Being in the industry for over 30 years, Trang Nguyen has always had a stern belief in nail education and artistry. He started with being a teacher at his family’s beauty school in California while working in their salons. With the plan of growing bigger as a nail technician, Trang decided to enter in his first nail competition within the first few years of his nail career. Already very quick and accurate with his acrylic application, Trang initially was over-confident with his work. He competed and placed second to last! Without disappointment but determination, he wanted to improve his skill and conquer the competitive world.
Placing top ten, never mind winning first, was already a difficult feat from the start. Veteran competitors hid all their tips, tricks, and techniques from one another, making it difficult for novice competitors to even stand a chance. With frustration, he had to acquire his skills through experience and trial-and-error. He finally placed top ten and made first place four years after his first competition.
In 1991, he moved to Orlando, Florida, being one of the first, if not the first, salon to introduce pink and white acrylic. In fact, he was the one that discovered the pink and white backfill method. With such a large demand for the P&W enhancement, he wanted to expand his salon.
Finding skilled technicians for his salon proved difficult for Trang, and that was when he found the importance of instilling knowledge and invaluable education to the nail industry. He figured to have an exceptional salon, nail technicians needed appropriate training. That was the inspiration for him to open his own full cosmetology school in 1993. This went with much success, and the school produced highly skilled technicians not only for his salon, but for the state of Florida. His business went from one to ten successful salons and his popularity grew in conjunction with his wins in the competition arena.
The final step and Trang’s ultimate desire was to have the best product that complimented his education and the nail industry. With time invested and thorough research, Trang designed and launched his own product line and company aptly titled Odyssey Nail Systems (ONS) in 1999 nationally and globally. That was also the start of the ONS Competition Team.
When asked why he continues to compete, even to this day, he answered, “First, it keeps me motivated because there is always something new brought to the table. Secondly, if you can compete against the best, it improves your skills to make it easier to work in the salon. Lastly, it’s what keeps me in the industry because I’m naturally very competitive, not just among my peers, but with my self.”
As for his passion for the industry, he aptly replied, “I admire the beauty industry, because the people are generous. I enjoy the fashion, being a trendsetter. And, there is always something to gain from this industry because it is always changing and current.”
Currently, ONS has 36 international distributors with 6 branches (Japan, Korea, Netherlands, Russia, Mexico, and America) and top ONS competitors and educators around the world. Trang continually evolves his products to fit the needs for professionals.
Trang has garnered over 300 trophies, which include:
4 time World Champion
3 time International Champion in Dusseldorf
US National #1 Ranking Competitor for many years
Top of the Universe – Atlanta, GA
Through passion with competing, 4 time US National Team Cup with Team ONS
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