As part of the Portraits of merchants & professionals of Côte-des-Neiges project, we invited Zeineb Khalfallah (@zeineb_conscience on Instagram) to join us in our visit of 11 businesses of the SDC Côte-des-Neiges who have participated in the project.

Meet Thi Lan | Portraits of merchants and professionals of Côte-des-Neiges

Learn more about your merchants and professionals of the Côte-des-Neiges district! // Let’s meet with : Thi Lan Ngoc Nguyen, Founder of Ongles Sea Spa

For Thi Lan Ngoc Nguyen, founder and owner of Ongles Sea Spa, her manicure and nail care salon is more than just a business, it’s a passion!

The Vietnamese-born entrepreneur, initially trained in office technology, has worked in that field at the beginning of her professional life: a sector that wasn’t adapted to the creative young woman’s personality.

“My cousins, who live in the United States, already had their own beauty salon, and I was as passionate about this profession as they were. However, I didn’t think about quitting my previous job to launch my project,” she confided.

In 2000, Thi Lan’s need to regularly interact with clients led her to resign from her office job and open her own nail salon in St. Catherine, where she worked with her sister.

“I wasn’t stressed at all about quitting everything and embarking on this adventure. I was convinced of my choice, and I still am,” said our interviewee when we asked her how she experienced the transition to entrepreneurship.

However, the young woman, whose business is now located in Côte-des-Neiges since 2009, has encountered a few challenges and has managed to overcome them with flying colors.

Indeed, to satisfy her diversified customers, she must continually train, keep abreast of the latest fashion trends, and obtain equipment adapted to each need.

“The demand changes regularly. In the manicure business, there are always new trends. The young generation is very inspired by the trends on the internet and is demanding. So you have to be aware of what’s going on in the field on a global scale to retain customers,” explained Thi Lan.

To stay abreast of new developments, the entrepreneur regularly participates in conferences and events in her sector. This allows her to network, develop relationships with suppliers and acquire equipment adapted to her needs.

For me Côte-des-Neiges is: Busy

Writer-journalist: Zeineb Khalfallah

Photographer: Gaelle Leroyer

Artistic direction : Félicia Balzano (SDC Côte-des-Neiges

Complete the experience by visiting the free exhibition on Promenade Jean-Brillant from September 8th to December 5th, 2022. Info: here

ABOUT THE PROJECT: 

Given the great success of its project «Portraits of Merchants and Professionals of Côte-des-Neiges» in 2021, the SDC Côte-des-Neiges is proud to present the second edition of the initiative through an exhibition as well as interviews. This project is aimed at putting residents in touch with businesses on the territory of the Société de développement commercial (SDC) Côte-des-Neiges. Through a series of portraits capturing the essence of 11 businesses, meet 17 owners and managers of local businesses. This social and cultural project is intended to be a real encounter with the human behind the professional. In this second edition, you will discover women and men, young professionals and experienced entrepreneurs, all from different cultures and backgrounds, providing a wide range of products and services. What do they all have in common? Their love for Côte-des-Neiges. Discover the exhibition on the Promenade Jean-Brillant and extend the experience online thanks to the heartfelt interviews carried out with each one of them.

Under the artistic direction of Félicia Balzano, general manager of the SDC Côte-des-Neiges, this project is an initiative of the SDC Côte-des-Neiges and made possible with the collaboration of the Maison de la culture CDN and the borough CDN- NDG.