Today we’d like to introduce you to Vivian Phan.
Hi Vivian, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I grew up in the nail industry. It’s been a family business for as long as I can remember. My parents worked hard to open their own shop, which they ran for over 20 years, and most of my extended family either own their own salons or work in the industry as well.
I definitely started working in the industry earlier on than I probably should have, but growing up around that environment, I naturally became involved in the business at a young age. As a first-generation Vietnamese American, this was a pretty common experience. After the Vietnam War, many Vietnamese women were introduced to the nail industry through Tippi Hedren’s efforts to help Vietnamese refugees resettle in the US. The industry provided opportunities for refugees to support their families through flexible hours, decent pay, and accessible training. The exam was even offered in Vietnamese early on. As an immigrant, my mom joined the industry almost as soon as she arrived in the US.
We moved around a lot when I was a baby, but I spent most of my childhood in rural Missouri. After high school, I decided to pursue a different pathway and go to college. I attended Saint Louis University in 2017 and graduated in 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in history.
After college, I worked at a school for a while, but by 2022, I found my way back into the nail industry. I started by helping out at my cousin’s salon in Illinois, then moved to a salon closer to St. Louis. I worked there for a couple of years. Eventually, in 2024, I decided to go out on my own and opened my business at Salon Lofts in St. Charles, and I’ve been there ever since.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Definitely not. It’s been a long ride-full of rocky roads, traffic jams, and detours.
I grew up in the business and always thought I never wanted to take the same route my parents did. The nail industry is more difficult than most people realize, and on top of that, being a business owner never appealed to me. At the end of the day, you’re responsible for being there day-in and day out. With high employee turnover and seeing firsthand how strenuous it was to find and manage employees with the right qualities, I came to the conclusion that owning a salon was more like a never-ending curse, with one problem after another. Throughout the years, that seemed to be the case with most of the nail salons I had encountered.
In college, I still obtained my manicurist license to support myself financially during school breaks. Originally, I intended to pursue postgraduate studies after taking a gap year to give myself a break from school. Funnily enough, I ended up working part-time at a school, but that just wasn’t cutting it, and I knew it wasn’t something I wanted to do long-term. I started looking for other sources of income to support myself in St. Louis. I was on the road to financial independence. My cousin invited me to help out at her nail salon in Illinois part-time, and it completely changed my perspective on what being a nail technician could look like.
I realized that doing nails could be about quality, patience, and clean work. She also showed me that it was possible to have boundaries and prioritize your own time and needs, while being a successful business owner. Something that I believe is a constant struggle in many areas of life and throughout life is balance. Whether it’s balancing your diet, consumption, family and friends, or your personal and professional life-which is one I’m still struggling with today, though I’m starting to feel like I improve a little bit more everyday.
School fulfilled my need for mental stimulation, but doing nails fulfilled a need for creativity—something I hadn’t realized I was missing until I found it again. The flexibility in schedule and control over my work environment definitely helped sweeten the deal though.
My cousin introduced me to another modern nail salon owner closer to St. Louis, so I started working there. I had been experimenting with newer gel systems that seemed to be gaining popularity everywhere else, except in St. Louis. My new boss was just as curious, and we ended up learning about and experimenting with different gel systems together. We realized that, at least for us, they were preferable systems to acrylic, dip powder, or polish.
Eventually, I grew out of the traditional nail salon environment and became an independent nail technician in St. Charles. I definitely had a lot of doubts and concerns starting out. Most of my family was hesitant and unsure on whether it was worth going out on my own so unplanned, but they still helped me set up my salon and spread the word.
I ended up getting more business on my own than I had at a salon. I wasn’t ready for it, but through that experience, I realized we are never truly ready for most things and sometimes we just need to take the leap and do it. I did put more work into marketing since my back was kind of against the wall, and I felt less self-conscious about putting my name out there. I went from a couple of clients a day to now, full days booked out months in advance.
I definitely think my consistency and diligence helped, but I know that a huge part of my success is due to my loyal clients. They encouraged me, supported me (emotionally and financially), spread the word, and helped build my confidence simply with their appreciation for me and my work. I am extremely grateful that I have such a supportive community and a job that includes getting to chat with my friends and make their nails look pretty all day.
Running my own business and figuring out what works best for me has been a journey in itself. I’ve worked at more than a handful of salons, but I’ve learned something from each of them and carry that knowledge and experience with me as I continue writing my story.
It’s a journey, and I’m definitely still learning and growing along the way, but I’m happy with where I am today.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m a nail technician who specializes in gel systems and nail art. I don’t do as much hyperrealistic art, but I love abstract work and am always willing to try something new. These days, clients usually come in with a photo for reference, but I love adding my own spin or creating my own interpretation of a look. Each day comes with various challenges and I love a good challenge. Sometimes clients even collaborate with me on a design or come in with their own ideas, which makes the process even more stimulating and fun.
I take the most pride in producing quality, detailed work. I may not be the quickest nail artist, but I finish each appointment feeling confident that the nails will last a reasonable amount of time and that my client is happy with the results. A lot of nail shops prioritize how quickly they can finish a set or how many clients they can see in a day, but that approach doesn’t really align with how I like to work.
One thing I’ve learned in this industry is that people have different ways of doing things, and that doesn’t necessarily mean one way is right or wrong, because you can still get the same results with different methods. Personally, I’m a bit of a perfectionist, and sometimes it’s hard for me to let a client leave if I know I can do something better. Of course, there’s a limit to that, and I’m not saying I never make mistakes, just that I hold myself to a standard that is sometimes unrealistically high. That’s something else I’m still learning to navigate and balance: allowing myself some grace and not being too hard on myself. I’m definitely my own harshest critic, as my clients often remind me, but they appreciate my dedication and care I take at the same time.
I prioritize giving my clients what they want and ask for while doing so in my style, because seeing them happy with the results is one of the most rewarding parts of my job. I think my clients appreciate my attention to detail and trust that I’ll take the time to do things properly. I’m proud of the fact that I’ve built that trust with them, and I think it reflects my priorities: the quality of my work, the experience I give my clients, and ensuring they leave happy with something they love or makes them feel better in some way.
Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
Some of my earliest memories are from the nail shop. Childcare was expensive, so I spent a lot of my free time at the salon where my parents worked. I was either chatting with customers, watching TV, or observing the nail technicians. As a child, I was given full control over at least one of the TVs. I had an entire salon full of clients and nail technicians watching cartoons like Dragon Ball Z or Teen Titans with me. I think I can say I never really felt lonely there. There was this constant buzz and energy there.
The shop was like my personal playground, and I loved watching the nail artists do their thing. I would always watch them with fascination, which was probably what sparked my initial interest in the industry.
One memory that stands out is when I decided to try out what I had just watched my mom do. I noticed that all the adults seemed preoccupied, so I took the opportunity to give it a try. I grabbed a few fake nails, blue and green nail polish, and a dotting tool. Then, I attempted my own version of the flower I had just seen her create.
I remember everyone seeing the results and complimenting my work, even though it definitely wasn’t comparable to my mom’s version. Regardless, it was the first time I felt proud of something I had created, and that experience motivated me to keep improving. Like I said, I love a good challenge.
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