Viet Voice

PBA’s “I Am A Professional. I Am Licensed.” Campaign

NAILS Magazine — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 20:17:23 PDT

The Professional Beauty Association (PBA) has launched a new campaign to combat deregulation of the salon industry and to unite licensed beauty professionals.

The “I Am A Professional. I Am Licensed.” campaign is an educational and visual movement to arm licensed beauty professionals with information to share with their clients on the importance of licensing, as licensed professionals must complete hundreds of hours of schooling, learn proper techniques, and practice proper sanitation procedures to minimize the threat of infections. In a national poll conducted by the PBA, 94% of U.S. voters support required licensing for beauty professionals.

Even so, the fate of licensing (oftentimes with a focus on the beauty industry) still hangs in the balance as some states have and continue to consider measures that deregulate licensing. Indiana is one of such states that proposed a bill early last year that would eliminate government licensing and regulation of the professional beauty industry. Luckily, with the help of public and vocal opposition, mainly from cosmetologists, Indiana’s bill was withdrawn.

Visit www.probeauty.org/iam to keep up with the PBA’s efforts to advocate for the regulation and licensing of beauty professionals. Fill out the form under the “Join the Movement” section to order your free signage, a window cling, and helpful talking points to share with your clients about the potential risks associated with unlicensed practitioners.

— Kim

American Owned, American Staffed

NAILS Magazine — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 21:05:17 PDT

In the storefront of St. Tropez Nail Spa in Fairview, Texas, lies a sign that reads “American Owned, American Staffed”. Salon owner Diana Casey told WFAA-TV’s Stave Stoler that "This is a business decision. It's just letting people know I'm American, and I speak English." Her sign has caused an uproar in the salon community and has the potential to seal a permanent divide between Asian- and non-Asian-owned salons.

I won’t go so far as to say she’s racist. She is merely trying to promote her business in a sea of “potentially non-American-owned” but mostly Asian-owned salons. It’s about showing your patriotism, right?

Karen Nguyen Cortez, a manager at her family’s beauty supply store, believes otherwise. “This isn't a sign about patriotism, she's hiding behind the word ‘American’ and she is misusing the definition of ‘American’ to get her point across,” Nguyen says. Casey’s underlying point is that she is not an Asian salon.

My immediate reaction to the sign was, “Wait a second... I’m American, too.” My family and I hang our American flag out front during holidays and attend 4th of July and Veterans’ Day commemorations to pay respect to the American soldiers who died and fought for our freedom, a freedom that the Vietnamese-American community understands and cherishes deeply. April 30th marks the 38th anniversary of the Fall of Saigon, when South Vietnam fell to the Communist regime. The events that took place that day are the reason why the Vietnamese-American community exists as it does today. To even have to do a double-take and question my own nationality, well, maybe that says something about me, about how I always seem to be reminded that I’m a minority, American and all, and will forever have to prove what should be accepted.

Vietnamese salon owners with beautiful salons who follow all the state board rules must also fight to compete in this market against salons that don’t follow the rules. But they don’t rub it in that they are “American Owned, American Staffed” because they have been in the position of new immigrants. They were once refugees who fled a war-torn country with their lives and nothing else. They have overcome language and cultural barriers, and they can see how these words, especially in an industry where your nationality may be questioned based on the accent of your voice, can seem threatening toward those who are not yet American citizens. Two out of the three Asian-owned businesses in the vicinity told Stoler that the sign made them feel uncomfortable. Isn’t that enough to change the verbiage of your sign?

If you are not Caucasian, your ethnicity and nationality can automatically be questioned, and that is the problem with this sign. This salon owner’s “business decision” to put up this sign will help her business as she continues to receive overwhelming support from her clients. Controversy sells, after all, and I’m glad she has found her ideal clientele.

But this sign backfires on the entire nail industry as a whole. It further splits the gaping hole between Asian and non-Asian salons, whether it meant to or not. The proof is in the comments left on Nail Talk Radio's Facebook page on the issue. One reads: “I wish there was a website clients could find non-Asian salons...” The sign forces Asian-owned salons to question their place in American society, whether they are American or not, and it backfires on hard-working Vietnamese-American-owned salons who have had to prove themselves as quality salons.

