The Marie Hunter brand is built upon one philosophy, “Confidence Speaks Volumes”. Confidence by definition is a feeling of self-assurance arising from one's appreciation of one's own abilities or qualities. The Marie Hunter Modern Muse is a woman who is a guiding spirit and source of artistic inspiration in life and business.

Today we’re featuring Priyanka Jahr & Jennifer Lane, Founders of Laquerus. Laquerus is a waterless and non-toxic nail studio, the first of its kind in Madison, Wisconsin. I had the opportunity to ask Priyanka & Jennifer 5 questions and here is what they had to say.

Q+A with MH Modern Muses Priyanka Jahr & Jennifer Lane

Q: What was the defining moment that made you want to launch Laquerus?

A: The Laquerus concept was born during our last semester as MBA students at the Wisconsin School of Business. We were partners in an entrepreneurship class where the curriculum allowed you to build a business plan from start to finish, and ultimately pitch the business idea to a board of potential investors. As enthusiastic clients of manicure and pedicure services ourselves, we felt there were many opportunities for improvement within the existing nail salon experience, and elected to use the class time to build a plan for a modern nail studio where customer service, product knowledge, safety and creativity could comfortably coexist.

The more the semester went on, the more we were able to validate that our frustrations with the nail salon market were shared among many women (and men!), and the more we believed in our vision. It was only after we won the class pitch competition that we truly considered what it would be like to bring this idea to fruition in the real world. The defining moment for us was when we realized that, despite both having accepted full-time job offers at other companies, we were still dreaming about launching and growing the Laquerus brand. We couldn't picture ourselves doing anything else, and we knew we would regret it if we didn't seize the opportunity.

Q: How did you conquer fear when building your brand?

A: If we're being completely honest, the fear never truly goes away, but it does get easier to handle. With every success we experience, we become more confident in taking risks and trying new things for our business. Building Laquerus was a major leap of faith, not only because we were walking away from competitive job offers, but because we were launching a business in an industry that we knew very little about, practically speaking. This was definitely scary, but also helped motivate us to strive for success and prove oruselves. A little bit of fear is healthy because it pushes you to do things you wouldn't ordinarily do, and prevents you from ever becoming bored or lazy in your work.

Q: What advice would you have for a female entrepreneur ready to take the leap into entrepreneurship?

A: The best advice we can give is to take the "move fast and break things" approach. Testing and learning is the only way to move forward. Also, don't be afraid to fail: it will happen and you need to be prepared to learn from it and pivot. Lastly, have a strong vision and stay true to it. You really can accomplish everything you set your mind to.

Q: What is your personal mantra?

A: One team, one dream. Through both the successes and the failures of the business, we're always supportive of one another. We share this message with our team of Nail Artists and Studio Coordinators as well. In a partnership, and in the service industry, it's important share accomplishments and setbacks, rather than hold one single person responsible.

Q: What do you love most about Marie Hunter Beauty?

A: We love the level of detail that Marie Hunter Beauty provides in each aspect of the brand. From product story, to ingredients, to packaging - every piece is meaningful and well executed. It's always wonderful to collaborate with someone who cares deeply about each step of the journey.

I first discovered Laquerus on Instagram and was immediately intrigued by the concept of a waterless nail studio. While I have heard of this concept in larger cities, I love that two local women decided to bring something unique to the Madison area. They also house a team of talented nail artists which would make anyone more excited to learn more about their offerings. Laquerus and Marie Hunter Beauty teamed up to collaborate last year to create some limited edition nail art inspired by our best selling shades and now they’re a proud retailer of our products so be sure to stop in and support once they reopen (current closure due to COVID-19) but in the meantime you can support them online! Priyanka and Jennifer are fearless, innovative, and bold, and for that they are MH Modern Muses.

You can follow Laquerus on the following platforms:

Instagram: @laquerus

Facebook: @laquerus

Website: Laquerus