Today we’d like to introduce you to Mercedes Buck.
Hi Mercedes, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Ever since I was a little girl, I loved school and I also loved indulging in fashion & beauty as my hobby. In high school, I really wanted to attend the tech center and learn cosmetology, but enrolling in honors classes seemed like the “right” thing to do. After high school, although I wanted to eventually go to nail school, attending college was my first choice. After obtaining my bachelors degree in Mass Communication, I finally went to nail school and got my nail license in Georgia. It was one of those goals that I never got over.
I used my nail license as a means to extra income and also volunteered with different organizations that supported girls and women. Eventually, my husband and I founded a nonprofit organization to support teenagers; girls in particular. Polishing nails & doing self-love activities was the foundation of our primary program.
I started teaching business classes to secondary students as my primary job. I always taught them that having multiple streams of income is the way to go. Fast forward to 2020, almost a decade after I became a licensed nail tech and also the year our country was impacted by Covid-19, I saved money during the pandemic and was eventually able to invest in my dream nail salon. In 2022, RICH Nail Lounge & Suites opened its doors in the redeveloped neighborhood of Manchester/Blackwell in the City of Richmond, VA.
Four years later, we’ve helped develop other successful beauty professionals and served as a model salon for aspiring salon owners in the neighborhood and surrounding areas.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Obstacles include:
– working full time while running a business
– instilling the value of great customer service in younger team members new to the workforce
– setting the bar for cleanliness and sanitation in a nail salon
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
We are a full service black-owned & operated nail salon that offers natural and artificial nail services, pedicures, lash, wax, and hair services. We are known for our cleanliness, using high quality products, our attention to detail, straying up-to-date on trends, salon decor, and customer service. Our unique factor is that we are the largest trendiest black-owned and operated full-service nail salon in Richmond, VA. Brand-wide, I am most proud that we live up to our name of RICH, by having an atmosphere where clients can truly Relax In Caring Hands and enjoy high quality services in a neighborhood that doesn’t typically cater to high-end. Readers should know that our beauty professionals are licensed and independent contractors who use our space as a place to offer their services.
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
People may not know that I have three degrees outside of business and/or the beauty industry. I have a bachelors in Mass Communication, masters in curriculum & instruction, and EdS in K-12 school leadership. I work in the local school division as a Lead Educational Technology Integrator and co-lead a team of 19 ETIs.
Pricing:
- Pedicures start at $45
- Manicures start at $30
- Acrylic Nails start at $60
- Structured/Builder Gel Manis start at $60
- Gel-X starts at $85
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Richnaillounge.com
- Instagram: https://Instagram.com/richnailsrva
- Facebook: https://Facebook.com/richnaillounge
- Youtube: https://YouTube.com/@bigbillz804
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@richnailsrva
