trendy nailz

Tracee Hester, Owner Of Trendy Nailz: Making A Difference In The Nail Industry

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Tracee Hester

DURHAM, NC – Durham native Tracee Hester, the founder of Trendy Nailz, found herself struggling to keep her nail salon open. The business that she started and worked four jobs to open was failing. Hester said it was due to her struggles of finding quality employees to fill her salon.

As an African American woman, Tracee Hester began to notice that there was a lack of diversity in the nail industry. The nail industry was monopolized by a certain cultural group, and she wanted to change that.  Hester says that everyone should have access to the industry.

Hester eventually had to close the original salon. She realized that the only way for her to eventually have multiple locations and a solid business was to open a school. The school would not only bring diversity but also produce a skillful staff. Hester prepared herself during the process of opening her school by earning a manicure instructor license.

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Practice nails used by students at Trendy Nailz Institute. (Photo: Lawrence Davis)
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Trendy Nailz Institute student (Photo: Lawrence Davis)

Years later, Hester is now the owner of two schools in North Carolina. Trendy Nailz Institute is located at 1800 Martin Luther King Jr. Pkwy, Suite 102 in Durham and the other school is in Greensboro. Hester is breaking barriers by being the first Black owner of a nail school in Durham. The Trendy Nailz program also offers different programs with NC Works such as vocational rehab for people with mental health and physical disabilities. 

Approved by the North Carolina Board of Cosmetic Arts, the Institute offers students from different backgrounds the ability to obtain the needed credentials to pass North Carolina’s licensure test. This is required to become a licensed nail technician. The 300-hour program educates future technicians about the fundamentals of working in the nail industry. Trendy Nailz Institute helps its students with job placement and entrepreneurship. 

Kirby is a recent graduate and now works at Trendy Nailz Salon. (Photo: Lawrence Davis)

In 2020, the coronavirus pandemic affected many schools. Fortunately, Trendy Nailz Institute was able to flourish in unprecedented times. Hester was one of the first to offer her nail technician program online. “The pandemic forced me to execute something that I wanted to do for a long time,” Hester said. The first day that North Carolina was shut down due to COVID-19 Hester was able to launch the online program. The program received a great response with a high volume of inquiries and registration.

Following COVID-19 guidelines, the Trendy Nailz institute has minimized contact. “Minimizing contact is difficult but we can still make sure our students have everything they need to be successful after school,” she said.

The online program allows students to work from home at their own pace. The state of North Carolina Board of Cosmetic Arts is allowing students to complete 225 hours online and only be present in person for 75 hours of practical training.  

Trendy Nailz
Trendy Nailz Salon is located at 2000 Chapel Hill Road in Durham. (Photo: Lawrence Davis)
Trendy Nailz
The latest in nail art and styles are offered at Trendy Nailz Salon. (Photo: Lawrence Davis)

Tracee Hester who also owns Trendy Nailz Salon, located at 2000 Chapel Hill Rd., Suite 38A, in Durham, has no plans of stopping. Her ultimate goal is to expand throughout the United States with a chain of schools and salons. One day she would like to offer people the opportunity to franchise Trendy Nailz School and Salon. She also has a goal of opening a school and salon in Ghana and Belize. She wants to continue to grow her company and help students of all races and ethnicity to succeed.

For more information, visit trendynailzinstitute.com/ 

24 thoughts on “Tracee Hester, Owner Of Trendy Nailz: Making A Difference In The Nail Industry

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