Joy Nails & Spa

Back in 2001, when Jane Ye and her husband, Michael Kim, and their two young kids waved goodbye to their native Korea and set off for Canada, they knew next to nothing about their new home. But they were determined to start a life. And what a life it’s been so far.

“When we arrived, I had no skills and no English,” recalls Jane, who enrolled in an ESL course, then spent three years working as a nail technician. When the couple decided to open their own business, Jane convinced Michael, a trained engineer, that a nail salon was the way to go.

“We walked the whole of Yonge Street looking for space to rent,” says Jane. “When we found this empty space on Eglinton Avenue, we felt so lucky.”

Topping Jane’s wish list: a friendly face at the front desk, someone who would care as much about clients as she did. The logical choice was Michael, who was skeptical at first but now does all the bookings and keeps clients happy while Jane supervises 10 to 15 aestheticians. “I worried we might divorce if we worked together all day,” Jane says, but joining forces kicked off their success story.