Today we’d like to introduce you to Michiko Fujie.
Michiko, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Following the Great East Japan Earthquake and Fukushima nuclear disaster, I was forced to close my business in Tokyo into which I had poured all my heart and soul for close to a decade. Then came divorce. The death of my beloved dog. Betrayal of a significant other. Some might envy that I no longer had any reason to get out of bed in the morning; but feeling completely devoid of life left me in deep pain and sadness. Fast forward five years. Today, I find myself returning to the business world thanks to new friend of mine.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
The hardest part was to get my visa to start a business in the US and to find skilled employees to start my dream salon. I’m still struggling to find skilled employees that are passionate about doing nails/eyelashes and understanding Japanese hospitality and norms within a Japanese salon in America. Some says that we’re pricy, so I was wondering why other solons are able to offer cheaper price than us. I found out that is because I hire all my employees as W2. That means I do guarantee payment even if we don’t have any clients. However, I won’t change my way to make my employees happiest workers in LA since I have, “Win-Win-Win” vison. If my employees are happy, they make our clients happy, and eventually we make our neighbor/community we serve happy too!
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about miro nail – what should we know?
My business is a nail salon. We specialize in Japanese gel nails and art, and individual eyelash extensions. My salon is known for using great quality gels from Japan. I am proud of being able to bring Japanese style gel nails to Los Angeles. There are many in Japan, but only a few in Los Angeles. What sets us apart from many salons is how we take precaution on cleanliness. We never reuse the same nail files, or buffers, and make sure our salon is always clean so our clients can just kick their feet up and relax. Another thing that sets us apart from other salons is our removal process for gel. Many salons rip off the gel, which can damage the nail permanently. We attentively remove the gel carefully, that way our clients still have nice nail beds to put a fresh new set of gel on and can continue to keep getting new sets without worrying about their nails ever damaging.
All of our nail artists are committed in spending the time to insure your nails/eyelashes have been prepped properly to keep your gel manicures, pedicures and eyelash extensions long lasting with using the greatest quality gels directly shipped from Japan.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
All my dearest employees working for miro nail. All our family and friend who always support us. All our clients who understand our vision and come get their nails/eyelashes done regularly. Special thanks to: Nobuko Isoda; my business broker who brought me this business opportunity. Naoko tamada; my business consultant, the owner of Taka Hair Salon Gerard Soussan; my attorney who helped for my visa.
Pricing:
- Gel Manicure $55.00
- Gel Pedicure $60.00
- Eyelash Extensions full set (maximum 80 pcs./eye) $120→$80
Contact Info:
- Address: 2010 Sawtelle Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90025
- Website: www.mironail.com
- Phone: 310-268-7870
- Email: info@mironail.com
Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
