Today we’d like to introduce you to Debbie Montenegro and Dalilah Hernandez.
Debbie and Dalilah, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Dalilah and I met in beauty school, she’d probably tell you that I stalked her, but I just saw someone who I thought was pretty and wanted as my friend. Haha! We both went into school for different things and fell into nails during our time there. A nail salon owner in Beverly Hills reached out and we ended up working in the city that everyone dreams of working in for almost four years. Such a huge turning point in our careers. It was such a great opportunity and that just made our friendship grow so much. We were always together and pretty much inseparable. It was great having someone cheer the other on no matter the obstacle. As time went on, it became too much of a routine working in the salon under someone. So we ended up looking into options that could change our routine. Phenix Salon Suites of Orange became our new home and allowed us to become our own bosses and jump into a new adventure. VERY SCARY, but one year and six months later Debbie & Dalilah is going strong and getting busier every single day.
Launching and running a business with a friend sounds like a dream, 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?
For the most part it’s been a smooth road. There have obviously been obstacles that we both feel lucky to be in together. Jumping into the unknown is very scary, especially without knowing how to run a business or build one. That’s where we definitely struggled. But when one of us is unsure about anything, the other is definitely there to give the other one a good push to keep going and try harder. We both have strengths and weaknesses in different areas, but that’s what makes us D&D. I feel like we complement each other very well and although we may disagree on a couple of things, at the end of the day we’re both doing what we love. Together.
Alright – so let’s talk business. What else should we know?
So at Debbie & Dalilah we specialize in nails and hand-painted art on the tiniest canvases. Which is part of what we’re known for, as well as our cleanliness and making sure our clients feel like they’re in a safe relaxing environment. We’d both say that building a clientele out of literally nothing is something we’re VERY proud of since we came from a city that was opposite of where we’re at now. Which meant no clients followed us. It was probably the scariest thing, but not impossible and we are reminded of it daily. At Debbie & Dalilah we like making our clients feel like it’s more than a client-nail tech relationship. We’ve heard so many stories of clients being rushed out or treated horribly at nail salons they’ve been to and we want to be more than just another nail salon. We’ve grown so much with our clients and they’re honestly our biggest cheerleaders and hope that we can also cheer them on through their day with more than just a manicure or pedicure.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
Earlier this year there was talk between us about expanding into a bigger suite at Phenix. We didn’t get the chance to do that until recently which was very unexpected. Our current suite felt like the perfect size in the beginning and now our clients will tell you it’s getting a little tight. Ha! We’re actually starting to plan the move which will be happening at the end of October. We honestly are SUPER excited and seeing our dreams unfold is honestly such a huge blessing.
Pricing:
- Classic Manicure – $20
- Classic Pedicure – $27
- Gel Manicure – $40
- Gel Pedicure – $45
- Nail Art I – $15+
- Nail Art II – $25+
- Nail Art III – $40 +
Contact Info:
- Address: 763 S. Main St., Suite 126, Orange, CA 92868
- Phone: (714)230-9115
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/debbiedalilah?igshid=1p5nu19j4ihm0
- Yelp: https://yelp.to/qTKq/Lg1Z5l0Zp0
Image Credit:
Brenda Marie Medina (@brendamariemedina)
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