We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Alicia Jai. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Alicia below.

Alright, Alicia thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Alright, so you had your idea and then what happened? Can you walk us through the story of how you went from just an idea to executing on the idea

Oh, where do I begin with my salon adventure? It’s quite the tale! For years, I’d considered opening my salon. “Friends and family were all encouraging me, saying, “You should totally do this!” And guess what? I had a name for my business that I’d kept hidden, had branding done and everything. By the way, that’s totally out of order, but I’m able to create best when I see colors or a logo.

But here’s a twist in the story – the name I was so attached to? Already taken by another salon, and so, my quest for a new name began plus, I needed to see the branding to move on to the rest of the planning. I love to play on words, homonyms and synonyms. Fast forward to spring 2019, and I’m on the hunt for the perfect spot. I found a place I loved, but it wouldn’t be ready until fall/winter. Impatient and a tad fearful, I put my search on pause.

Then came October 2019. Something clicked inside me, and I was like, “I’m making this happen, no more delays.” I reconnected with the person showing salon suites, and voila, they were still on track for a November opening in Montrose. Before I knew it, I was sitting in a brewery in the Heights, shaking hands with the ownership team, and handing over my deposit check.

Then, the road got a bit bumpy. I aimed to open at the start of 2020, planning to leave my current salon post-Christmas. However, a hiccup with a contractor left me high and dry – we met a couple of times and I’d paid a deposit and guess what, my calls went unanswered once I was ready to begin work. The contractor? Vanished, deposit in hand; without starting the work. Now, I wasn’t out a lot of money. But I was out of MY money. Frustrated but not defeated, I pondered my next move.

With my notice already given at my current salon, the owner and I agreed that I’d stay a bit longer. That’s when Instagram, almost telepathically, showed me a local designer’s post. Despite my trembling hands and a non-existent budget, I reached out. We laughed when I said my budget was zero, my laughter hid the deep-down serious concern. How was I going to pull this off?

The designer agreed to a reduced consultation fee and met with me on December 31, 2019. My family provided the seed investment. The designer came up with an amazing plan for a 110 sq ft space and Peint was introduced to the world in January of 2020 with a client list of a dozen people. However, the universe had one more curveball – we had to close in March 2020 due to the Covid shutdown.

It was a rollercoaster of setbacks and unexpected turns, but every step taught me something valuable–resilience, creativity, and the power of community. How’s that for a journey from idea to execution?

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Absolutely, I grew up in North Florida and attended college in Washington DC majoring in broadcast journalism. TV anchor, here I come!  During my sophomore year of college, I used my allowance and enrolled in nail school. This was during the era of airbrush, acrylic nails, all set to the beat of 90’s hip hop. It was a fabulous time. Those were the days of my epic French airbrush nails. After nail school, I found myself at a salon in DC, where the owner was amazing but it was super slow. Then, my RA introduced me to a nail tech at my university. She told me about where she worked as the lead nail tech. I began working at the buzziest salon near campus. It was so much fun and busy and just great. I was in love.

After college, I worked in television broadcasting. Once I left TV I started working in fashion, first as an assistant buyer for a major department store and then I moved to New York where I began a sales executive position in the fashion district. I was in love—with fashion, with TV, with creation. Eventually, I circled back to DC, flirted with grad school for a spell (yes, I’m a proud B-school dropout, LOL), and continued in fashion as a merchandiser for Nike. Oh, and I almost forgot—I cut my teeth in a newsroom post-college and had the time of my life working at the Atlanta Olympic Games. It was, without a doubt, one of my coolest jobs EVER! My Nike stint also had me merchandising for Coach, Diesel Jeans… it was exhilarating, flexing my creative muscles without the confines of an office.

Amidst all this, hair school called my name. I balanced merchandising with part-time studies, setting my sights on becoming a platform artist. The Paul Mitchell School was my arena, and it was inspiring. We would be decked out in all black, with pops of color, it was the epitome of fly dope-ish. There, I forged a lifelong friendship with an incredible hair artist. Paul Mitchell the School instilled in me a hunger for editorial work, for the gloss of magazine work.

My post-hair school journey took me to a renowned salon chain in DC, where I ranked as a top new stylist. Though I didn’t snag the top spot, I was elated to rank within the top five across their ten locations. Styling, cutting—I thrived on the creative rush. That led me to trade shows, further honing my skills, and before long, I was gracing the editorial world. I’ve manicured nails for several seasons of New York Fashion Week, my nails have adorned the covers of Allure and Elle magazine, and I’ve styled hair for magazine spreads. Reflecting on it, it’s kinda mind-blowing—I’ve manicured Emmy, Oscar and Grammy winners. One highlight? Lady Gaga for the Super Bowl here in Houston. Alongside a former colleague, this gig had me unexpectedly popping up on Netflix.

