But her most popular offering is nail art: Using different types of gel polish, polish, gems, stickers and other supplies, Nguyen can create an intricate cloudscape or a bouquet of spring flowers on someone’s fingertips. Designs usually last two to three weeks.
Among Nguyen’s most famous clients Paris Hilton And Hailey BieberBut her salon is open to non-celebrities as well. Her designs have also appeared in advertising campaigns for companies such as Apple, Converse, and Chanel.
In 2022, her salon brought in more than $600,000, according to tax documents reviewed by CNBC Make It — a number Nguyen expects to surpass before the end of 2023, given how much her client base has grown.
During a busy week, Jenny Nguyen estimates she spends 80 to 100 hours working.
Andrew Evers
Nguyen studied education at Hofstra University in New York, but left college in her junior year to work full-time and help her parents financially support her three younger siblings, who were all living in New York at the time.
She first moved to Los Angeles in 2019, looking for a respite from the harsh New York winters. At the time, Nguyen was a substitute teacher in the public school district and was planning to continue her teaching career in Los Angeles.
“But I wasn’t making enough money teaching,” Nguyen recalls. She knew she wanted to try a new job, in a new industry, but she didn’t know exactly what to do next.
So, she decided to try working for herself. “I’ve always been drawn to entrepreneurship because I’m a very competitive, very bossy person and would rather work for myself than listen to others tell me what to do,” she says.
Then the pandemic hit. “I follow a lot of nail artists on Instagram, so while I was at home in lockdown, I kept seeing this on my page and thought, ‘Why not try it?’” Nguyen says.
It only took a few months for Nguyen to perfect her craft. In early 2021, I obtained my nail trimming license online through College of Advanced Cosmetology — a program she says cost her about $9,000 and took a few weeks to finish — and she began advertising her services to clients on Instagram, reaching out to photographers and offering free nail art for their photo shoots to build her portfolio.
Her vibrant designs quickly gained a following on TikTok and Instagram, where social media influencers and celebrity assistants were messaging her and asking for appointments. “Social media and client referrals have helped me build my client base,” Nguyen says.
In January 2022, Nguyen opened JennPaintt Nail Lounge in downtown Los Angeles. She says the salon receives about 300 clients in a typical week. JennPaintt Nail Lounge currently has 16 employees, including Nguyen’s wife, Bryan Truong, who co-owns and manages the salon with her.
“Being an entrepreneur is very stressful and lonely… but when I started hiring more people, I felt a lot better, and I was able to grow my business faster,” Nguyen says. “If you want to go far, you have to go together.”
Nguyen says she still works late into the evening and on weekends to grow her business — during a busier week, she estimates she spends 80 to 100 hours working.
But Nguyen says the long hours are worth it to have a creative endeavor that she loves and pays well. “Nail art is always exciting and makes people happy,” she says. “I’m very grateful to be doing this work.”
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