La'reine Nailz Bar & Spa at Cross Creek Mall celebrated its grand opening on Dec. 17th.

Glenise Lesane, the new La'reine Nailz Bar & Spa owner, grew up fascinated with nail art.

"I had an aunt that would apply acrylic to her nails, and she explained to me what she was doing. As I grew older, I would join my older cousins when they would go to their nail appointments," Lesane said. "Watching this take place [right] before my very eyes was amazing to me, and I knew that nails was what I wanted to do."

Lesane was licensed in 2003 from Sheer Pleasure Academy and is also a licensed cosmetologist.
La'reine Nailz Bar & Spa may not have been able to open their doors if not for the support offered by North Carolina Center for Economic Empowerment and Development (NCCEED).

"They provided me with the tools needed to invest into my business and assisted me with financial planning," said Lesane.

NCCEED began in 1990, and its mission has been to promote growth, productivity, well-being and the economic development of small businesses throughout the Sandhills Region of North Carolina. NCCEED accomplishes this through counseling, education, information and advocacy programs. NCCEED works with other community agencies to achieve this goal and has a solid history of helping women and families through specialized programs. These programs include the Small Business Administration's Women's Business Center Program, credit counseling, financial literacy training, and one-on-one consulting. NCCEED also offers a loan program, microloans and assistance with grant programs available through the City of Fayetteville.

The NCCEED office is located at 230 Hay St. in the heart of downtown Fayetteville.

Sara Marada became a member of The Women's Business Center of Fayetteville at NCCEED in November 2020. As a business consultant, she helps clients during different stages of their business development plans. She focuses on sharing the skills needed to build their customer base through the art of lending.

"We strive to support the start and growth of all small businesses and their owners," said Marada. "Our services are provided at no cost to our clients, thanks to funding provided by the Small Business Administration, The City of Fayetteville and various channels such as community donations, pledges, fundraising and government grants." Marada, through her role at NCCEED, helps businesses in finding funding opportunities.

"Through NCCEED's ability to support clients through the application process for various sources of funding and financial support," Marada said. "I helped Glenise locate and obtain approval for the funding she needed to help start, supply and establish her business.

The purpose of the funding secured by La'reine Nailz Bar & Spa is to help grow the local economy.

"Glenise was able to access funding designed to spark the growth and economic impact within our city, which helped her bring her services to the Cross Creek Mall located right here in Fayetteville," said Marada.

With the new shop's location in Cross Creek Mall, LEsane hopes to take advantage of the mall foot traffic.

"It is an ideal place because there are so many different types of patrons that shop the mall," Lesane said. "So, my business will not just service one type of clientele."

La'reine Nailz Bar & Spa will be offering manicures, pedicures, gel polish, dips and powders, artificial nails and the latest trends in nail art, specializing in natural nails.

"La'reiene means queen in French. So, my nail and spa bar will make my clients feel like the queen or king that they are," Lesane explained.

Her goal is to help support her clients' sense of well-being through self-care.

"People (not just women) need an outlet to feel better about themselves, especially now," Lesane said. "Mental health is important. So, if a new coat of gel polish or a new set of nails can help someone feel a little bit better, then I feel like I have done my job."