Today we’d like to introduce you to Amy Oung.
Amy, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I’ve been licensed as a nail technician for Massachusetts and Rhode Island since 2000 through the decision of my parents. They were one of the first (if not the very first) Vietnamese nail salon in Boston and established their salon in the late 1980s in Mattapan. The nail industry made it feasible for Vietnamese immigrants to earn a living and even be sole proprietor in the United States – a country where the language and the culture was foreign to them. My parents made sure I was licensed because they knew that it was a fail-safe. They could not be further from that truth.
The job of a nail technician did appeal to me on several standpoints. First, the education was affordable and it was easy to get a job and pay back any tuition investment. Secondly, the hours were flexible enough that I could accomplish my other life tasks (college, children, etc.). The nail industry allowed me to flex my creativity, making the profession completely challenging and not stale. I’ve always been the type to problem solve, and the nail industry is constantly evolving, introducing new products and techniques to always improve the quality of the nails and/or perform different types of nail designs. Last but not least, I always loved art, having a strong appreciation and definitely having a talent for it.
I literally grew up in the nail industry and was fortunate to witness the growth and changes. I can recall the different nail art styles in the decades and even seen the evolution of nail and beauty products. I’ve seen the intense acrylic nail designs, fancy airbrushed and handpainted art, to the advent of pedicures (pedicure spa chairs) to spa services. I’ve witnessed the negative press, such as the toe fungus issue in Boston in the 1990s, to the controversial toxicities of MMA acrylic products. I’ve also experienced the racism of “chop shops”, as my parents would be considered the ones to have been the start of this stereotype.
My childhood, I felt embarrassed to even tell my peers that my parents owned “that nail salon”.
However, that profession that I was ashamed of telling people saved my life. During college, it helped to bring in extra money for extraneous spending. When I settled down and had my two children, it was an excellent profession to take care of them while bringing in some income. When the recession fell upon my family, my husband’s job was compromised. There were few jobs hiring, one of the few jobs that were open was the for the beauty industry. A nail technician position was recession-proof.
That was around the time I turned to gel products as an alternative to acrylics and nail polish. At that time, gel polish was a new product (it was called “gel color”) and I thought it was innovative. What client wouldn’t want a long-lasting polish that had high shine and was dry to the touch within minutes? I took a class and one year after that, I became a gel educator for a Canadian nail product company.
That was when my influence grew within my industry. I started to do private classes, worked at trade shows across the country, and was involved in major nail competitions (I placed 3rd in the US Invitational, only losing to two extremely reputable veterans in the industry with 25+ years under their belt). Within that decade, I had worked for 3 product companies.
In that time, I also had my own nail salon in Warwick, Rhode Island that ran for a strong 9 years. I currently am an international brand ambassador for ORLY International and have traveled all over the world as far as the Philippines, Belarus, Croatia – just to name a few.
I recently closed my salon this year at its height because I was offered a major project which will be announced in 2019. Stay tuned for that!
I reflect and see how now I am so grateful, honored, and proud of my profession. I recall my daughter telling me how she mentioned that I owned my salon and was a popular nail artist for her classmates. Her peers gushed in admiration of my profession and status. I’m glad to be where I am and to instill a positivity in an industry that beautifies people – giving them confidence and allowing them to radiate.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The largest struggle is in perfecting your craft and acknowledging your self-worth as well as understanding business concepts. How I succeeded in my profession is that I continually kept learning and evolving with the art and technology that came with the nail industry. I remember one of my biggest hurdles was when I first started off using gel products (or any products for that matter), I had to adapt my motor skill set to use the medium for the nails. I would practice, do trial and error, and definitely took classes and mentored under the best in the industry.
One of my biggest advice for women is to network within your industry and familiarize yourself with talented people in your trade/craft/industry. Always strive for more, never stop learning, and continue to stay current. Mentor under those that you would emulate and take in all the knowledge from all the people on your journey.
Social media makes it even easier to network and market yourself. It can be a double-edged sword and can affect you mentally as well. Keep a healthy mindset, develop that strong online portfolio (especially if it’s visual, Instagram and Tumblr are excellent platforms), and remember that you can use your social media similarly to a type of “resume”. So, please keep a personal account separate from a business account. I’ve seen social media catapult careers in amazing directions as well and causing the loss of jobs for inappropriate posts/content.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with your business – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
I specialize in gel nail mediums and nail artwork. I am known for being a brand ambassador and product educator for nail manufacturers. I currently work for ORLY International as their international brand ambassador. I hold private classes, teaching technical and art nail skills. I travel and teach seminars around the world.
What advice would you give to someone at the start of her career?
In this day and age, people have lost verbal social skills (as everyone is either on their phone, laptop etc.). Learn good social skills as this helps with first impressions at interviews, with networking, and with connecting with future clients and prospects. Networking is key, as we are all social beings, and the ability to express your thoughts and being mindful and respectful of other peoples cultures and ideas will pave a good way to any young woman’s career.
Also, don’t bite your nails and always keep them manicured for interviews!
Contact Info:
- Phone: 401-935-1837
- Email: Amygelz@gmail.com
- Instagram: amygelz
- Facebook: Amy Oung
Image Credit:
Amy Oung
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