Beauty

Anna is the woman behind Maniac Nails

"My goal? Conquer Europe!"

By
Anna de Koning Maniac Nails

While others might still take a sabbatical or flutter socially a bit, Anna de Koning simply started her own business hard. The result: 16 employees and international success.

Nice Anna, speaking of dream jobs: being busy all day with nails and trends seems like heaven to me. How did it all come about?
“As a beauty lover, I indeed find it amazing to be busy with nails and trends every day. Beautiful nails really make me happy and make me feel completely ‘done’. That's why I'm so glad that with Maniac we ensure that everyone can easily have beautiful nails.”

Starting Maniac Nails

“Together with my business partner Marlot Meddens, I started Maniac Nails two years ago. We brought gel polish stickers to the Netherlands – something that was already a huge trend in Korea and Japan completely new here. With the Maniac gel polish stickers, you can have a salon-quality gel manicure at home in just 20 minutes. When we first tested the product, we really thought: this is too good to be true! It's super easy to apply, lasts perfectly for two weeks, and doesn't damage your nails. All our friends were immediately fans too. We quit our jobs to go all in for Maniac.”

4000 packs of sticker nails

“In 2022 we started with an initial bulk of 4000 pieces, and when we saw those huge pallets coming in, it was super exciting. How and to whom were we going to sell all these sets? We had given some sets as gifts to influencers, including Carolien Spoor and Anna Nooshin. They tried it and were super enthusiastic. They shared this enthusiasm on Instagram, which led to us being completely sold out within three days. Crazy, really a flying start! Since then, that growth has only continued. We have done collaborations with big influencers like Olcay Gulsen, Geraldine Kemper, and Anna Nooshin. Within 10 months, we were in the Bijenkorf, and next week we are also going live in a major beauty chain. We are now also growing significantly in Belgium and aim to conquer the rest of Europe.”

Was it always your ambition to work in the beauty industry? Were you already playing with your mother's powder brushes as a child?
“Yes, I was absolutely already playing with my mother's powder brushes as a child. All my pocket money went on beauty products, and my bathroom was full of them. My father jokingly called it ‘the pharmacy’ because of the number of jars and bottles I collected. But I didn't have the ambition to work in the beauty industry back then.”

Did you as a little girl think you would pursue this profession or did you want to do something completely different first?
“As a little girl, I kept a list of new business ideas. So entrepreneurship was always in me, but I had actually thought that it would be something for later. My mother was a lawyer, and I first wanted to follow in her footsteps. That's why I chose a law study and interned at a law firm in the Zuidas. When I started that internship, I was really determined: Let’s go, I’m going to make it big and start my career here.”

Not in law

“But during that internship, I realized that I really couldn't express my creativity and entrepreneurial drive in law. At the end of that internship, I felt: the course must change, this is not for me. So I decided to do a Master in Finance, and not long after, I started at a Venture Capital fund that invested in startups like Maniac. I found this super inspiring and interesting.”

“There I met Marlot, and together we decided to take the leap and start Maniac. Entrepreneurship came my way much earlier than I ever thought it would, and I am incredibly grateful for that! In the past two years, I have learned so much and experienced fantastic things. I wouldn't have wanted it any other way.”

What does an average workday look like for you?
“No day is the same, and that's exactly what I love about my job! Most of the time, I am at the office with our Maniac team, which now consists of 16 people. I am incredibly proud of that. They are all hardworking, inspiring people, and we all have the same goal in mind: to ensure that everyone can have beautiful nails easily. A day at the office always gives me a lot of energy because we are building something together that we all believe in.”

Never boring with Maniac Nails

“But besides the office days, my days sometimes look very different. For example, I might have a shoot with an influencer, be present at a Maniac event, or have PR days. Sometimes I go to Belgium to set up new collaborations. That variety ensures that it is never boring. I really wouldn't be happy in a job where every day is the same. It’s that diversity and the unexpected that make my work so fun and challenging.”

How many hours do you work per week?

