We Bought a Franchise: Building GoGlow: Melanie Richards on Entrepreneurship and Resilience

Ever wondered how a former probation officer can transform into a successful CEO of a thriving tanning franchise? Melanie Richards' journey from dealing with domestic violence cases to leading GoGlow is nothing short of inspirational. She opens up about her challenging upbringing, financial struggles, and the pivotal moment she decided to shift her career to follow her passion for beauty and skincare, resulting in the creation of her tanning business gamechanger: goGLOW. Melanie's story is a testament to resilience, adaptability, and the pursuit of one's dreams despite the odds.

Melanie shares her strategic approach to growing the GoGlow brand, emphasizing the importance of planning ahead and educating clients about the health benefits of spray tanning. Discover how GoGlow's patent-pending technology has revolutionized the tanning experience, providing a safe, comfortable, and reliable environment for clients. We explore the brand's commitment to being more than just a tanning service but a comprehensive skincare company, reinforcing the importance of business structures and client trust in achieving long-term success.

For aspiring franchisees, Melanie offers invaluable insights into the essential traits needed to thrive within the GoGlow franchise model. From identifying prime locations to the introduction of membership programs, this episode covers the critical aspects of business stability and growth. Melanie highlights the significance of the first 18 months in laying a strong foundation and the transformative power of high-quality spray tans. Join us for an episode packed with entrepreneurial wisdom, practical advice, and inspiring stories from Melanie's extraordinary journey.

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From your pals in franchise ownership, Jack and Jill Johnson.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:11

Hi everyone, I'm Jack Johnson.

Speaker 2: 0:13

And I'm Jill Johnson.

Speaker 1: 0:15

And we are here today with Melanie Richards, the founder and CEO of GoGlobe. Melanie, great to have you today. How are you?

Speaker 3: 0:24

I am doing really well. I'm very excited to be here with you guys. Thank you so much for having me.

Speaker 1: 0:29

You know, melanie, there's so much that we want to talk to. We've been talking about this, having you on the podcast, for the last few weeks. I just think it is so cool, the momentum that your franchise is gaining and, you know, it's so interesting. I think there's so much people don't understand about tanning and the importance even in sort of warmer climates. There's so much I want to talk about.

Speaker 2: 0:52

I just don't know where to begin.

Speaker 1: 0:54

But, melanie, let's begin with you. How did this all start? Who are you? Maybe tell us a little bit about your story and we'll take her from there.

Speaker 3: 1:01

Yeah, my background is I would say it's a different course that most people will take. I was raised by a single mother and she had both my sister and I out of high school so we kind of joked that, we kind of grew up together. She didn't skip a beat. She went right to the college for her four-year degree and my sister, my mom and I used the programs of welfare and food stamps and everything but just to get going. But what's really important and I think what's really instilled a lot of my characteristics of figure it out no one's here to save you type of thing and just that grit and that tenacity that did pay forward into what my role is now. But growing up, I graduated from high school. I did two years of college while I was in high school and out of that I think it was just a necessity for financial. So I graduated with four years from the University of Minnesota in criminology, sociology and psychology. My interest was in law enforcement at that time and I spent 14 years in a career as a probation and parole officer, specializing in domestic violence and working on a crisis response team for women and children leaving domestic violence situations. That was, as you know, just even the description is really intense in the sense that it was really I was taking a lot home with me, that it was really I was taking a lot home with me and everything I do I pretty much go full bore on and I'm very passionate person about what I'm doing and wanting to make sure I make the greatest impact when I'm, when I am working in something. And so I, you know, I was still in my career and I was interested in, you know, beauty, skin, this type of thing and I went to the Aveda Institute, which is based out of Minneapolis. Here I did their estiology program 600 hours, the study of skin. I was leaving that program graduating and honestly, it was just a more of a celebration trip to Mexico and I was looking for a spray tan.

Speaker 3: 2:48

I'm super, super lily white and at that time it was early 2011. And we were just in the marketplace. It was that Mystic Tan. I'm not sure if anybody's, if you guys, were wearing Mystic Tan, but one of those things where they kind of lock you in a booth and it's just like throttling solutions at you that are low grade and going back to the fact that how pale I really am. Any mistakes in that booth from those spray nozzles were going to be showing up on my hands and my feet and you know, I just was thinking there's gotta be a better way for this. And I found a makeup artist in my area that was doing custom spray tans I'd never heard of it before and she used a tiny little airbrush. So I held this position of a spray tan for about 45 minutes, but when I got out of it I didn't have an unnatural orange orange look and I was like, wait a minute, this is fantastic, I need to be doing this all the time.

Speaker 3: 3:38

The price point was very high for me at that time it was, I mean, it's even high right now. I think it was $85. And then, with tip and everything, you're walking out $100. And you can't do that on a probation officer's salary. So I, out of necessity, just for myself, honestly, I maxed out a credit card.

