthdays. In addition to taking individual custom orders, I always teach flower crown DIY classes at both large and special private events.
What was the move like from PR into being your own boss? How do you plan to continue to evolve this business?
Running my own business is a constant challenge, but I use so many of the lesssons and strategies I learned as a publicist to manage my business every day. Being your own boss requires a lot of self motivation and discipline, which can be difficult for me as I generally work from home. To keep myself motivated, I enjoy surrounding myself with amazing women, creative minds, and friends who can learn from or share ideas with.
I love keeping my business small, as it gives me an opportunity to really to get to know the clients I work with, but understand there is a point in which you must grow to evolve. I am excited to welcome two assistants this summer who will help me with events and fun projects and am also working on a content site that will be connected to my website.
How do your nails influence your projects?
I like to consider my work to be a form of art, and I think that nail art falls under the same umbrella. I am always incorporating my own nails when photographing my work, so it is fun to find color and trend inspiration from nail art and Instagram accounts like @paintboxnails.
What is your favorite part about being creative?
I absolutely love to constantly be creatively stimulated. I'm most inspired by other women who have built successful businesses and enjoy learning from them as much as I can. I am always searching for visual inspiration through art, photography, floral work, and design.