WEEasked: Leslie Hodgson Nails It On the Job

WEEasked some simple questions — and your neighbors, friends, coworkers, acquaintances, even some strangers, answered. Get to know them a little bit better with our fun series, “WEEasked.”

File this away … Leslie Cross Hodgson can add some sparkle to your life with just a dab of glitter, or she can paint a teeny, tiny red heart on your pinky.

She also has helped women who have battled cancer to “Look Good, Feel Good,” at a Wheeling Hospital program. “We would go talk to them, show them how to put make-up on,” she said, of herself and her coworkers at the Be-YOU-tiful salon on Washington Avenue in Wheeling.

“To see them from when they came in and were so depressed, and then all the makeup they had on when they left — they just felt so much better about themselves. We did that for several years,” she said.

Leslie lives in Ohio County with her husband Shawn and 16-year-old son Dylan, but she didn’t grow up here. A Brooke High graduate, she married then moved to Wheeling.

She’s been a licensed nail technician for 23 years, learning her art at the South Hills Beauty Academy.

Leslie Hodgson

Here’s what Leslie answered when WEEasked:

What do you love about your job?

I love my job. I love what I do, I like the people. I have flexibility if I really need it. It’s fun talking to people.

What’s on your nightstand or e-reader?

I read a lot of romance novels. I’ve read lots and lots of them.

What’s your favorite neighborhood?

I probably would have to say Woodsdale. Just because I like the area, but I feel, though, we could have so much more in this area, more businesses. More little cafes, outside eateries … there’s a lot of potential. And it’s safe.

Where do you take out-of-town visitors?

Oglebay and Centre Market, because Center Market is so different, and cute and quaint, with nice restaurants. And Oglebay is just a really nice park.

If you could cultivate a new skill, what would it be?

I would love to work in a nursery. I love flowers — I would probably do that.

What is your wish for Wheeling?

More growth in the downtown area. I think just probably build up downtown. … They’ve got a couple of restaurants that are new, which is nice. … Maybe boutiques … some neat restaurants … a nice shopping area. I would like to see some of the taxes reduced — they keep adding new ones. For people who are self-employed, it’s a little tough.