Speaker 3: 3:55

I think at that time my credit card max was $5,000 and I bought a machine and my intention was just to train my sister and myself and just so that we could have it, and we just started catching on with my friends and family as we were using them for training models and that sort of thing and just process. Hey, a lot of people really want this, and my first kind of entrance into the market was as a mobile. It's the quickest way to get in low, you know, there's not a lot of overhead in that. So I hit the streets mobile after I would leave my probation work, and so evenings and weekends I was, you know, out about town in the Minneapolis area, caught on really quick. I hired my first employee. But you know that's the genesis of of where we got started.

Speaker 1: 4:36

I mean, what an incredible. There's so many things in that, so many, so many like entrepreneur, like just rockstar moments, like had a vision, took the chance and maxed out the credit card to start the business. Um, the, the knowledge of what it takes to sort of, you know, thrive in these building situations. We talk to people all the time as franchise consultants and franchise owners. The first 18 months of building a business. There's a lot of ups and downs and if you aren't prepared for that, it can really. You know, for those that don't know about that boy, six months in it can be a little scary. So to know that you're going to have those days where you're just going to be like what am I doing? But know that the next day is going to be a better day, I mean I love that. You truly have lived the entrepreneurial life.

Speaker 1: 5:29

As you talk about those products, jill and I are just shaking our heads. Well, I mean we?

Speaker 2: 5:41

won't talk about how I went through the same thing as you and had Jack be my spray tan artist. I did not do a good job In tears dripping and immediately went into the shower after we bought our own.

Speaker 1: 5:46

Let's do one more application. I think we can get it right this time.

Speaker 2: 5:50

It was a disaster. So it does take a lot of talent and I admire everything that you did because I experienced a lot of it. The same going through the mist pans and the tiny airbrush tan that you know was crazy expensive and awkward when you're standing there for 45 minutes naked. So anyway, but I, you know I admire all that. What, what took you from mobile to the studios to opening In 2014,.

Speaker 3: 6:18

I want to say we had four mobile you know SUVs out and we it was. It was simply demand, right. So whenever you're building anything, you have to respond to that demand quickly or you drop off. And so, due to demand, I was thinking in around that time, solo salons were really coming into the market and they were focused more on hair, and I was thinking to myself I'm like, well, these, these rooms, I don't see why, if I'm going to people's homes and I'm popping up, why wouldn't I be able to pop up in one of these, in one of these rooms? So I would think that I'm one of the first spray tanners to ever go into a salon suite with that mentality. And so that's what we did. We had 100 square feet and we retailed, we did all of our appointments in that, in that solo salon, and it got to the point where, again, with demand, you have to move on to something else. But we were asked you know, basically, what do you guys? What's?

Speaker 1: 7:14

your what's your game plan here Because you're packing up our hallways because we're just so busy, and so at that time then I moved to the store, my first storefront, and that was in 2015. Yeah, I mean, it seems to me like you, you just have had a good gut for this from the beginning, because I think so much of growing. You know it's like an art, our franchise that we own. We're um ordering our second truck and and some might say we're early on that I don't think you can ever be early enough. I think you need to anticipate your growth, and so I love hearing that I think so much of successful. Being a successful entrepreneur is having the urgency to grow, and maybe grow a little faster than some might think that you should.

Speaker 3: 7:49

Yeah, I think that's really important and making sure that your structure is sound. I think that everybody building a business has gotten to that point where it's uncomfortable and you're just like. I never want to do that again, you know. So I think it is having that foresight and that belief in yourself of what you're building is good and what you're building is sound, and that you know you have customers or clients that are demanding it and you should be. You should always be operating a six to 12 month you know roadmap of where you're going to be going and what you're going to be needing.

Speaker 1: 8:19

Yeah, and I think you got to have that like on like for us. We have it on our wall here. Here's where we. Here's where we need to be at the end of the year. Here's where we want to be in five years. You know, I think that in in talking about your brand to potential investors, I think there's a lack of knowledge in terms of the value that GoGo can play. As I watch Jill and so many of the gals here in Palm Beach, we have sun most of the year. We have probably 330 pool days, but people are much more careful about, you know, the sun and when there's events and things like that, you want to have a great tan. You're not going to get it outside, right? No?

Speaker 2: 9:03

and you shouldn't I mean you can speak to this. What sort of sets GoGlo, apart from you know the other mobile tanning, or you know tanning studios that you see out there. What is your guys' sort of spin or hook? You know tanning studios that you see out there. What is your guys's sort of spin or hook? Or Right, right.