In order for our community to rise above, we must steer clear of labeling, name-calling, and promoting our businesses in a light that can be mistaken as intolerant, especially in an industry where there is already tension between sides.

Instead:

> Continue to provide excellent service to your clients. Your clients appreciate it.

> Continue going out of your way to let clients know that your tools and pedicure tubs are disinfected.

> Continue to stay on top of the newest products and trends.

By continuing to promote your salon with these points, you will succeed. Nail tech and CND education ambassador Heather Davis says it best, “I would rather market myself to speak to my personal training and background, because what I look like and how I speak do not define me as a person or as a nail professional.”

The United States is built upon the hard work of immigrants and the richness that each ethnic and social culture contributes. The Vietnamese community has helped structure the nail industry into what it is today. As you continue to improve yourselves and your businesses, together we can continue to build and strengthen this industry, American and all.

— Kim

Reality Nails: NAILS Next Top Nail Artist

NAILS Magazine — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 11:26:05 PDT

Our sister publication, NAILS Magazine, is launching a reality TV-inspired nail art contest looking for the NAILS Next Top Nail Artist, and you could be it!

Aside from uploading three to 10 nail art photos of your best work in the online application, it also requires a three- to four-minute video of yourself answering the question: Why are you NAILS Next Top Nail Artist? That’s where things get interesting. As part of the weekly elimination challenges that require uploading photos of your amazing nail art, some challenges may require you to upload videos or to use various aspects of social media. The great thing about this is you get to design and create in the comfort of your own home/salon without having to spend money on air travel or hotel.

The top 16 will be chosen on May 31st based on the applications. The top eight will compete in weekly elimination challenges starting on September 14th. The top two finalists will be flown in, airfare (up to $500) and two-night stay paid for by NAILS, to attend ISSE Long Beach 2014 and compete in a live finale! The winner will be announced at the beauty show and will win a $2,000 cash prize.

This is no ordinary nail art contest. Some dedication and time commitment will be necessary to complete the weekly challenges as well as working knowledge of social media and knowing your way around a camera/video camera. If you’re an awesome artist but don’t know much about technology, don’t let this stop you! The editors and I would be more than happy to help with any video or photographing tips.

This contest is set for licensed nail techs who are not currently working as an educator for any nail companies. You do qualify if you have been an educator in the past. International nail artists can apply as well!

I hope this contest will bring forth some great artists. I also hope there will be at least a couple competitors of Vietnamese descent. Although Vietnamese nail techs make up nearly half of the nail industry in the U.S., I can only count a handful of competitors past and present (Trang Nguyen, Joseph Pham, Amy Oung, Robert Nguyen, Vu Nguyen, Trina Ngo, Christine Tran).

Complete the online application by Apr. 27. If you register by Apr. 12 you will be automatically entered into an early bird raffle.

Visit http://www.nailsmag.com/nexttopnailartist for more information and e-mail editor@nailsmag.com if you have any questions. Or leave your questions in the comment section and I will find the answers for you.

Let me know if you’re interested, the Next Top Nail Artist could be you!

— Kim

Vietnamese International Film Fest Begins Thursday

NAILS Magazine — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 15:38:30 PDT

Victor Vu's martial arts historical-fantasy feature, Blood Letter (Thiên Mệnh Anh Hùng), explores Vietnamese history as a young man attempts to clear his grandfather's name.

The sixth biennial Vietnamese International Film Festival (ViFF) kickstarts this Thursday (Apr. 4) in Irvine, Calif., with an incredible lineup of feature films, documentaries, and shorts from students and emerging and accomplished directors from all over the world. This year ViFF will feature 69 films, including 18 features, a record number of features either starring or directed by artists of Vietnamese descent.

In Andy DeJohn's short, Mother’s Milk (Sữa Mẹ), a young girl must learn to take care of her ailing mother in the Vietnamese countryside.

There are no nail salon-related films this year as there was two years ago, but I hope that doesn’t stop you from supporting the arts and making it out to check out some fantastic films.

