January 30, 2017

Meet Jessica Landeros of Iluminar Nail Spa in Pasadena

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Landeros.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Basically, it all started with the ambition of wanting to do something different and make a change. My business partners and I believed in taking something and making it different by simply doing things right. We entered the nail industry to tackle the challenge of creating something that many consumers are unaware of. When you have three different people with different personalities and likes, you are able to create something that many people would appreciate and enjoy.

Having my sister grow up and to never go into a nail salon due to all the horror stories of getting bacteria or some type of fungus because of the lack of proper sanitation made her have a disgusting taste in this industry. Growing up I was into getting my nails done anywhere, it wouldn’t matter to me. Never in my mind did it cross about infections, sanitation, created sterilization, or even customer service. It all changed for me when I began my journey of learning about the nail industry.

Many see this industry to be a certain way, either simply judging by the race of the employees/owners, the work environment, and services. Little did we know getting into this business that the judgment of the nail industry throughout all these years impacted Iluminar. It goes off by what people “know what to expect” when they go to a nail salon. We want to create a business of professional work ethics. A place that was fair and done right. We wanted to build a place that would make people understand and feel the difference from other salons around us.

How we got to where we are today starts with these four points. For one, Iluminar stands by its employees; we give our employees the ability to deny service based on state board regulations. Two, customer service is what we strive for everyday. No matter what it is, we do our best to make things work for our clients. We honestly put our client’s needs first; make sure that what they want is what they get. Third, we are just clean freaks! Sanitation and sterilization is what we are all about. Especially, knowing that sterilization of implements is only legal in two states. I don’t think I’ll get over the fact that many salons take in clients with some sort of infection. On top of that, many salons use the same pumice stone, buffer, or even at times tools over and over. Fourth, we wanted to have a great spa like feeling. That is why we do our services separately. Many are used to salons rushing people out to get a certain amount of clients done. In our case, we don’t believe beauty, personal care, or even more nail care should be rushed. Our environment is a place to relax. These four points is what makes our place an experience. Many see that we are not your typical nail salon, but a place that maintains cleanliness, customer services, and great nail care. Our loyal clients see and understand that.

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?
I don’t think a successful business is not successful if it doesn’t run into obstacles. We were challenged with what people already knew and experienced within this industry. Having to notice people judging and expecting things a certain way was a real hard challenge for us, but we managed to stick with our plan. What we thought was going to be different turned out to be something that many clients were not used to. By simply creating an atmosphere of positivity, relaxation, and proper nail care leaves many surprised for what they been missing out.

One major challenge is having clients understand that we do have the right to refuse service due to an infection or a certain health condition. It’s surprising to see the reaction of a potential client getting refused. Many people don’t see the harm they can cause themselves or to the nail technician.

Just how many people refused to understand our spa policy, it’s hard for them to understand our ethnicity. Only because we are Hispanic and not a certain race that is stereotype for running nail salons we apparently don’t know how to run the business.

Another major obstacle was to find nail technicians. It wasn’t so much of finding the right nail technician, but reliable nail technicians. It was mind blowing to realized how many interviews were scheduled for nail technicians in one day and have only one show up. At times not even one would show up, and that’s us even confirming the interviews.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Iluminar Nail Spa – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Iluminar is a Spanish word meaning illuminating. Basically, it describes our place, also, another way of describing your polished nails. Iluminar is a family business. Our company was established to provide what we would expect at a nail salon. We wanted to create an environment that people would just be able to enjoy an hour or two relaxation where they can unwind and escape their everyday troubles.

At Iluminar, we specialized in manicure and pedicure treatments. We want to ensure that we provide a healthy environment for our client’s needs, we provide only natural nail services; therefore, we do not offer harmful acrylic-based nails.

What we are most proud of as a company and what we are known for is being able to provide comfort to our clients from the services to the cleanliness of our supplies and space. It is also providing great customer service; we have made it our number one priority.

To set apart from others starts from our décor of the space to our services. Having to put this location together was pure detailed. Every piece is unique and hand selected. Our services are uniquely designed to fulfill our client’s manicure and pedicure needs. We made sure our services actually benefits the skin or nails. Our pedicures are only performed in copper foot tubs that allow for clean and bacteria-free pedicures, thereby promoting healthy nails. There can be a list of what set us apart from others, but at the end, it comes to how the services are being done. Our team wants the best and safest treatments for our clients, they offer professional advice on how to achieve better nail care. At Ilumniar Nail Spa we want to fulfill the needs of every client.

So, what’s next? Any big plans?
Plans for the future is already in the works. The idea is to always better your business, even its just a minor change. As of right now, for the new year, we are creating new services and bringing in new products to space.

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