Speaker 3: 9:19

You know, and when I, when I built GoGlow along the way, I sort of started to pick apart all the pain points that people were feeling, that I was feeling when I was getting the service. You know, it's the stickiness, it's the smell, it's the processing time, it's the ingredients, what's going on your skin. I think that, especially now, people want to know and they want to spin that label. We always encourage that and a lot of education. You know I say that go glow is a skincare company at its base and we spray tanning. You know we have a full skincare line that complements spray tanning. But at the same time, if you're not getting a go glow, you should still be using these products as they ph, balance your skin, they make your skin healthy.

Speaker 3: 9:55

What's really really important also, which you spoke on, is that people aren't getting their quote, unquote tan from the sun. I think we've all been pretty heavily educated on the sense of every time. You know, I walk into my dermatologist for just a yearly. It's like do you wear sunscreen, do you right hand? And I was like, oh hey, you know me and so, but everybody's getting those same questions. One of our taglines is we both smarted the sun and it's kind of like a play on you know. Hey, we're all in this. You know sunburns, skin damage, anti-aging. I kind of cringe a little bit when we talk about anti-aging, because I think that we should all be very grateful that we are aging right, but we want to do it gracefully and that's what you know. With GoGlow, any of these rise of the Botox and the fillers and the lasers, all of that stuff is trying to reverse sun damage, and so the education is already being played out in all different modalities and GoGlow is a very good complement.

Speaker 1: 10:46

Yeah, and not to mention being outside in the sun sweating. I mean, if you're getting Botox, you're like reversing your Botox the minute you're out there doing that stuff.

Speaker 2: 10:56

So I mean it's it's just not good for you overall. We're learning that. So I think that there's such a bigger market now because so many even Jack sometimes will say to me, if I say I need a tan, he'll say go out in the sun. I mean, for many reasons I can't one. You know the wrinkles and the sunburn. You know the wrinkles and the sunburn. I mean, I don't even tan anymore, to be honest, I just take the spots. You know it's like not even pretty. So you know we're all learning that and we're all looking for solutions. And I've done the mobile and I think it's great and I've you know I've had issues with that. I have a girl who I love who's on maternity leave, so she's out for a while. So now I'm searching and it's really hard to find a place that I feel comfortable going to, where I know the products are good and it's a comfortable environment. So I love, love, what you're doing. I, however, I think that a lot of consideration needs to be given to what's being inhaled in these tents.

Speaker 3: 11:46

Part of our offering with GoGlo is I've developed a patent pending technology and it's a booth that controls the airflow and it also pulls all of the solutions into a filtration system so it's filtrated six times over. So spray tanning, as we know, is kind of operating. I call it like the cowboy world Everyone's kind of grabbing machines and doing their own thing. The FDA has approved the active ingredient, which is dihydroxyacetone, which is just the sugar beet molecule. It's removed from the sugar beet, so it's a natural process that's happening on your skin. The FDA says it's great for your skin, but we do not want anybody inhaling this, and I think it's very, very important.

Speaker 3: 12:33

And I see the runway with the FDA really trying to crack down on the fact that, hey, if you're in a mobile tent like that, there's no protection for these people inhaling the solution. And I think that's what GoGlow is coming in and it's really a reset on an industry that's just never had one. And it's myself and GoGlow stepping out and saying, hey, this entire industry, we all know the rules, people are bending them all over the place and I think the clients deserve to know the education behind what's going on in their skin, the education on the FDA, the education on should you be inhaling this, protect yourself. And that's where GoGo is really stepping into the scene and saying, hey, let's level this up. We need to provide a better service, better education, better product to clients Because, as you know, provide a better service, better education, better product to clients Because, as you know, like everyone's, you know, spray tanning and self tanning is a multi-billion dollar industry. No-transcript.

Speaker 1: 13:45

Well, just speaking, I think that the sunless tan looks so much better. I mean, jill gets it done and it just it looks. It kind of gives you more like that movie star. Look, I think you know beautiful, like perfect tan.

Speaker 2: 13:59

Well, and it's the glow you know I mean, I laugh. I've probably posted that you know meme a million times where it's like I'm just happier when I'm tan or all I need is a tan because it's true, I feel better. You know you, it does give people a lot more confidence too, especially because not only just the tan but that evens things out and you know, and there's different levels. I know you don't have to be really dark, you can't be dark.

Speaker 1: 14:25

Um, it's, it's kind of addicting too and I think the other thing too is that you, you, you built a brand yeah and so oftentimes there's, you know, tanning people out there who, but there, let's face it, you can't rely on that, whereas if you have a go glow, you know you can depend because that's a brand, is stronger than a person, right, and I think what you've done is really build something that you know it's, it's, it's for us.

Speaker 1: 14:49

It's like the franchise that we bought pinks windows. I'll be honest with you, it didn't matter to me that we wash windows. I love the brand, I love the look of it. I liked that we had merged and I liked that it was customer service driven. And when I see go glow, I'm like, no, that's a brand that looks strong, that's something I would want to put the hat on, or the t-shirt, and that's important. So I don't know, maybe maybe speak to you, know what you guys have seen in terms of how you compete with mom and pops and smaller operators and what your advantage is first thing to do is look and see if there's spray tanning.

