Start with whichever guide fits where you are right now
Whether you are a working nail tech struggling with lifting and inconsistent results — or someone thinking about going independent and not sure where to start — you are in the right place.
Both guides below are free. No payment. No catch.
Just real foundations — taught correctly.
Stop lifting. Build sets that actually last.
Who this is for:
If your sets lift before 3 weeks — this is for you.
Most nail techs with retention problems spend months switching products, trying new lamps, and changing gel brands. And nothing works. Because lifting is almost never a product problem.
Lifting is a prep and application sequence problem.
This free checklist gives you the exact 8-step system I use on every client — so you can identify exactly where your retention is failing and fix it before your next appointment.
What is inside:
✔ The complete 8-step prep and application checklist — in the correct order
✔ Troubleshooting guide — diagnose lifting by where and when it happens
✔ The most common mistake that causes lifting in each area
✔ A brief introduction to the full foundations system
Download this if:
Your sets lift before 2 weeks consistently
You are not sure which step is causing the problem
You are doing free fixes and want to stop
You want a repeatable system you can trust on every client
This checklist is the first tool I give every student who joins my training. Now it is yours — for free.
A realistic path to skill, confidence, and income — built correctly, not rushed.
Who this is for:
If you are thinking about going independent — this is for you.
Maybe you are working in a salon right now and something feels off. The hours are long. The pay does not reflect your effort. You want to build something of your own but you are not sure where to start or what to do first.
Or maybe you are in your first year or two and you want to make sure you are building on the right foundation — not learning the hard way like so many nail techs do.
This free guide gives you a clear, honest overview of the path from where you are now to independent nail tech — in the correct order, without the mistakes that cost most people years of time and money.
What is inside:
✔ Step 1 — Build a skill that creates real value
✔ Step 2 — Learn in the correct order — before you practice
✔ Step 3 — Practice with intention, not just repetition
✔ Step 4 — Attract clients the right way without a big following
✔ Step 5 — Build income gradually, safely, and with confidence
✔ The 6 most common mistakes nail techs make going independent — and how to avoid them
Download this if:
You are thinking about leaving the salon or going independent
You are in your first one to two years and want to build correctly from the start
You feel stuck — working hard but not moving forward the way you expected
You want clarity on what to focus on first and in what order
This is not a shortcut. It is an honest starting point — built from real experience, for nail techs who are serious about building something that lasts.
I did not start with confidence.
I started confused. Rushed. Underpaid. Guessing.
I was new to Canada. Nails was the only job I could get. I was paid $10 an hour and I worked long salon hours, followed rules that did not serve me, and tried my best while feeling completely replaceable.
I was told I was too slow. That maybe this was not for me.
For a while — I believed it.
What changed everything was not a new product. Not a better lamp. Not a more expensive bit.
It was learning foundations in the correct order. Understanding why each step existed. Building a system I could repeat consistently — on every client, every single time.
When my results became predictable — everything else changed.
My retention. My pricing. My confidence. My schedule. I stopped second-guessing myself. I stopped offering free fixes out of guilt. I built my own studio. And I stopped feeling like I was working harder than my income showed.
These guides are the first steps I wish someone had given me.
No shortcuts. No trends. Just real structure — built from the start.
— Maya Cahya Nails Academy
The guides give you the foundation. Here is where to go when you are ready for the next step.
If you are a working nail tech struggling with lifting, inconsistent retention, or results you cannot fully trust — Russian Manicure Foundations Training is the complete technical system.
4 weeks. Personal corrections on your actual submitted work every single week. The exact prep, cuticle, structure, and retention framework that eliminates guessing permanently.
This is not a course you watch and forget. It is guided, corrected, documented improvement — until the right way becomes your automatic standard.
Limited to 10 nail techs per cohort.
Investment: $999 CAD — or 2 payments of $549
If you are working on building your business foundation — pricing confidence, client systems, schedule structure, and income stability — the Nail Business System is coming soon.
It was built specifically for independent nail techs who have the skill and are ready to build the business around it.
Be the first to know when it opens — and get early access pricing.
👉 Join the waitlist
Yes. Both guides are completely free. No email required, no payment, no strings attached. Download whichever one fits where you are right now.
If you are already working on clients and struggling with lifting or inconsistent retention — start with the Retention Checklist. If you are thinking about going independent or are in your first year or two — start with the Independent Nail Tech Guide. If both feel relevant — download both.
Not necessarily. The framework inside — especially the correct order section and the common mistakes — applies at every stage. Many experienced nail techs download it and find gaps they did not know they had.
It is a 4-week online cohort for working nail techs who want to fix inconsistent retention, build clean cuticle work and structure, and develop the confidence to charge premium prices. You submit one complete set per week and receive detailed personal corrections within 24 to 48 hours. Limited to 10 students per cohort.
It is an upcoming course covering the complete business side of running an independent nail practice — pricing strategy, client systems, schedule structure, and income stability. It is designed for nail techs who have built their technical skill and are ready to build a business that matches it. Join the waitlist to be notified when it opens.
Instagram and YouTube — both under @cahya_nails. I share retention education, nail business tips, student results, and behind the scenes content regularly.
Most nail techs struggle not because they lack talent.
They struggle because they were never shown the correct path — in the correct order.
These guides are that path. They are yours. For free.
Download. Read. And take the first step.
— Maya | Cahya Nails Academy @cahya_nails | cahyanails.com Instagram | YouTube