You already know that a mani-pedi makes your nails look fantastic. There’s nothing like taking a little time out of your day to be pampered. At LT Nails & Salon, Thuy and Linh Pham and their technicians pride themselves in the excellence of their work, with an attention to details that make all the difference in your experience getting a manicure or pedicure. But there’s more behind LT Nails & Spa than what you see….
Thuy Pham, co-owner of LT Nails & Spa, gives credit for where she is today to her hero, her mother, Hoa Pham. “My mother worked hard in Vietnam to save up enough money for her nine children to have a second chance in life. With an investment of a lot of money and time, lots of paperwork, medical checkups and interviews and a sponsor here in America, we settled in a refugee camp in the Philippines, until we arrived in America on March 3rd, 1990,” recalled Thuy. Language was a struggle for the Pham family, making applying for jobs difficult, and getting hired even more so. Thuy and her siblings found minimum-wage jobs; then, in the mid-1990s, Thuy’s sister Yen (Luci), as well as sister, Linh (Lila), decided to pursue their nail technician license. Thuy later followed in their footsteps and became a nail technician, too. Although they had very little money and barely any clothes, they still felt fortunate just to be here.
With over 18 years of experience as nail technicians, the Phams opened LT Nails & Spa a little over a year ago, wanting to spend more time with their families, and after having had the good fortune of meeting the right person at the right time.
“Over the years, we spent a lot of time working summers and holidays, with long hours. So when we opened up our business, we decided to take a step back and enjoy our work while enjoying our family. We started with the luck of knowing Lori Lawrence, one of my long-time clients, who had open space in the area where we are located. My sister Lila’s boyfriend is a General Contractor and has built many nail salons, so he helped make the salon what it is today. My relationship with Lori has truly been a blessing in disguise. I remember our first day. It was just the three of us, me, Lila and our sister-in-law, Tuyen (Tina) Dang. We didn’t expect to have any business that first day, so we were playing Vietnamese music, but then a steady stream of people arrived and we turned on American love songs. Since then, our business has built up over a short period of time and now instead of 3 of us, we are up to 8,” Thuy said.
With a welcoming and relaxing atmosphere, LT Nails & Spa specializes in feet and hands. “We want our clients to feel refreshed, clean and pretty when they leave. We do gel manicures, regular manicures, any many different types of pedicures. We also offer SNS, acrylics, waxing and eyelash extension; our products are the highest quality. We are focused on our clients and building relationships with them, helping them feel at home and welcomed with each visit,” commented Thuy.
As Thuy looks back over the past 18 years, she recalls, “I don’t believe any of us thought we would ever be a nail technician, let alone own our own business. Nail salons weren’t a big thing when we came to America, but this type of business has given Asians, who have little English, opportunity. Our mother’s hard work, our persistence and hard work, meeting Lori and Danny Lawrence, our landlords, as well as help from our family, our loyal clients and who we are as individuals, have made us successful,” stated Thuy.
LT Nails & Spa is located at 3623 Clemmons Rd., Clemmons, NC. Hours of operation: Monday–Saturday, 9 am–6:30 pm. Closed on Sunday and major holidays. For more information, call 336-546-7406.