Speaker 3: 15:26

A lot of people are like, oh my gosh, there's so many people spray tanning. I'm like that is what you want to see. That means that there's a market there and I don't target in any of our marketing mom and pops. I give good respect to everyone trying to make it. What I do offer is hey, if you want to franchise, if you want to buy a business, we offer strong branding Since the beginning.

Speaker 3: 15:51

I started around the same exact time that Ali Webb started with Drybar and I watched her growth. She had a lot of higher capital infusion and that sort of thing. But watching that, you can learn a really great lesson on building a single service modality. You become the expert at it. I wrap a skincare. She wrapped hair care around it.

Speaker 3: 16:08

It's that same feeling of giving people that confidence of, like you said, a brand, somebody that really cares about the experience, from the moment you walk through the door to the moment you're leaving the door. And then afterwards, what's the education afterwards? Can we talk about your skin? Can we talk about dry skin? Can we talk about dehydrated skin? These are different things and you know, I think that's what we're really trying to capture here is that trust level and building up in Minnesota and Chicago. That's what I've done my chops when I went to Chicago with no brand awareness anywhere in that area, just to try to test it out to see if it would work.

Speaker 3: 16:45

And it has been very, very successful. And I know that our clients are very invested in our success. They have a sense of pride and ownership in our company, you know, being that we grew right in front of them and we were customer service focused in the sense that we want. We want to make sure that when people come in, they understand. Yes, we're going to be asking you a lot of questions. Your first go-go appointment is probably going to be like did I do everything right? But once you get on your program and what works for you, that's what we, you know we keep all notes on every single time you've come in, what you're tanning for, what results are you looking for? Because we can customize each and every service.

Speaker 2: 17:19

I mean that makes a huge difference, honestly, that customer service, attention to detail, because you just you don't see that. You know you don't see that in most of the salons that you go into, even even your mobile person that you may know really, really well, you know there's still, you know it's it's a quick appointment too. It's on their time Cause they have the travel and everything like that.

Speaker 2: 17:38

So coming in having a profile and them really knowing, like who you are, what your skin's like, that makes such a big difference in your results. And then obviously, you know your return rate and becoming like a loyal customer to have that. I think that's wonderful.

Speaker 1: 17:53

Well, and with GoGlo, what I really like is that it's like you guys are retail, you're a retail franchise, but when people start with you they can start in a salon suite, correct, so they can get revenue going as they're building out the retail location. So my, my, my question for you is let's say I'm, you know, jill and I were here in Boca Raton, florida, and we're we're investing in a, in a go-go, because, let me make sure I've got my numbers right. You tell me if they're right. Average gross sales of $670,000 in the item 19. Do I, do I have that number right?

Speaker 2: 18:33

That's excellent. And then the net is 236.

Speaker 3: 18:35

Let's call it 237 000, right?

Speaker 3: 18:36

Wow, that's great, yeah, and I think that that's. It is also illustrated in the fact of how this industry is going. It shows, uh, and it has a very large margins, which does attract the good and the bad and people starting up businesses and being like me, like, and not taking the consideration that I've taken in building, you know, a skincare from the ground up, building the solutions from the ground up, because you know it is highly attractive to buy any solution on Amazon and go to a client's house and spray them and just be like, hey, thanks for the 60 bucks and roll out. You know like, I understand that, but because, in fact, the margins are that good. However, what we offer with GoGlow is just a full structure of this is 13 years of me building this business. I didn't just start this business, so we have all the background of why anybody gets into franchising or why somebody buys a business is that you're standing on the shoulders of somebody who's done it and they can offer you these like don't do this, don't walk into this trap. You know. All those sort of things is what you know, not only GoGlo, but franchising in general.

Speaker 3: 19:38

I was never really astute on franchising or I didn't come from a line of entrepreneurs or business owners by any means. But now that I see franchising I was like dang. I wish there was a GoGlow when I was starting, because it would have been so great. But to have this journey end up, to be able to share it with other people and other business owners and people who are really motivated to bring it to their community and to give them that support, is really rewarding. And I do see that I've seen it for a long time, sort of like that long game planner about what GoGlo offers for the market and where GoGlo will fit into the market. I think we have an awesome platform to build here and runway, long runway of what we can be doing with GoGlo. I'm really excited to be able to share that.

Speaker 1: 20:21

I mean, look, by the way, we have a client in New York that's like every day asks us when you guys are going to be available in New York. So just just know that. But you know again, it's like one of those. This is one what I wanted to ask you before I forget. Okay, so let's say I'm here in Boca Raton, jill and I are going to open up a go globe who's our ideal? Like? If we're looking around, like who's our anchor, who Are we looking for? You know, what should we be looking for?

