Want a boost of confidence?
Get your nails done, said Taylor Salzwedel, owner of Eccentric Nail Studio.
“It’s cool to be who you want to be, and nails are such a confidence thing,” she said.
“When you get your nails done, you feel good and you get lots of compliments. You deserve to feel confident.”
And she’s talking to everyone — even men.
“You’re not less of a man because you take care of your feet.”
Eccentric Nail Studio, 110 S. Jefferson Ave., is a safe place for all, Salzwedel said.
She’s passionate about showing support and love to everyone.
“People should have a place where they can come and not be judged. It’s important to have a place to come in and feel good vibes. This is a safe space,” she said.
Salzwedel knows how difficult it can be to discover who you are.
And building confidence? Not so easy.
She tried to fit in, once upon a time.
She wore girly clothes. Grew her hair long. Kept up appearances.
Then, she started to experiment with different looks.
“I changed about 100 times. If you look through my photos, you can tell.”
In June, she cut her hair. Super short and dark with a pop of platinum. It suits her.
She tried on different types of clothes. Started wearing men’s jeans.
She can be feminine. She can be masculine. She can be whatever she wants.
“I came to terms with myself. I’ve gotten confident in my own skin,” she said.
“I enjoy seeing other people feel so confident in what they do. And if I can help them, that means a lot to me.”
SALZWEDEL always wanted to work in cosmetology.
Her aunt, Kristie Tavarez, owns KT Posh, a local hair and nail salon, so she spent time in that environment.
When it came time for prom, she helped her friends with hair, makeup and nails.
Salzwedel left school when she was 15 and started attending the Humboldt Virtual Education Program.
She worked two jobs at one point, and became an assistant manager for Maurice’s clothing store in Chanute.
At the age of 17, she attended Independence Community College Cosmetology. That was during the COVID era, so much of her schooling was done online or via Zoom. That’s not an easy way to learn how to cut hair.
She thought she wanted to work on hair, and really didn’t have much interest in nails. Something changed while she was at school. She started practicing on herself, and then others.
She enjoyed the artistic expression part of working on nails. With a little practice, she realized, nails could become her specialty.
She graduated when she was 19, and was ready to jump into her career. She started working at Class Act Salon in Iola.
Salzwedel dreamed of opening her own nail studio.
As fate would have it, an opportunity presented itself.
She bought a drink at The Protein Place, when it was located at 110 S. Jefferson, and learned the business was about to move. The building would be vacant.
Immediately, Salzwedel began to plan. She capitalized on the building’s brick walls and added black paint in key areas.
“I really wanted a certain aesthetic. Black, brick and alive.”
That means she has plants everywhere. They come from Roots, a new Humboldt plant store owned by a friend.
She also wanted a photo booth area, somewhere people could come and have fun. Take selfies. Look cute. Show off their new nails.
She bought panels of greenery to adorn an entire wall, floor to ceiling, so it looks like a grass background in the photos.
She also likes to buy antiques from local thrift stores, especially old photo frames and mirrors.
The shop opened in December, offering acrylics, acrylic overlays, gel, nail art, manicures and pedicures. She even offers mini-manicures for children.
“I named it Eccentric because I am strange and unconventional,” she said. 
“I CANNOT stay stagnant,” Salzwedel said.
She talks fast and says a lot, bouncing from topic to topic as she moves around the shop during this interview.
She’s only 20 years old and just started a business. Still, she has a lot of big dreams.
Eventually, she hopes to expand. Maybe a bigger building. Staff who specialize in hair, makeup and nails.
“I like to manifest things, thinking it into reality,” she said.
She gives a lot of credit to her mother, Summer Salzwedel, and other relatives and friends who have helped her along the way.
She also gives credit to her active social media presence, which helped her develop a strong following and client base even before she started her career.
“I use seven platforms. Maybe more. Both personal and business,” she said.
She posts photos of just about every set of nails she works on, if the client allows it.
“I still have my first set posted,” she said with pride, then kind of grimaced.
She’s improved quite a bit since then, she said. She’s more confident in her skills.
Again, it comes back to confidence.
“I used to think I had to have my hair or my makeup done a certain way because that’s what people expected,” she said. “Now, I do what makes me feel good. I kept finding more confidence in every little thing I did for myself. And nails give me confidence.”
FOR more information or to schedule an appointment, call or text 620-228-0868.
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