“I work an average of about 50 to 60 hours a week, and those hours are spread throughout the week, including weekends. But to be honest, it doesn't really feel like work to me. As an entrepreneur, you are actually always ‘on’ – there is always something that demands your attention, a new opportunity or challenge that you think about, even when you are not literally sitting behind your laptop. I actually find that very enjoyable. It doesn't feel like an obligation, more like a passion that I am happily engaged in every day. Maniac has really become my hobby, and I get a lot of energy from it.”

What advice would you give your younger self?
“Don't worry too much about making mistakes. Mistakes are actually learning moments. We always say: as long as you don't make the same mistake twice, it's totally okay. I now have a much better insight into my talents and consciously work on developing them further. I find that an incredibly valuable insight.”

Are you the type that separates work and private life, or does everything flow together?
“It's not that I consciously try to separate work and private life, because everything just naturally flows into each other, and that works perfectly for me. My boyfriend is also an entrepreneur, and he is really a visionary. He has inspired me enormously to start my own business. His passion for entrepreneurship is contagious, and I greatly admire his vision and optimism. We regularly brainstorm about new ideas and how to tackle challenges, both for his company and for Maniac. This gives me a lot of energy, and it doesn't feel like work at all. It's more like conversations about our shared hobbies. Even with my girlfriends, the conversation can easily turn to new nail trends or fun ideas for Maniac.”

Always reachable or type two phones and on Monday you are the first?
“Always reachable!”

What do you wear on a workday?
“One of the things I really enjoy about my work is the freedom to wear what I want. I have always been very involved with fashion and clothing, so I love that I can wear whatever I feel like every day, without having to adhere to rules. Sometimes I try something completely new, which sometimes leads to hilarious moments. For example, I once had braided braids at an important meeting at the Bijenkorf, or wore a sweater that was basically just holes. And that at moments when I had to be taken seriously and not look too young, haha. That often leads to fits of laughter from my colleagues, and I can only laugh about it too.”

Do you think about perfume and hairstyle? I can imagine that you take into account the role you fulfill that day.
“Definitely. I have been wearing the same perfume from Le Labo for years, and it really feels like my scent. As for my hair, I have had short hair for a few years now, and I am still super happy with it. It really suits me. Additionally, I am also a big fan of the sleek bun. It's ideal when I have little time in the morning, and it always looks good.’

We know it’s not chic to talk about money, but it’s nice for the next generation to know what it roughly pays in this work. So can you give a rough indication of which segment you are in? Are we above or below the Balkenende norm?
“As an entrepreneur, the focus in the first years is not on earning a lot of money for yourself, but on growing your business. That is no different for me. At the moment, I am definitely below the Balkenende norm, but to be honest, that is not my priority right now. My attention is fully on building Maniac and conquering Europe. For me, it’s about the bigger picture and the long term, and I find that much more important than my own salary at this moment.”

And another point of attention: being a woman. Have you experienced a glass ceiling? The idea that you had to prove yourself more? Or is it actually a huge advantage in your industry?
“It is true that you don't often see a company that, like Maniac, was started by two young women and is growing so fast. Yet I have never experienced being a woman as a limitation. Because we don't see it as an obstacle ourselves, it has never stood in our way. Of course, I am aware that there are differences between men and women, even in business. For example, you often see that men are good at selling themselves, maybe exaggerate a bit, or radiate just that little extra confidence (even if they don't actually have it). If you are aware of that as a woman, you can adapt to it. Just as men have their strengths, women have them too, and often those play to our advantage.”

Has there been a moment in your career that has been decisive for your career?

“A defining moment in my career was definitely when Marlot, after a few glasses of wine at a Friday afternoon gathering, told me that she had discovered gel polish stickers and was thinking about quitting her job to start a business in this. Entrepreneurship had always been a dream of mine, but I never thought it would happen at that moment. After I tested the product myself, I was completely sold. I also wanted nothing more than to embark on this adventure with Marlot. I greatly admire her vision, strength, and way of working, and we just clicked really well. At that moment, I was 24, and all my friends were just starting jobs with good salaries, something I had always envisioned for myself too. It was an incredibly defining moment because I chose not to follow the beaten path but to start my own business at 24. I am still mega proud and happy that I made this choice. Chasing your dreams and not waiting for another moment.”