Speaker 3: 20:47

So you're looking for. What we like to see is boutique fitness. We like to see med spas, we like to see a grocery, basically a high-end grocery, where people are coming to and from every single day, where you're going to see those repeat patterns of people visiting. We work very well with health and wellness right. So we have franchisees that have come in from Restore Hyper Wellness who really do see that complimentary brand and to plug it right in next to it, and so we do focus on those type of shopping centers or retail areas.

Speaker 1: 21:16

Do you guys have? I would imagine that you set people up on long-term plans right. The more you can, the more savings there are that type of thing Like membership memberships.

Speaker 3: 21:27

yes.

Speaker 1: 21:29

Go ahead.

Speaker 3: 21:30

I'm sorry yeah, the funny thing with memberships is, when I started in in 2011, if you're speaking on memberships, you were only talking about going to a tanning bed membership. But now that and I always said, oh, you know, what I was trying to build is to say, completely separate from the uv tanning industry. It had such a bad reputation and they were really being under fired understandably. And so my whole mentality, as I was building my business for 12 years, is that I wasn't going to do membership. This is kind of one of those probably like old school thoughts. But as soon as we started franchising, everyone's like, hey, why don't you have memberships? And so we just started a membership program and, yeah, it's a a no brainer. Up in Minnesota, in Chicago, where we've had clients for the past 10, 12 years, they're more set on packages. Um, so you know the the mind frame and the mindset coming from the new franchisees coming in they're doing very well in their memberships.

Speaker 1: 22:25

Well, and you know, for me, like for for our, our business, it helps us sleep better at night, knowing, hey, we've already got 150 000 on the books for next year and we're aiming for 250. That having that consistency is so great, and I think for your franchisees it's, it's the same thing, right yes, it is like I said.

Speaker 3: 22:42

It's just one of those things where you know, and and whenever you speak with me, I'm always just like an open, fully transparent on any errors or any thoughts, and that's just one of mine where I go. Hey, you know, I just had my focus and it wasn't going to be memberships and I just didn't slow down and so, you know, having somebody like myself where I'm always open to suggestions, I'm always open to strategic advice and that sort of thing, and I think that's what you do need in a founder, especially an emerging brand. You can't have somebody with the biggest ego in the room thinking like they know everything and they're not going to be told anything whatsoever, right? So you can't take a service like myself or a business like myself who's primarily in the Midwest, start talking to Southern franchisees and just close your eyes to it, because you can't.

Speaker 3: 23:27

The country is different, has different vibes all over the place. We all know that, and so I think it's really rewarding to to hear from business owners who have come into the system, who have built those businesses before, and they have that experience. Those are the ones I listen to definitely the most. But it is a, you know, a gritty emerging brand we have to really be honest with, with whoever is coming in here. They are a different set of who we're looking for at this time than a GoGlow in two years or three years. This is. It's a different ballgame.

Speaker 2: 23:57

Yeah, and your clientele is going to be different everywhere and we're learning that with these two. You know Pink started in Austin. Southern Florida is totally different, you know it's different weather. It's different clientele. People live here, you know, part time, and so having them be receptive to our feedback has been really important, because you know Austin is what they know for you. You know your area Minnesota, chicago like you know those areas.

Speaker 2: 24:22

But as you start to branch out, being open to hearing. You know that things might be different and, yes, you're right, Maybe memberships are a big thing in the South but, you know, not necessarily in the Midwest. But being open to making it an opportunity or a possibility is key, you know, to your business doing well.

Speaker 3: 24:40

So I love that you can do that. Yeah, and it's, and it's also important to to you know when you're reviewing brands to buy. Investing in in a business is one thing. Investing in a founder, you need to make sure that they're sound and that they are flexible. And throwing myself right in it, right before I throw anybody else into it, and try to learn this this clientele specifically. I think that's really important and it's been very helpful.

Speaker 1: 25:22

That's really cool that you do that, you know, kind of testing. When I was on the franchisor side, we would do the same thing Anytime we'd have a new product, new service, we would test it on a corporate office first. I think that's just great, showing great responsibility by the franchisor. Okay. So let me ask a question as a you know again for potential investors out there. When I say, okay, the average GoGlo is netting 200 and change, my mind goes to okay, if I want to make a million dollars a year, I probably need five locations. That's where my mind goes. Let's bring it back to unit number one. Okay, so I'm investing in unit number one. What kind of capital would you like to see us have for sort of a cash runway in terms of investing in the business? What do you think the right amount of capital is once we've paid our franchise fee? What would your sort of your recommendation be?