“A high school wrestler embarks on his journey of self-discovery. Secrets behind the business of showbiz in Vietnam are tautly unveiled. A descendant of nobleman Nguyễn Trãi sets out on a crusade for a “blood letter” to avenge family members beheaded by the Queen. A child soldier in Africa fights for her life. A B-Boy perseveres with his dance crew on a quest to earn money for dad’s surgery. Laborer exploitation is uncovered in the national forests of Eastern Europe. Forgotten refugees recount their stories of surviving without legal status and teetering on the fringes of society for almost two decades in the Philippines.”

These are just some of the rich and vibrant stories that will unfold come this weekend and next.

The festival runs Apr. 4-7 and Apr. 11-14 with screenings in three locations: Edwards University Town Center 6 (Irvine, Calif.), Bowers Museum (Santa Ana, Calif.), UCI in the Humanities Gateway and Humanities Instructional Building (Irvine, Calif.), and at UCLA in the Neuroscience Research Building (Los Angeles).

In Cuong Ngo's Pearls of the Far East (Ngọc Viễn Đông), seven individual shorts follow women leads of varying ages and backgrounds, through the vastly different and stunning landscapes of Vietnam.

Check out the full program schedule at www.vietfilmfest.com, with photos and synopsis of films as well as the dates, times, and locations of each film screening. For many of the screenings, the directors and actors may be present.

I hope to be inspired by some amazing stories.

— Kim

Viet Nails, a Documentary Teaser

NAILS Magazine — Sun, 31 Mar 2013 03:55:03 PDT

Viet Nails, the documentary teaser above, is the result of filmmaker Adele Pham’s initial stage of research into the Vietnamese-American nail industry. Pham is a Brooklyn-based filmmaker who has directed, edited, and produced four documentaries that have made the rounds at film festivals near and far. Her latest project, Viet Nails, brings her into the nail salon world. As the associate editor for VietSALON Magazine, I had the opportunity to tell her my thoughts on the industry in my first broadcasted interview.

Pham captures another kind of salon in her 2009 documentary, Fine Threads, that follows the stories of teenage South Asian women from Queens and reveals their thoughts of beauty, immigrant ideals, religion, and coming of age in the city. Fine Threads has appeared at the Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival, the San Francisco Int'l Asian American Film Festival (now known as the Center for Asian American Media's CAAMFest) and on HBO On Demand.

I will be following Pham’s progress with her Viet Nails project. If there is a topic or subject matter you’d like her to touch upon, feel free to be vocal with your comments and I’ll pass them along.

— Kim

Nail Tech’s Husband Lights Himself on Fire in Salon

NAILS Magazine — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 20:10:28 PDT

According to The Daily Pilot, 46-year-old Nam Thieu from Westminster, Calif., entered Creative Nails & Spa in Costa Mesa, Calif., poured a flammable liquid over his head, and lit himself on fire in front of salon staff and clients last Monday (Mar. 25). Aside from the man, no one else in the salon was harmed by the flames and the salon suffered minor damage.

Thieu suffered third-degree burns covering 70% of his body, Lt. Brian Glass told CBS2. A witness told ABC7 that the man entered the salon seemingly distraught and yelled at his estranged wife, who is also the manager of the salon, in Vietnamese before setting himself on fire.

Based on a customer’s review on Yelp, the man called the salon “45 times within 20 minutes” during her service a month prior. The couple reportedly had a difficult history, they were going through a divorce, his wife moved out with their three sons, and she had a restraining order placed against him.

This incident happened less than 20 miles away from Seal Beach-based Salon Meritage where a gunman, the husband of the salon owner, walked into the salon and opened fire, killing six people inside and two others outside.

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Reports say that domestic violence may have played a role in the events leading up to both of these terrifying salon incidents. According to womenshealth.gov, more than 5 million women in the United States are affected by domestic violence every year.

I want to make you are aware of the resources that are out there for victims of domestic abuse.

