Meet Sara Ricklen from Pretty Please Polish

Have you heard of Pretty Please Polish yet?! If not you should and that’s why we’re sharing her story on our Business blog today!  Sara has an amazing story of being a young entrepreneur and now having her own office space in NYC as well as a successful nail polish line!

Read below to get some great business advice from Sara!

Pretty Please Polish is such a fun and unique idea! Tell us how you decided to jump into the competitive world of nail polish!

It was a complete surprise how the company came about. I was looking for a special gift for my mom and I decided to customize a nail polish in her favorite color. When I went to order the gift online, I came to find that it didn’t exist. After a lot of research and thought, I decided to make it myself! I knew if I loved the concept, other girls would too.

When I founded the company in 2011, the nail polish industry looked nothing like it does today. Back then, there were a handful of go-to brands. Today, between the celebrity collaborations, movie themed nail polish, and retail branded colors, there are so many options to choose from it can make your head spin! Because of the surge popularity, I now love the idea of personalized nail polish even more! Pretty Please eliminates the pressure to choose from the masses and provides a simple option that feels fun and personal.

What did you do before you owned your own company?  What did you learn from those experiences that you have brought into Pretty Please?

After graduating from The University of Delaware with a degree in Apparel Design, I moved back to my home town in Maryland where I had jobs in marketing/public relations, and visual merchandising.  I had planned to open up a clothing boutique and went so far as to secure real estate and seek out investors but ultimately realized that I needed more experience, both personally and professionally, before I was ready to run a business. At 25 I moved to New York City where I worked in the Executive Search industry for many years before coming up with the idea for Pretty Please!

Any work experience, or life experience for that matter, is valuable when it comes to compiling lessons learned and applying them to your business. Everything from working as an entry level executive assistant to lost baggage in a foreign country can show you what you’re made of.  I have learned so much about how to manage expectations, how to manage people, and how to manage a full and ever-changing schedule.

What has been your best/favorite experience with Pretty Please Polish?

There are so many wonderful things that have come from Pretty Please, but just last week I had an awesome feel-good moment. In the midst of the craziness of Mercedes Benz Fashion Week, the “Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure” took place over the weekend, bringing perspective back to what is truly important. Erica London, the co-owner of the mobile manicure site, cityMANI, and a good friend I made through business, invited Pretty Please to join them to polish nails in the Beauty Zone at the Survivor Village in Central Park. It was such a special day and when I saw a Breast Cancer survivor grab a pink bottle of Pretty Please Nail Polish that was named “SURVIVOR”, it felt so incredible. When you can personalize nail polish with something meaningful, it isn’t just about looking good, it’s about feeling good too.

Each bottle gets to be uniquely named by the customer (best ever!)…what is the best name that you’ve seen so far?

I loved “Worth the Wait”, a pink polish named as baby shower favors for a mom who was finally having a little girl. Runner up is “Hold My Dress When I Pee”, which was given from a bride to her bridesmaid. Hysterical.

Tell us a little bit about your office space!

My office space is super girly, like the brand! Think pink tassels, inspirational quotes, collages and nail polish bottles for days.  When I glance up from my computer I can look out on the Empire State Building. It’s such a fun reminder that my vision for my company became a reality in NEW YORK CITY!

What was the best business advice you still carry with you?

When I first had the idea for Pretty Please I was having lunch with my friend Amanda. She is an old soul and has been super successful from a very young age. As she passed on the name of a lawyer for me to contact about patents and trademarks she said something that always stuck with me. I even wrote it down (she doesn’t know this).  She said, “Call him today! It’s amazing how many opportunities people are handed that they just don’t take. The opportunities are there and people don’t follow through. You should always follow through”. I think about this constantly. People are eager to help and you never want to drop a helping hand and miss out on an amazing opportunity.

What business advice would YOU give to young entrepreneurs like yourself attempting to start their own company?

From the moment you decide to start your own business it will be hard to (read: you will never) completely shut off from work. Priorities shift, time becomes more precious and everything becomes a balancing act. Your business will be as much a part of your life as your significant other, your family, your best friend, your pet, etc. Your business will need to be the love of your life. It’s that intense and time consuming. So, make sure your business is “the one”! 😉

Favorite Nail Polish Color: That’s like asking me to choose my favorite child! Right now I’m really loving Pretty Please color #13. It’s the perfect navy for fall!

Beauty Secret: MAC lipstick in “Lady Danger”. I can go makeup free with just this lipstick and it pulls together my entire look.

First Job: I was a Telemarketer for a mortgage broker while in high school. This did not last long.

If I Could Work For Anyone It Would Be: Ban.do. Those girls have so much fun and I adore the brand they have created.

What gets me going on Monday mornings: An iced mocha from Starbucks. Make that every morning!

Photos by Emily Malan + Jessica Haley