Speaker 3: 26:14

Yeah, I think that people are most comfortable right around the half million mark of having access to capital around half million for their first one. It's so that you're not stressing you know, you know what the build out is going to be and that opening up in a salon suite, you can start building your clientele. You know, for the salon suite owners that we have now with emerging brand, it's very important that they understand. You know you're not opening up a McDonald's here. People don't know just because you opened up a salon suite. You have to be out there in the community and you have to tell them about GoGlow. You have to have the branding out there. You have to be able to talk about what the offering is and so building that while you're doing construction because we all know the pains of real estate and construction it's just like you sign the franchise agreement. Everyone's so happy and they're cheersing and they're like, oh, I've got bad news, you got to go into real estate and construction. Man, it's the worst. But to have the ability, while that is still going on, to build a clientele and to build relationships in your community is very important. Um and just, you know we're not saying that you're going to be. You know busting down, you know doors in the sense of you know profitability and all it's. It's a great space to start nurturing your community and getting in there and getting go glows on people's skin.

Speaker 3: 27:28

Because you know the first, I didn't start marketing paid marketing until I started franchising. So my entire structure was built on word of mouth, which I'm not, I don't say that, I don't suggest that, but again, my naivety. Going through it all, it was just a brute force of being in the community educating, joining other grand openings, getting to know other brands, making sure that you're attached to other brands. If they have a membership program, why can't we offer them a free go glow that month so we can get them in right? Because it truly is a service that you know. You get on your skin once and you're just like, oh my gosh, this is a game changer and you want to talk about it.

Speaker 1: 28:07

Yeah, I mean, I think what you're describing is very common. It's like again with us with the pinks headquarters. Those guys, it was all grassroots, they built the brand, they didn't do any Google or Facebook, whereas us, with our pinks, most of our business is coming from Google, it's coming from Facebook, it's coming from Instagram. So we have the opposite problem in in, in that we are.

Speaker 1: 28:27

It's for us now going out and pounding the pavement, but the key thing in both businesses whether it's you need your windows washed or you need to look beautiful for your next night out on the town or engagement is you've got pain. And so I think for all of us, in any business that we have, it's figuring out where those pain points are, when people have them, and making sure we're in front of them to solve their pain points are when people have them and making sure we're in front of them to to solve their pain. And I think that's something again, like Jill said, and we've had this conversation, I'm like can you just look like that? And she, you're beautiful always, but like there's something about that glow from that tan and it's just perfect, I mean, and that's where, when I've gotten pushback from people, they said well, I live in Scottsdale. I don't know if there's a need.

Speaker 2: 29:09

No, I've gotten pushback from people. They said, well, I live in Scottsdale, I don't know if there's a need. No, I mean there's more of a need in the sunny, I agree. Right, you're wearing less than you're out. You know I mean honestly. I grew up in Seattle. There's a need there too. There's no sun in your pants, so I mean it really honestly does not matter where you are.

Speaker 2: 29:25

Maybe, maybe frequency, you know, and there might be. There's obviously peaks, I'm sure, around the holidays and those types of things and spring breaks where people want, you know, the extra. So there's probably some consistent ups and possibly downs but it's becoming more of a year-round thing. It it does like. I really do think it's somewhat addicting, especially if you have a good tan, that's if you get a bad one.

Speaker 1: 29:50

No, right, I'm the one that turned her green with the amazon tanning. That that my. I retired as a tanner after that she literally looked something out of star trek.

Speaker 2: 30:04

Yeah, it was it was not good and it did not wash off like we thought it would.

Speaker 1: 30:08

There was still a little bit of like a no, you were green.

Speaker 2: 30:11

I was green.

Speaker 3: 30:13

Yeah, I always say you know, if you're showing skin, that's when you're going to have a go-glow or a spray tan. So, like you said, people, in Scottsdale you don't have snow like we have. So for us in Minnesota we're bundled up to the, you know, to the neck about four to six months a year. So I always kind of joke, I'm like where's the worst place you could start a spray tan company? Well, it's going to be Minnesota. There's no like hands down, this is the worst place and I'm doing really well. And so I think that's what's really also exciting about the offering and getting our new franchisees open in the South is to prove out that that concept of like hey, open in the South is to prove out that that concept of like hey, just because you live in Florida or just because you live in Arizona, the old school way of thinking is well, I'm not going to do that, I'm just going to go in the sun.

Speaker 3: 30:56

Number one if you take a look at tanning and like sort of the history of it, it's okay. Well, you have to go spend four hours in the sun. Show me somebody that has four hours three times a week to go lay in the sun. That's just not reality. And what's not reality for women, it's not reality for men. And so you know you, you change that with. Well, I can go get a 20, 20 minute appointment. I'm going to get a go glow. It's going to be packed full of antioxidants, it's going to be packed full of hyaluron, so it's going to be a skin treatment while it's on my skin. Who doesn't do that? You know.