Cut It Out is a program of the Salons Against Domestic Abuse Fund dedicated to mobilizing salon professionals and others to fight the epidemic of domestic abuse. The program was created to build awareness of domestic abuse through materials that are displayed in the salons and to train salon professionals to recognize the warning signs of domestic abuse and to safely refer those who may be victims to resources.

If you or someone you know may be a victim of domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline: (800) 799-SAFE (7233).

— Kim

Spring Into Action: Plan and Execute Your Goals

NAILS Magazine — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 18:43:10 PDT

Happy spring equinox! Spring officially begins today (Mar. 20). The flowers are in bloom (my peach blossoms especially!), and it’s the perfect time to start fresh if you haven’t yet had the chance to do so this year. Sure, we’re three months into the year, but I like to take any chance I get to learn from past mistakes and plan out new goals. Whether it’s to save up to buy new pedicure chairs, add new signature pedicure services to your service menu, or to make more time for yourself or for your family, plan things out steadily and with care to ensure your success.

Start with a goal and a timetable. What specific and achievable goal would you like to accomplish this year? Is it to add a gel-polish service to your menu? (If you already offer gel-polish or are thinking about it, read up on proper gel-polish removal here.) Do you want to offer your clients complimentary drinks? (Read this article on offering alcoholic beverages if you're thinking about it.) Do you want to draw better nail art? (Get inspired with these step-by-step nail art tutorials.) Write down your goals and the date you want to accomplish them, then start filling in your calendar with weekly steps to move forward toward your goal.

If you’re as forgetful of your own goals as I am of mine, there are a few online services and apps that help you e-mail or text yourself reminders. One online service that also offers an iPhone and Android app is called Remember The Milk. Sign up for a free account to manage your tasks and access your account online or through a smartphone. It also syncs with Google Calendar.

Don’t get discouraged if you fall behind. Stay positive! There will always be obstacles and circumstances that may be impossible to prepare for. Don’t quit! It’s easy to fall back into comfort and habit, but you can stay driven to meet your goal.

On a personal side note, I have been pushing myself to run one mile weekly to get more fresh air and to increase my energy/productivity, but instead of having it dauntingly stare me down on my calendar, I started an excel sheet where I actively write in the date and place I ran. It automatically adds up in a separate cell so I can watch the miles accumulate. This doesn’t work for everyone, nor does it work for more sophisticated tasks, but I look forward to filling this out after every run, it pushes me to work at it, and I want to work even harder to make up for days I happen to miss.

Sènsé Nail Spa in Seattle documented the demolition and reconstruction of their salon six years ago and shared it on their social networking sites.

Promote each milestone. You don’t have to go it alone. Promote your milestones on your salon’s Facebook page. Post photos from the trade shows and nail classes you’re attending. If you’re trying out new nail art, post photos of art that inspires you. Display your new product purchases in your salon. Your clients would love to hear about your achievements and you can get them excited to try something new.

Blu Water Day Spa & Salon celebrated the completion of their new hair studio with a promotion for their Facebook fans.

Celebrate when you get there. Accomplishing your goal won’t happen overnight. It just takes a mental commitment and the will to keep it going, little by little. Every little bit adds up significantly over time, and before you know it, you will have accomplished your goal. Then celebrate with your salon staff and clients when you make it!

Let us know about the goals you’ve set for yourself or for your salon, we’d love to hear about them. We'd especially love to hear about them in a few months after you've completed your goals.

— Kim

New Morgan Taylor Nail Lacquer

NAILS Magazine — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 15:58:00 PST

Hand & Nail Harmony, the company behind Gelish soak-off gel-polish, launched a preview of their new line of professional nail lacquer at the International Salon and Spa Expo (ISSE) Long Beach with 64 colors.

In the video above, I catch up with marketing assistant Taylor Daniel and customer service representative Morgan Haile to hear about the new line.

Morgan Taylor was named after the duo, who are the daughters of Hand & Nail Harmony CEO Danny Haile and executive VP David Daniel. “David and Danny who are the creators of Gelish and are our fathers really wanted to create a lacquer line that expresses what this industry has meant to our family over the last 25 years,” says Daniel.

“Taylor and I have grown up in the industry our whole lives so it’s been so great to have a line named after us and it inspires us to work hard at this line and make it the best we can,” Haile adds.