Fast forward to the kicker. I’ve always wanted to open my own salon. Yet, ironically, I never wanted to be tied down to just one place. So, why open one? To empower others with the knowledge to launch their own salons—that’s the goal.

The nail industry is mature, maybe even saturated. But the quest for superb experiences? That’s timeless. No matter the shifts in the industry or changes in consumer trends, I’m convinced of one thing. Everyone desires—and deserves—exceptional service. That’s the cornerstone of Peint. The focus isn’t solely on delivering a great experience. The aim is to elevate it, setting us apart. It’s more than just standing out from other nail salons. We offer something deeper: experiential wellness, which by the way is not a need, it’s a desire.

For me, the difference lies beyond technical skill. It’s about the soft skills. Listening attentively. Offering genuine advice. Fostering connections with people. That’s where I excel. These soft skills fuel my passion for the human experience. They form the heart of Peint’s unique value proposition. That’s the story, that’s the journey—combining a love for creativity with the art of human connection.

My superpower? That soft skill of really getting people, knowing what they need, maybe even before they do. That’s the promise. Crazy for someone who once thought she’d be delivering the evening news, huh?

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

My origin story is one of resilience, ooh wee, does my salon have a tale of it.

Peint opens its doors on January 29th, 2020—by noon, I’m welcoming my very first guest. Talk about new beginnings, right? But then, just shy of two months later, bam—the world stops, and not because a Beyonce digital dropped. Then on March 24th, 2020, the pandemic closed us down. And remember how I mentioned my humble client list of about a dozen? That tiny number became my lucky charm in a way I never expected.

Now, let me spill some insider details. I had my business ducks in a row from the get-go. I’m talking proper setup with the state while I was still working for someone else, filing my earnings, buying products, doing services—everything above board and reported through the schedule C. That foresight? It turned out to be my lifeline when the pandemic hit. Grants, PPP—you name it, if it was there to help small businesses, I was on it. But don’t get it twisted; it wasn’t a cakewalk. Those early days were pure heart-thumping stuff.

And the irony, again—when we swung the doors back open in May 2020, something had shifted. There was this global wake-up call about hygiene, and let me tell you, I was ready. I went all out—new filtration system, masks on hand, you name it. My salon became this haven of cleanliness, and people noticed. We became the go-to spot for those craving a squeaky-clean pampering session. And yes, I got myself one of those fancy UV sterilizers, right next to my tried-and-true sanitizing methods.

The funny thing though, while others might have loosened up over time, I’m still that stickler for clean. I am very transparent about my sanitation practices; I think it’s important that people know what you’re doing to keep them safe and yourself safe. As a practitioner, your safety is crucial too because you are at the center of your business.

Another thing, I grounded deeper into my faith and spirituality. There’s no underestimating how much that shift in mindset, that collective reevaluation of what matters during the pandemic, played a part in growing my business. Sure, it was daunting, and even now, there are those flickers of uncertainty. But hey, that’s the ride of entrepreneurship for you.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

My initial capital tale is straightforward—short and sweet. I turned to my family: my mother and my brother, who’ve seen me in and out of this industry for years. An interesting thing happened recently, my brother mentioned that I’d predicted where my business would stand today—can you believe it? I don’t recall that conversation, but isn’t it something, how dreams and blessings work? I must’ve forgotten I ever laid out that vision to him.

Even though I tapped into what the finance folks call the “friends and family round,” looking back, I realize I was a bit clueless about the ask. I should’ve requested more and saved more because the funds dried up faster than I anticipated. And things got really scary real fast. It’s almost serendipitous how the business closure coincided with the funds running low—it’s wild how life bends and twists.

Here’s a piece of advice from the trenches, be intentional about your funding needs. Do the legwork, research every cost, and get the full picture. You’d think for me after years in the game, leading teams, and handling purchases, I’d have had it all figured out, with enough cash in the reserves. Well, I didn’t. My advice for anyone starting out? Take whatever figure you have in mind and double or triple it.

And start now—whether that’s stashing away $5 a week, it doesn’t matter. Saving up, even if it takes three, four, or five years, is okay.  Remember, as long as you’re here, you can start a business. That’s the thing that I want anyone who reads this to understand, start when you’re ready, with research done and some savings set aside. Just in case you know it goes from sexy to s#!& real quick.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.getpeinted.com
• Instagram: @getpeinted
• Facebook: @getpeinted
• Other: Pinterest coming some @getpeinted

Image Credits
Alicia Jai