Today we’d like to introduce you to Lexi Suga.
Hi Lexi, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I am actually a college dropout. I went to UC Riverside for two years and then my mom actually told me to go to Cosmetology school with her since it was so fun and I wasn’t doing all that great in school. So I did, and I haven’t looked back since! I became a nail tech in 2010 and I was lucky enough to work a salon in Beverly Hills. I worked there for about four years and loved it. I eventually went out and rented a studio space inside of a nearby hair salon and worked there for another five years with my coworker. I built my clients through word of mouth and Instagram. My following got so big that I felt that I had to open up a salon so that my clients could bring their loved ones to enjoy the experience together. I am so fortunate that I’ve had such loyal clients, some of them have been with me for eight years! I saved up, worked hard to with my own money, I signed the lease to my new salon, Notox Nails. I cannot at all say this was easy. Opening a full-on salon with staff is a whole other beast in its-self. I thought when I opened my little studio that I was really a business owner. But the salon, wow, it was way more than I anticipated. Not only do you have to deal with managing other people, you have about a billion things to do when you are not at work as well. I signed the least March 1st, 2020 and two weeks later, the pandemic hit. It was a rollercoaster of emotions and changes that never ended. In 2020 the salon was open only 65 days. This year, 2021, the salon is running smoothly and clients are pouring in. I am grateful to have survived the pandemic and I hope to continue to grow for years to come.
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?
Absolutely not. Haha. The road to opening a successful business is surely a rocky one. I think it was unusually rough due to the pandemic though. Shortly after signing the lease to the salon the 2020 pandemic hit. We were not able to open until four months later in July 1st, 2020. We had a laundry list of COVID safety rules and regulations to follow which limited our capacity and cost us thousands to add in PPE, sneeze guards, smocks, acrylic dividers, furnishing a whole outdoor salon, etc. On top of that, three months later, a 99 years old woman drove through the salon and destroyed the entire front half of the salon. Thankfully no one was hurt. It has taken until September 2021 to finally get the salon back to its original state. Some of the more typical struggles along the way were getting clients into the salon, hiring talented nail techs, reliable receptionists, and managing disagreements between all.
We’ve been impressed with Notox Nails, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Notox Nails is a non toxic nail salon that focuses on the client’s health as well as specializing in nail designs. I find that most natural nail salons do not offer nail design services. I wanted to mesh the two so that clients could have the best of both worlds. I want our clients to feel cared for and safe in the salon, including clients who are pregnant. Not only should clients feel this way but I also want my nail techs to feel that their health is a priority to me as well. As far as nail products, we offer Apres Gel X full sets which require no acrylic and have zero odor. Most salons do not offer Fills for this type of full set, but we do! The overall goal for Notox Nails is that you are able to grow out your natural nails. We fill the gel x extensions until your natural nail grows underneath. I really believe removing the entire thing and reapplying over and over causes more damage then to just fill and allow the nails to grow naturally. We also offer X-Strength Gel Manicures which uses a system called Luminary Gel System. It goes over your natural nails and keeps them strong while they grow. This is one of our most popular services and is very unique.
A few other things we do differently is that we have two tiers of technicians, Junior techs and Senior techs. All techs start at the Junior level and as they build their clientele and their skills, they move into Senior level which is a higher price point. I believe this gives the clients a fair chance to choose of what level technician they want to pay for. It also gives the technicians who come straight out of nail school a chance to build clients without the competitive pressure from technicians who have been working in the industry for decades.
I also have free classes every month or so to go over anything my technicians are struggling with or want to learn. I believe my ten years of experience should be shared with the amazing people who are representing my salon.
I love Notox Nails and I take pride in the talented technicians who work for me. I also care for our clients and want them to have the best experience when coming to see us from start to finish.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
I believe nontoxic salons will only gain popularity over the next decade. I also believe products will follow suit as well. We carry products that were reformulated to be even 8-free, cruelty-free and vegan. I think people are becoming more and more aware of their health and especially after the pandemic… Nail designs will continue on and evolve as more companies develop unique products as they have been already. I am excited to see what’s next.
Pricing:
- Gel Manicure $55 (JR) & $75 (SR)
- Nail Art ranges from $5-$10 per nail
- Polish Pedicure $45 (JR) & $65 (SR)
- X-Strength Gel Manicure $75 (JR) & $95 (SR)
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.notoxnails.com
- Instagram: @notoxnails