In addition to the new exquisite colors, the Morgan Taylor Essential Care Collection is a collection of two base coats (a long-wearing base coat and a nail strengthening/growth treatment base coat) and three top coats (fast-drying, long-wearing, and matte) to cover the bases of nail types and looks.

Morgan Taylor officially launches in May 2013. For more information (as it becomes available), visit www.morgantaylorlacquer.com.

— Kim

The Nail Industry Represents at the UVSA Tet Festival

NAILS Magazine — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 19:04:02 PST

The Tet Festival of Southern California, held by the Union of Vietnamese Student Associations (UVSA) in Garden Grove, Calif., is recognized as the world’s largest Vietnamese festival outside of Vietnam. From February 8th through the 10th, the festival attracted over 100,000 attendees with 200 food, vendor, and sponsor booths, live entertainment, the Miss Vietnam of Southern California Cultural Pageant, and a Vietnamese cultural village. Since the creation of the festival, UVSA has donated over one million dollars back to organizations within the local community.

I took a photo with students from the Vietnamese Student Association at UC Irvine, my alma mater.

The local community also comes together to celebrate, with game booths hosted by Vietnamese student associations at each of the Southern California colleges and universities and food booths from non-profit organizations, churches, temples, and local Vietnamese restaurants.

Làng Việt Nam, the cultural village, is constructed by hand, huts are shaped leaf by leaf, the entrance gates and well-known landmarks carefully built and painted by the Phan Boi Chau youth group and volunteers. During the festival, volunteers reenacted a traditional Vietnamese wedding with a procession that went through the cultural village.

Some familiar faces were in attendance as sponsors of the Tet Festival. I took a break in Lexor’s Elite pedicure chair, from the Prive Collection, with Jennifer Nguyen (right), Lexor’s VP of marketing. Lexor has been a proud sponsor of the Tet Festival for many years.

[left] QGS’ Phi Nguyen from Seattle and Alfalfa Nail Supply’s Kevin Nguyen, Hien Ton, Dat Ton, and Kathy Phan from Baton Rouge, La. made the long trek to be part of the Tet festival. [right] Top Five Miss Vietnam of Southern California contestant Michelle Nguyen tries out the new Bipa pedicure spa chair from Alfalfa Nail Supply. The Bipa chair has resin sinks that come in custom colors. Nguyen was also voted Miss Photogenic.

From left to right: Miss Congeniality, Miss Karen Đặng Thùy Trang (USC), 2nd Princess Miss Verna Hiền Võ (Irvine Valley College), Queen, Miss Caroline Vũ Thị Minh Thụy (West Coast University), 1st Princess, Miss Tina Diệu Phan (Arroyo High School), Miss Ao Dai, Miss Trần Phan Trúc Linh (Orange Coast College), and Miss Photogenic, Miss Michelle Ngọc Nguyễn (CSU Fullerton) — Photography by Huy Khiem

The Miss Vietnam of Southern California (MVSC), or Hoa Khôi Liên Trường, is a Vietnamese-American cultural and scholastic pageant held by UVSA at the festival annually. This year’s winner is Miss Caroline Vũ Thị Minh Thụy from West Coast University.

I’ve been attending the festival with my family for as long as I can remember and really enjoy the busy atmosphere. If you’re not from the area, plan for the festival next year, Jan. 31 to Feb. 2, 2014.

— Kim

Year of the Snake Nail Art Winner Revealed

NAILS Magazine — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 10:45:16 PST

Congratulations to Truc Nguyen for winning our Year of the Snake nail art mural contest! Nguyen is a nail artist at Bellagio Salon in Lebanon, Tenn. and creates exquisite and detailed hand-painted nail art from superhero- to tattoo-themed art and everything in between. Nguyen was also the runner up of NAILS Magazine’s annual nail art mural contest, which comes out in the March issue of NAILS.

Thank you to everyone who submitted their lively nail art mural designs in celebration of Tết and the Year of the Snake, we love them all!

Check out the rest of the amazing snake art designs in our online photo gallery.

— Kim