Today we’d like to introduce you to Tina Ingles.
Hi Tina, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
It was my first day at my new job at a salon as a nail technician and I was a ball of nerves, but also excited to start this new venture. I was only scheduled to do nails on one person, and it was a man. They told me that they gave me him because they figured he wouldn’t want any nail polish, so it would be an easy one to start with. Since I am a part of the LGBTQIA plus community, I knew that there was a chance that he may want something more than just plain nails, and I was really excited to find out that this was the case! I asked him what he had in mind, and he wanted purple nails!
He started talking about how he was a part of the LGBTQIA plus community, when he suddenly paused, and said, “I hope this is okay to talk about”. I knew that he was nervous because we live in a very religious and conservative community, and it’s not always physically or mentally safe to share who you are here. He had no idea how I would react, and that can be a scary thing.
I grinned and told him that I was engaged to a woman, so he was safe with me! He visibly relaxed and was able to continue talking about his life and who he was. We had a great time getting to know each other, and he left pleased with his purple nails.
The next morning I was called into the office by a manager that I had never met before. She told me that she didn’t know much, but that the owner was going by her gut that I just wasn’t a good fit and that they weren’t going to continue my employment at the salon. Since I had only done one set of nails, and he left very happy with his experience with me, I was hurt and confused by it all.
I wasn’t able to talk to the owner about any reasons she had because she had someone else fire me, but I had my suspicions. I don’t know for sure if being queer is the reason why, but if it was, this wasn’t the first time that I have had repercussions for just existing for who I am, and any other reason just didn’t make any sense.
I decided that I would look for an LGBTQIA-owned salon to work at. All of my searchings came up with nothing. No salon close to me mentioned that they were LGBTQIA-owned or even LGBTQIA-friendly.
I know a lot of LGBTQIA folks don’t feel safe in my area and I wanted to create a space where they could feel safe to be themselves.
I decided that if there wasn’t a place here, that it would be up to me to create one. At that point, my plans changed, and I started looking for a place that I could create a feeling of home in. I looked at a few different places, but then I got a message from a fellow nail technician to check out a brand new salon that was being renovated from an old medical office.
To my surprise and delight, the salon was the same exact office that my mom had used as her medical practice for over a decade when I was younger! I couldn’t believe it! I already felt like I was at home! It was time for me to create that same feeling for others!
I posted about my story over a few Tik Tok videos before I opened, and I got over 500k views on them! So many people in my area were connecting with my story because they could relate! I was excited to meet these folks and hear their stories.
I’ve been open since September, and in that time I have enjoyed getting to know so many people and learning about their lives and experiences! My overall goal was to create a safe space for people of all identities. Whether they be a part of the LGBTQIA plus community, or an ally, I wanted to be a place where they could be welcomed and celebrated for who they are. I feel like I’ve created that.
I’ve had people who are lesbian, transgender, gay, bi, straight, and even a couple of gorgeous drag queens! I’ve had BYU students come and be able to relax knowing they weren’t going to slip and tell me something that they would get in trouble or even kicked out of school for. I’ve been a part of a couple celebrating their anniversary, and one of the spouses felt comfortable enough to come wearing a dress, donning a beard, and telling me that they went by she/her pronouns. I was so happy and excited to hear about her and her wife’s relationship, her transition in her identity, and about their deconstruction of hateful beliefs that they were both raised in. I had a straight man come get his nails done with me and tell me about his changing ideas about what masculinity meant.
I have so many unique things in my salon so that I can make each set of nails uniquely fit who each person is and how they live their lives. I do nail stamping, nail foils, chrome, Gel X nail extensions, and so much more! I even have several different styles 3D nails, including spiders, dragon faces and scales, cougars, to name a few!
I’ve had a blast so far, and I’ve never been happier doing a job than I am now! I’m excited for the future, what it brings, and the people that come with it!
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?
I have 2 main challenges. The first one is that starting a salon has been extremely expensive. I’ve been a widow and a single mom of 3 since 2008. It’s been a struggle trying to find the middle ground of being both accessible to those who could use and enjoy my services, and being able to cover not only the bills of the salon, but also the bills of running a household.
The second one is just getting the word out about the salon. Even with my Tik Tok videos going viral, it’s still a struggle getting the information out to the public that my salon is here for them. There aren’t many LGBTQIA places here in my town, so I’m not quite sure where to go to spread the word. So far most of my clients have been from Tik Tok. I’m so grateful to have a platform to share my story on there and to be able to connect to others that share similar experiences. I just wish my creative juices worked on a more consistent basis!
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I love creating something personalized out of thin air! Give me a theme, or a word, or just tell me about yourself and your lifestyle. I can create one-of-a-kind nails, personalized just for you!
One last thing! If you bite your nails or you think they are too short to get your nails done, think again! I have been a nail-biter for as long as I can remember, so I know how to work with them, what triggers nail biting, and how to avoid those triggers. Give me a chance, and I can help stop the nail-biting and do it in a fun and creative way! (Plus I won’t judge if you mess up!)
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
Every day is a lesson learned. I’m constantly trying new things so that I can offer things in my salon that most salons don’t. Some of those things work, and some of them I’ve had to decide to put to the side until I learn them a little better. I want to be able to give each and every person a unique manicure designed solely for them, and that means learning new things every day!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/trucolorsnails
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trucolorsnails/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TruColorsNails https://www.facebook.com/TruColorsNails
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@craftylittlememe