Speaker 2: 31:26

And so that's the difference of what you're doing is you're making it a treatment. It's not just the spray tan, it's enhancing your skin, it makes you feel good. It's not that it's drying out, you know, on you. And that is next level. You know that's what people are going to be interested in. Is this next level of sunless tanning that it actually improves your skin while you get it. So it's like getting a facial, like getting a massage. It's something good for your skin with a great result.

Speaker 3: 31:56

Yeah, we have partners that came in, and when you come up to Minneapolis for we call them confirmation days we always have people get the actual service. Our partners in Austin, texas, is Eastern Indian, and so he's like I don't, I'm not going to, you know, I don't need this, and he and we're like you got to do it. And the next day it was hilarious because all you could see was just him touching his skin. He's like my skin is so soft. It's never been this soft. And I'm just like yes, it's a skin treatment.

Speaker 1: 32:30

Okay, I have a question, all right, so, um, I just back in the day when you would use, like the tanning stuff and that smell you would get.

Speaker 3: 32:34

what do you guys do about that? Yeah, so that's a. It's called a mal-order odor, dha dihydroxyacetone, the reason that it works and how it works, which is, I think it's important. It's a fun little light bulb moment for a lot of people, because a lot of people think you're painting them for some reason. But the active ingredient is removed from a sugar beet molecule and that, as it reacts to the amino acids on your skin and the proteins, that's what browns the actual skin cells, and so it's a lot like oxidizing. You can cut an apple and leave it out and it browns. It's the same exact process that's happening on your skin is the oxygen and the amino acids working with the dihydroxyacetone.

Speaker 3: 33:10

So when the oxidation on your skin is happening with dihydroxyacetone, the DHA, some people's body's chemistry is different than others. Some people just get that heavy odor. But what we were able to do is the patent for Febreze technology of the encapsulation of odor ran out I want to say probably like seven, eight years now and so we were able to put that in our solution as well. So we have the Febreze technology the encapsulation of any odor that's going to come off of your skin. We're not going to ever say we guarantee like you will not have odor because it's so particular. Everybody's skin is so particular. But we definitely are able to eliminate at least 90% of our clients any kind of odor that they have.

Speaker 2: 33:46

Yeah, I haven't noticed that like well kind of odor that they have. Yeah, I haven't noticed that like well, I smell it when I do it, no matter who promises you know. But I have noticed there's been such an improvement, you know, with different formulas than what it used to be. But you're right, it's like a, it's like a chemical process that's happening. It's not just like a, like a dye or a paint, so it's not the actual solution, it's how your body's processing it. It's very cool that there's a technology out there that can help, maybe like absorb it or mask it. I love that.

Speaker 3: 34:18

That's a huge selling point when I built the solution line as well as the product line. We use essential oils for any sort of fragrance, so it's also not harmful, of course, but I use a unisex smell so that it's applicable for men and women. So if we use our Hydrate lotion, men are. I mean our Hydrate is sort of our hero product on the skincare line. It is a miracle product. It takes down sunburns, makes sure you don't peel. It has a lot of rosehip in it, it has hemp seed oil, so it's not very nourishing, but it also has a really amazing scent that people go crazy for and it's applicable to men and women. So I wanted to make sure that we're not doing the whole like heavy coconut tanning, like well, I can't do that Right. So you know, just the foresight and also the branding being black and white, I wanted to make sure it had a masculine feel to it as well.

Speaker 2: 35:09

Yeah, that's brilliant, and so you have products that you can use at home as well too, like pre-imposed and to maintain.

Speaker 3: 35:16

Yes, we have a pH balancing cleanse. What is happening when we do a lot of education around, especially? I don't mean to keep targeting men, but men really love their soap and I always joke. I'm like soap is great for your bits and pieces, but please don't put it all over your body, because what soap is doing and it's quote unquote getting you extra clean, but it's stripping all of the natural oils that your skin makes to protect itself and that it really wants to nourish its own skin. So, like with our cleanse, it keeps your skin pH balanced, it protects the barrier in the mantle of your skin and it also cleans your skin. So it's going to leave those oils on your skin and you're not going to have that tight, itchy feeling when you get out of the shower.

Speaker 3: 35:52

Our hydrate our hydrate is along the lines of like a body butter. It has argan oil, shea, hemp, seed, rose hip, all of these great nourishing ingredients we also have. Extend and extend is along the lines of our hydrate, but it has the DHA in it. So anything in our product line that has a packaging that's going to have the active ingredient in it that's going to brown your skin. So if you think about like a gradual tanner you talk about. You know, we've all seen like the Juergens or anything at Target like well, you know I can go to Target, get a $7 bottle of Juergens. Well, what you're getting with that is you're getting the lowest% DHA with our product line, because it's a professional skin product line. It's eight to 9% DJ. So you're using less. It's a buildable color and you can, you know, build it up to wherever the depth that you want.

