Hear from fifth-year Dental student Roveena Raymond, on managing their side-hustle and degree.
Never did I think that painting my own nails would fund my university life, but it has. To my patients, I am Roveena, 5th year dental student but to my 2700 Instagram followers, I am @nailsbyroveena. I work with brands by using their products in a nail tutorial, which can then be shared as advertisements on all their social media platforms. My role is to brainstorm an idea and execute the video by filming, editing, adding music, writing a caption and posting.
How it all started
I started my account in 2018 as a way to show my family and friends my latest nail artwork. What started as a hobby has grown into a source of income, creative outlet, and a surprisingly complementary skillset to my degree.
The idea of gifted products was an initial goal of mine but was something I thought was only achievable with tens of thousands of followers. But, in 2021, I decided to reach out to brands (with my 700 followers) and was able to receive PR, and I continue to have an extensive nail polish and jewellery collection via these gifted campaigns.
The relationship I grew with these brands helped me in 2022 to pitch for paid content creation collaborations. Alongside this, I have been fortunate to be invited to multiple brand events, with the highlight being in a VIP box for Beyoncé’s recent London tour! To date, I’ve earned over £20,000. Until I began working as a content creator, I never would have recognised the amount of money brands are willing to spend for content and how an account with a relatively small following could still work with so many top brands.
Motivation to keep going
Motivation to paint my nails has never really been an issue as it’s just a fun, easy hobby. In addition, I have always enjoyed filming and editing videos so mostly enjoy the process from start to finish. It can be overwhelming when I have multiple collaborations to complete at one time, especially when they coincide with a busy university schedule. But, it forces me to take some time out and be creative while thoroughly enjoying the perks of working from home and basically being my own boss. Since 2022, I have been earning more and more each year as I develop confidence in my work, pitching to brands and securing long-term partnerships.
How Basecamp Enterprise helped me level up
I decided to apply for the Development Stage of the New Enterprise Competition as a way to learn new skills, network and pitch for funding. It was very well organised and I found myself learning a new piece of advice at each weekly Zoom session, covering all aspects of business; from marketing and branding, to audience targeting and pitching. It was useful to gain structured insights into areas I’d never really explored before.
A huge confidence boost came when I completed the final pitch to a panel of women who were genuinely impressed with what I’d achieved. I was awarded £600 in funding that I’m putting towards boosting my content through ads and streamlining my posting across platforms, which should help me be time efficient and become more consistent on social media. The support I received from the Basecamp team has been paramount as they communicate well and have shown to be a reliable team to reach out to if I ever need to.
Balancing uni and a side hustle
With my side hustle being my hobby, I luckily haven’t struggled with having to balance the two because my mindset is that I require both in my routine to be happy! Being able to live my double life of dental student at the hospital and influencer at brand events is something I never want to give up as it keeps my weeks interesting and exciting. I also find it completely ironic that I chose a degree where I am not even allowed to have my nails painted!
On one hand it means I can’t show off my nails on the daily but on the other hand, it forces me to do multiple artworks in a week whenever we have days off/ weekends. The overlap between dentistry and nail art is more significant than I initially realised as they involve precision, attention to detail, working on a small scale, practice, a steady hand, and an eye for aesthetics.
Interested in getting involved in our 25th Year Anniversary?
Head over to our basecamp webpage, or log onto mycareer for enterprise resources and regular events!