Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessie Nguyen.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Elan Beauty Bar is a collaboration between two childhood friends, Jessie Nguyen and Jennifer Tran. Both my partner and I have successfully owned and managed our respective beauty salons prior to this new partnership. Through our experience, commitment and passion for all-things-beauty, we came up with an idea and wanted to create a high-end one-stop-shop for beauty services in the Duluth area. We both feel like the beauty industry has been drifting away from its main purpose of helping clients feel the importance of self-care, confidence and the enjoyment of being pampered!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Elan Beauty Bar was opened in the midst of the COVID pandemic. We were planning to open in the spring of 2020, but due to covid, we opened 4 months behind schedule. Our salon was designed with the prevention of bacteria and germs in mind while maintaining the highest levels of cleanliness. We’ve also applied this thinking to the selection of all of our fixtures, furniture, tools and business practices. Our pedicure bench sinks are made to prevent accumulating bacteria, unlike the typical pedicure chair, which recirculates unsanitized water around the jets. Another challenge we faced during pandemic times was the shortage of staff. Not only did we have to create a safe space for our clients but also our team. Day to day, our team serviced so many clients and we knew that we had to keep the health and safety of everyone and their families in mind while we upheld the highest safety standards. In the midst of everything, we were able to put a great team together and for that, we are grateful for our wonderful staff.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Since we both have been in the beauty industry for 20 years, our aim was to establish a branded lifestyle experience with beautiful store environments, high-quality products and refined treatments, but at affordable prices. We wanted to transform nail care from feeling like a ‘chore’ into a fun, social experience. We’ve created a menu full of leading nail treatments sourced by only selecting the best products from leading brands to use in our salon.
Here at Elan, we offer nail service, body wax, eye extensions, teeth whitening and permanent makeup services. It’s a one-stop shop that is easily accommodating for our customers.
At Élan, we believe that every woman should feel confident, elegant, pretty and enthusiastic to take on life (Élan meaning). We want every client that comes through our doors to feel that sense of Elan. Clients can be rest assured that they will always be happy with the best and consistent service levels, treatments and a complete experience, only found in our beauty bar.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
At Elan, we strive to create a safe space for all, both clients and professionals. Clients have told us that they absolutely love coming to our salon to just unwind, both physically and mentally. Some clients describe our team members as “therapists.” Our staff has also shared with us the horror stories of working at salons with toxic work cultures. At Elan, our team members can work at a place they love while symbiotically sharing their talents and company with our clients. At our salon, not only do our clients get a sense of Elan but so does our team.
Contact Info:
- Website: elanbeautybar.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/elanbeautybarduluth?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elanbeautybar?mibextid=LQQJ4d
