Beauty boss Nicole Gale
bold, brave and valiant. ‘For the name I didn’t want any clichés, nothing with my name in it or the word beauty, I wanted it to thave meaning so when I found KOA and found out what
KOA means brave and one Plymouth woman is living up to that title
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icole Gale has made a dream a reality and launched her very own salon — all during lockdown and all before she turns 25! Nicole from Woolwell launched KOA Lounge in April 2021 but if it wasn’t for coronavirus then her business never would have happened. Prior to the coronavirus lockdown, Nicole, 24, and her boyfriend Chay had always dreamed to move to Bristol for a few years but due to the pandemic they had to put that on hold and stay where they were in Plymouth. While in isolation they reassessed their plan to relocate. ‘COVID taught us that we didn’t want to move away and be without our friends and family, and that we loved our lives here,’ Nicole said. ‘But what I did know was that I was ready for a change.’ Nicole had always wanted her own salon and began to wonder if she could become a beauty boss. Thanks to the support of her family and Chay she began to look for properties to rent. She found a run down unit in Crapstone, Yelverton that she felt was perfect but this was three weeks before Christmas 2020 so decided to wait. Ten days later the letting agent called and informed her that another company had shown interest. ‘I felt gutted,’ said Nicole. ‘I knew that was my body telling me that I really wanted it and that I should go for the unit. If I didn’t have this push then I would have overthought it and it probably would never have happened.’ During the lockdown in the New Year, 2021, Nicole and her family worked hard to turn the salon into her vision of a luxurious, relaxing - and green - haven. The name for the business was inspired by the Acacia KOA tree which originates from Hawaii and means to be 8
it means I knew it was right.’ Everything along the way has ‘slotted into place’ for Nicole, from the location, the name and the refurbishment of the unit. ‘It was like it was meant to be,’ she said. ‘Having my own salon has always been at the back of my mind but I never felt brave enough to do it and this is now a reality thanks to the support I have. ‘I have so many friends in the industry as well that were with me every step of the way and I was reassured by all the Nicole overseeing lovely people around me.’ the refurbishment of her dream salon After she finished college at Saltash, Nicole spent seven years working at First Glance, a beauty and hair salon in Tavistock, where she furthered her skills in the trade and made some lifelong friends. ‘I was so fortunate to have such loyal clients who have watched me grow from a nervous trainee to a salon owner, they’ve supported me with my dream and followed me on my new adventure. ‘My team and I are so lucky to be busy being the only salon in Crapstone. ‘Being able to offer everything within beauty was really important to me. So having a team to be able to do that is great, we can offer all things beauty, holistic therapies, nails and even aesthetics. My personal favourite treatment is waxing or creating something crazy on my clients’ nails.’ Nicole, who was born and raised in Woolwell, has big plans for her salon: ‘One day I would love to have KOA as a teaching academy to pass my love and passion on to other up and coming therapists.’ Watch this space! n Lindsay Turpin
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