I was so poor I couldn’t afford food & had to raise my own siblings – now I bring in £481k a year painting nails
A WOMAN who grew up so poor they couldn’t afford food has revealed how she now rakes in a whopping £481,000 a year as a very successful self-taught nail artist.
Jenny Nguyen, who is the owner of the JennPaintt Nail Lounge in Downtown Los Angeles, is a celebrity nail artist who boasts the likes of Hailey Bieber, Iggy Azalea Kourtney Kardashian and Paris Hilton amongst her A-list clientele.
But the 29-year-old, who helped raise her three younger siblings whilst her parents worked as farmers in Vietnam, didn’t come from wealthy beginnings.
Humble beginnings
She grew up in a village called Hongdae and, despite having a happy childhood, she told CNBC Make It: “I didn’t have money and we didn’t have enough food sometimes or water.
“The only job we could do is making rice, and we depended a lot on the weather.”
She went onto say that during periods of heavy rainfall, the family “lost everything.”
However, things were about to change when in 2012, her dad immigrated to the US.
Just four years later, he sponsored her and her three siblings’ immigration to the US, however, the cost to do so put the family into debt.
I didn’t have money and we didn’t have enough food sometimes or water. The only job we could do is making rice, and we depended a lot on the weather
Jenny Nguyen
Constantly on the lookout for ways to help fund her family’s life, Jenny, who shared a basement flat with her dad and siblings in New York, started working as a substitute teacher at Garden City Public Schools in New York.
Career moves
With their mum remaining in Vietnam, the nail artist, who was the eldest sibling, acted as guardian to her brothers and sisters – and even helped to pay for their school fees.
Eventually she uprooted to LA, in search for better career opportunities.
It was only there that she spent some time scrolling on Instagram and realised that during Covid, everyone was uploading nail pictures.
So, identifying demand in the market, she started educating herself on nail art via YouTube videos.
To build her portfolio and to increase her social media following, she started offering to do nails for free, reaching out to photographers and working on set – and the rest is history.
When Jenny realised she’d started making more money from her nail business than she did teaching, she quit the latter.
LA living
Then in 2021, she snapped up a 1,700 square foot space in downtown LA, signed a five year lease and soon transformed it into her super stylish pink and floral themed nail salon, which she currently pays $10,000 (£8,000) month to rent out.
However, she doesn’t deny that it was hard work, admitting that at times, she nearly quit.
Jenny, who now also works on shoots for big name companies including Apple, Converse and Chanel, went on to explain that during the early stages, she couldn’t afford a front desk, so she initially took on every role herself.
“I had to be a funder, manager, and was doing nails at the same time – and after work my fiancé had to come in and help me with the front desk,” she says.
Do I need to pay tax on my side hustle income?
MANY people feeling strapped for cash are boosting their bank balance with a side hustle.
The good news is, there are plenty of simple ways to earn some additional income – but you need to know the rules.
When you’re employed the company you work for takes the tax from your earnings and pays HMRC so you don’t have to.
But anyone earning extra cash, for example from selling things online or dog walking, may have to do it themselves.
Stephen Moor, head of employment at law firm Ashfords, said: “Caution should be taken if you’re earning an additional income, as this is likely to be taxable.
“The side hustle could be treated as taxable trading income, which can include providing services or selling products.”
You can make a gross income of up to £1,000 a year tax-free via the trading allowance, but over this and you’ll usually need to pay tax.
Stephen added: “You need to register for a self-assessment at HMRC to ensure you are paying the correct amount of tax.
“The applicable tax bands and the amount of tax you need to pay will depend on your income.”
If you fail to file a tax return you could end up with a surprise bill from HMRC later on asking you to pay the tax you owe – plus extra fees on top.
Despite starting with just two people working at the salon, she now has 15 employees, charges anywhere from £20 – £100+ ($25 to $125+) for her services, £400-£800 ($500- $1k) per day for on-set work and £400 for celebrity house calls.
And JennPaintt Nail Lounge has gone from strength to strength, with her business bringing in over £481k ($600k) in 2022 alone.
Not only that, but in May of the same year, she began building and manufacturing her own nail product line called Lamay Beauty, which includes everything from nail lamps to dust collectors.
I had to be a funder, manager, and was doing nails at the same time – and after work my fiancé had to come in and help me with the front desk
Jenny Nguyen
“I always want to invest back in the business,” says Jenny, whose vegan salon specialises in natural nail growth and soft gel extensions.
Supply and demand
“I started my own nail supply brand and it cost a lot of money to do that.
“So all the money I make is going back into hiring, training new people and investing in my nail brand.”
Incredibly, within the space of six years, Jenny’s business has helped her family pay off the debt from their immigration paperwork and, at the end of 2022, she even sponsored her mum’s immigration to the US.
So, for anyone hoping to following in Jenny’s footsteps, she has one word of advice.
“Just do it,” she urges.
“The best time to start your own company is yesterday, so just do it and learn your lesson and move on and just ignore all the noise on the way.”
