INSIDE THE Suite Nails & Spa, there’s more than the scent of lotions and polish in the air; there’s an unmistakable sense of passion, purpose, and two lifelong friends living out their dream.
“We’ve known each other since we were kids. We grew up together, but as you get older, you tend to drift apart. Eventually, we found our way back to each other,” said owners Roxana and Jessica Barrera.
Co-owning a nail and beauty salon began with a mutual dream, years in the making.
“I’ve always kind of had the dream of owning a salon,” Ramirez said. “It would be nice to do things on your own — your own scheduling, your own clientele. So from there, we started brainstorming before we ventured out on our own.”
For Ramirez, her passion started as a teenager.
“It started out in high school,” she said. “I was getting my nails done every now and then, and it got so expensive, you know, being a high school student.”
She decided to take matters into her own hands.
“I started practicing on my own, just buying a small kit from Walmart or Walgreens,” she said. “I gave up on it at one point, but then I thought, ‘No, I can’t give up.’ I just started YouTubing everything about nails and built my skills from there.”
Ramirez eventually competed in a high school nail competition.
“There was a competition coming up, and I signed up. I was nervous, but I kept working on my skills,” she said. “They called third place, then second, and when they called first place, they called my name. I just screamed; I was so excited.”
That first-place win came with a scholarship.
“I got a scholarship to Georgia Career Institute,” she said. “And since then, I’ve just kept going with nails. I love what I do.”
Barrera’s story took a different route.
“Ever since I was young, I’ve always wanted to work,” she said. “As soon as I was able to get a job, I did. I worked at a restaurant for years, and one day, one of my old teachers came in. Originally, I was going to school for business and marketing because I at least wanted to earn an associate’s degree.”
But a suggestion from a mentor changed her path.
“I decided to take his advice and enrolled in the program they had just started,” she said. “We were the second class to go through at TCAT McMinnville. Classes at the time were held at the high school.”
After finishing the program, Barrera got her start in a salon.
“I started at a newly opened salon, which ended up closing down a couple of months later, but that’s where I began building my clientele,” she said. “At that time, I was also opening a smoothie and juice bar called Fresh & Fruity.”
Later, she began working for another salon in town. After a few months, she asked Ramirez to join her at that salon. That’s when Barrera and Ramirez decided to create something of their own.
“We wanted it to be inviting and very positive,” Barrera said. “We wanted people to feel confident about themselves and their nails.”
The Suite Nails & Spa officially opened in February 2024. The salon offers a wide range of services.
“We do manicures and pedicures,” Ramirez said. “We also have an esthetician, Ava Barnes. She does facials, waxing, lash lifts, and brow tints.”
“We have three suites, but only one is available for rent if anyone is interested in joining our family,” Barrera added.
In terms of what sets them apart, it all comes down to relationships and attention to detail.
“In my opinion, what truly sets us apart is the relationships we build with our clients,” Barrera said. “It never feels like just a client-service interaction. Over time, our clients become friends — like family. I even find it strange to call them ‘clients’ because, to me, they’re much more than that.”
Cleanliness is also a core value.
“We make sure that each and every time, we’re never reusing the same tools,” she said. “Everything is double-sanitized and cleaned thoroughly after every use.”
Business has grown so much that they’ve added two walk-in technicians.
“Right now, we’re booked almost a month in advance,” Barrera said. “We’re pretty much maxed out. The toughest thing is fitting in clients. It’s hard to turn someone away, especially when it’s a client you really want to have, because we enjoy meeting new people.”
That workload comes with trade-offs.
“It’s been more business than it has been person- al life,” Barrera said. “That’s something that’s hard.”
Still, their love for the work keeps them going.
“It’s the same for me,” Ramirez said. “Some- times the long hours get to you, but we put all our effort into each client.”
Their advice to aspiring business owners?
“If it’s something you’ve been wanting to do, you should just go for it,” Barrera said. “There will always be people who doubt you. We lost some clientele when we left our previous salon, but you should never doubt yourself or what your dream can become.”
Looking ahead, they see even more growth on the horizon.
“One of our big goals is to own our own building,” said Ramirez and Barrera. “Eventually, we want to expand our business — whether that’s a bigger local space or expanding into different cities.” GN
