Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennie TRAN.
Hi Jennie, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I bought the salon right after COVID, in October 2020. At that time, many nail salons had gone out of business, and the previous owner of my salon was in the same situation. He couldn’t handle the business anymore. He didn’t have customers, and the salon had become very quiet.
I decided to take over the salon and build it from zero. Fast forward to now—five years later—we have a steady business with loyal clients who come in and support us. We won Best Nail Salon – Reader’s Choice of Elgin 2025, and our Google rating is the highest in Elgin.
I’ve been doing nails for 16 years. I came from Vietnam and worked hard to build my life here. This is the first salon I’ve ever owned, and I put my whole heart into it. There were so many late nights and early mornings. When I first bought it, there were days I came in and left empty-handed—no customers, no money, nothing.
But even from the very first month, I never lost money on the business. At first, I was making just a little. Now I’m making more and more, and the business has become steady and strong.
My salon is like a women’s home. When women walk through our doors, I want them to feel comfortable in their own skin—capable, deserving, and cared for. I want them to be treated like family, like a friend, like a queen.
I don’t only hire Vietnamese technicians. I hire people from different backgrounds. Our technicians can speak English, Vietnamese, and Spanish, so everyone feels welcome and understood.
A part of the profits from the business is used to help people in need—like those experiencing homelessness or anyone I pass by every day on my way to work or when I’m out. Giving back has always been important to me.
I named the business Legacy, because this is part of my legacy. My hope is that even after I’m gone, if someone takes over the salon, they will continue this legacy—using it as a foundation to do good for the people around us.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Like many small businesses, especially in a local town like Elgin, we face challenges almost every day or every week. Some of those challenges come from within, and some come from outside.
We’ve gone through hard times with the economy. We’ve dealt with difficult customers. There were moments when customers refused to pay and walked out, and it really hurt. There were times when everything felt overwhelming—conflicts between employees, disagreements between technicians, and the pressure of earning trust from new clients.
But I always try to keep my heart open. Even when things feel heavy, I choose to look at the situation in the most positive way I can. I look for the best way forward and remind myself why I started in the first place.
So I can honestly say that my business has stayed steady up to today. Of course, in this economy, everything is slowing down, and my business is slowing down too—but we are still on track. And I’m grateful for that every single day.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
When I first started, I mainly did pedicures. That’s where my journey really began. Day by day, I learned more, practiced more, and slowly moved into doing manicures. Over time, I grew into a nail technician, then a nail artist. And today, I’m not just a nail artist—I’m also a lash artist.
Now I do nails, lashes, waxing, facials—almost everything that helps a woman feel more confident and more beautiful in her own way.
But honestly, the thing I’m most proud of isn’t the nails or lashes I create. It’s the feeling my clients get the moment they sit down at my station.
So many women come to me not just for a set of nails or a set of lashes. They come because they need someone to listen to them. Someone who sees them. Someone who makes them feel heard, understood, and cared for. Sometimes, they just want a safe space where their heart can rest for a moment.
What touches me the most is seeing my clients leave my station—leave my room—feeling lighter, feeling prettier, feeling stronger, and more confident in themselves.
Some of them share their life stories with me, their pain, their dreams, their struggles. And the fact that they trust me with their stories means everything to me.
That’s what I’m most proud of. Not just making women beautiful on the outside, but helping them feel beautiful, worthy, and loved on the inside too.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
Behind every successful business, whether small or big, there’s always a team of people who work so hard to support the company, the business, and the leader.
I’m proud of what I’ve built, because it wasn’t easy—it took a lot of struggle, late nights, and dedication to turn this salon into the place it is today. But I know I couldn’t have done it alone.
First, I want to say a huge thank you to my clients. Some of them have been with me since day one, when I had almost nothing but hope and a dream. They are still coming back today.
Some have moved away. Some come a little less now. Some come more. Some started families. Some are following new paths in life. But no matter where life took them, they still come back to support me, and that loyalty and trust mean the world to me. I am forever grateful for each and every one of them.
And of course, I could never do this without my amazing team. The girls I work with come from different backgrounds, but every single day, they give their best. Yes, we’re a group of women working together in a small salon, and sometimes there are disagreements—but after those moments, we come out stronger, with more understanding, more patience, and more care for each other.
There’s one person I want to give special thanks to—my current manager, Amir. Honestly, I don’t think I could have made this salon what it is today without him. Right now, he’s running the salon while I’m focusing on my newborn, and he’s doing it with so much care, dedication, and heart.
He’s not just a manager—he’s like a business partner, a friend, and family to me. He understands my situation, carries responsibilities without complaint, and has helped take so much pressure off my shoulders. The customers love him, my team loves him, and the business itself is thriving under his care.
Amir has been with me for three years now, and ever since he joined, the salon has grown stronger, happier, and more vibrant. He inspires me every day, and I will always be grateful for everything he’s done—not just for the business, but for me and my family as well.
