Hailing all the way from Mexico City, Mexico, Ingrid Garcia is a Nail Tech and Owner of the nail art salon, Ingrid Nails Atlanta. After moving from Mexico over six years ago, Ingrid and her family have planted roots in Georgia with no signs of leaving anytime soon. Once the violence in Mexico City became too much for her to bear, she took her husband and two children on a 36-hour journey by car to the Atlanta area for a safer life. With a few nail art classes under her belt from Mexico, Ingrid made an investment in herself worth $2,000 to get her license and open her very own salon, located in Hapeville, Georgia. Her intricate designs and passion for her work, along with a few refresher courses every two years, keep her clients happy while she stays up-to-date on all the latest techniques and trends.
Q: What would you say separates you from other professionals in your industry?
A: It’s [this work] more personal for me. I take time with each client and give them great service and make them feel good. We try to give them an experience which isn’t in many other salons. In other salons, they just paint lines and that’s it. Here, they can get drawn whatever they want. If they bring me a picture, I can usually draw whatever they want on the nails. I find that many people have the talent, but are just scared to do things their way. Everything in the salon is also super hygienic. We have all the right information to do things the right way, so we do.
Q: What is the biggest misconception about the nail industry?
A: Sometimes people come in and just expect for me to do their nails without an appointment. They don’t understand that it truly takes time to do the best job. When they finally come, they see all of the hard work it takes. It’s a much different experience and it’s super important. They think that we do this work quickly. If we did, the work would only last from one to four weeks. The work we do lasts anywhere from four to six weeks. We like to keep the nails in good condition so we have to have time.
Q: What inspired you to do the work that you do?
A: I think the people around me. I know too many people that have their own businesses and want to be like other people. When you have the proof of doing something your own way, it makes me feel proud of myself. I feel happiness. I like when I feel proud of myself. So I like having other people around me who are also good businesswomen.
Q: What is the biggest dream that you have for your career?
A: I want to expand! I’d love to have more salons all over…franchising. I’d also love to become a Master Instructor of Nail Art for the school that I was taught at. Eventually, I’d love to have my own nail products. I have a few now, but I’d love for it to be bigger.
Q: What is the biggest challenge that you face as a nail salon owner?
A: It can be hard because as soon as you start to learn a new technique, and you finally get it, everybody comes in with a different picture or video of something else. I know a lot of different techniques so I try to do the exact same, or similar, or get as close as I can. But with the internet, we always have to ask people where they found their picture because people don’t understand that some pictures have Photoshop or have been edited to look a certain way. They’ll want the same as that picture so I’ll try to do my best. I don’t do all of the trends but I’ve never had a client say that they don’t like it.
Q: Any advice to share with readers?
A: Just that people need to believe in themselves. I never knew what I could do until after I did it. You just have to take it! “No” is never the answer. You need to go for all of your gifts. Every time. That’s what I tell my kids. I tell them every day, “you can! If Mommy can, then you can.”
Explore more about Ingrid Garcia:
Instagram/Booking: @ingrid_nailsdedsign