Speaker 3: 36:38

I was also looking for, okay, well, we're going to have like a lot of attention on go glow and there's not going to be go glows in a lot of people's communities. So we just released a mousse, an at-home mousse, that does give you that deep, dark, rich, beautiful go-glow color that you can use at home. And what I especially love about it is number one it's not sticky, it's not smelly and you can wear it out. So I just took it to Mexico this spring and I used it. I put it on before dinner and go out, so you have a nice little kiss of bronze, but you're also processing and so the next day when you go to the pool, you have your, you have the preserved, that glow glow and you have a little touch of a deep color, you know, and we also have an exfoliates, a Korean cloth.

Speaker 3: 37:16

We don't want anyone exfoliating with sugar scrubs because it causes micro tears in your skin. We need to do a lot of education around that. And so our mitt we use, ask people to use it at least once a week to make sure that your skin cells are turning over and they're fresh. That's what's going to help your um, the base of your go glow if you're going to have one or not and it also gives you that glowy, fresh skin wow, that is so cool yeah, I love that you said that too, because I I recently started bringing because you know, when I'm in the sun I'm covered.

Speaker 2: 37:43

I've got like my 50 on and I mean jack tans, this is, this is natural, but I got, you know, my face. I'm always protecting my face. So even if I'm out in the sun, by the end of the day my face is white as a ghost and the rest of my body may have colors. I have to bring something with me. So I love, you know what you said instant bronze, but you're also tanning yourself.

Speaker 3: 38:08

I forgot our other product, which is amazing. It's called Touch Up and it's for that I built it, for that exact reason. It's because faces, you know, we never want somebody to stop. You know their normal skincare regimen on their face. It's much different than your body. So I built Touch Up and what it is is a misting. So you just you kind of judge your face and I do it after my makeup. So you just kind of judge your face and I do it after my makeup. So it's also a makeup setting full of hyaluronic, so it's moisturizing your face as well, so you don't have that dry feeling whatsoever. But that is the purpose of touch-up is because our hands and our faces and our feet, you know, like always wear off quicker because you're washing them, you're using products that are accelerating skin cell turnover, and so the touch-up is amazing for that.

Speaker 1: 38:48

This is very exciting. So, melanie, if people want to find out more about GoGlo franchise, where should they go?

Speaker 3: 39:01

So we can go to our website. It's GoGloco, it is not com. I wanted to do a little extra special to keep us, you know. So it's GoGloco. On there you can click on the about us and franchising and it gives a lot of information about franchising and also a way to contact and make sure you tell them that the friend you found them on the we bought a franchise right, absolutely go to your website.

Speaker 2: 39:19

You guys can come to us too but, we're really excited. This has been really this is great really nice to hear all about this.

Speaker 1: 39:25

I mean I'm ready, I'm ready she's, I'm ready to open one myself. Jill's going to be filling out that form on the GoGlo website, so is it, melanie? Is there anything?

Speaker 3: 39:35

we haven't asked Any important details that you think are important for people to know about. No, I think we've hit on amazing. You know amazing points about GoGlo and you know just the wherewithal right now of really paying homage to the fact that we are emerging. You know, we don't have any franchise storefronts open yet at this point. We're opening approximately five this fall, but that you know who is attracted to this system right now has to be gritty. They have to have business knowledge, they have to have a base of, you know, a mentality of resilience, because it is bringing a brand to your community that the community doesn't know yet. And so just to be aware that GoGlow in two years is a completely different system than it is now, and so we're very particular about who we're bringing on right now.

Speaker 1: 40:23

You know that resonates with us so much. We were franchisee number three for Pinks. We loved that. We'd like being on the frontline. I don't my.

Speaker 1: 40:32

My family also started a franchise called home care assistance back in the day, and the first wave of franchisees the ones that they're the ones that built the 10 plus million dollar businesses because they got to build territories. So there is something and I love that you're being so transparent about that there are definite advantages for the right personalities, for the builders, for the gross, for the people that are okay, understanding that we're going to grow together, we're going to learn together. It's it's going to evolve as we go. Um, so I love that you are you're being so upfront with that, because I think that's helpful. But for a lot of you out there, sometimes being in early on a franchise is your very best opportunity. So, for the right personality that understands the first 18 months they are the building months. What you do today is going to greatly impact your life three years from now. It's not about immediate gratification, but we're all building towards something much bigger. So well, melanie, I think that you have said it all.

Speaker 1: 41:34

This has been an amazing podcast. I hope all of you out there have enjoyed it, and for our client who's waiting on New York, just a little bit more patience. But for this week's episode I'm Jack.

Speaker 2: 41:46

I'm Jill.

Speaker 1: 41:47

And we bought a franchise.

Speaker 3: 41:48

I'm.