Inge Handing

At the age of 22, Inge Handing came to the United States to see the world and to learn English. She began working at Bundy and Bundy Salon in Salzburg, Austria, at the age of 15. It was not always her goal to have her own salon, but she certainly wanted to work for a high profile company. Now she owns her own full-service salon, Coiffeur Inga' Salon, in Tampa, FL (Carrollwood area, founded in 1988.) Inge's main focus in her business is to provide superior customer service to her clients. The way she does this is through providing continuous education for herself and her staff. This helps to promote teamwork and consistency, which serve as the foundation for her company.

Her educational involvement includes organizations such as Intercoiffure, an international organization, NCA (National Cosmetology Association) and TSA (The Salon Association). Involvement in all three organizations allows her to experience and share education worldwide. Inge was recently elected to the Intercoiffure Board of Directors.

After serving as an ambassador for Tigi for many years, Inge then worked her way up to the position of Art Director in 1997. At the present time she is part of the prestigious Special Forces Team, which allows her to travel and educate nationally, as well as train her own ambassador team in the Florida region.

A great accomplishment has been the implementation of her assistants' training program. Her program allows aspiring stylists, who do not have any money for school to attend through her sponsorship.

"It gives me the opportunity to help someone who might not be able to do it otherwise," says Inge. "I know how hard you have to work and what it feels like when no one thinks you'll make it. Sometimes it takes just one person to make all the difference, and there's no stopping you."

At this time Inge has plans to become even more involved in education, grow her business to a different level, and offer many opportunities for young and upcoming stylists.

Her advice to others in this business is this: "Make sure you really listen to what people have to say. Work hard, have faith, and believe in yourself, and you can do anything."

Victoria Fernandez

Victoria came to our salon in the year 2000. After successfully completing our sponsorship program, she continued to grow and excel in all areas of the beauty industry. She specializes in permanent makeup but her passion lies in the creative art of special occasion styling.

In 2007, Victoria was promoted to the position of Team Director. In this position, her role is to support and motivate the team while monitoring their growth.