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Growing a successful beauty and wellness business is no easy feat. It’s a labor of love requiring dedication, vision, and resilience. Although not for the faint of heart, scaling a brand can be an incredibly rewarding venture.
At Innergize 2024 – the premier beauty and wellness event run by Zenoti – three visionary founders shared their insights and advice for fellow entrepreneurs in a panel session titled Founders' Odyssey: Tales of Growth and Resilience.
The experts
Anthony Tjan, Co-founder, Chairman & CEO, MiniLuxe
With 23 locations across the U.S. and growing, seasoned entrepreneur Anthony Tjan founded MiniLuxe with a vision to radically change the nail care industry through safer, more ethical self-care practices.
Rachel Liverman, Founder & CEO, Glowbar
Rooted in her family’s three generations of skincare expertise, Rachel Liverman created GlowBar to make skincare accessible, trustworthy, and time-efficient for the modern consumer. The revolutionary brand now has 17 locations across the U.S.
Kyle Jones, CEO & Co-founder, iCRYO
Kyle Jones launched the first iCRYO location in League City, Texas, in 2015, recognizing a gap in the market to pioneer the ‘longevity space’. Less than a decade later, iCRYO has become the top growing franchise in the cryotherapy, IV infusion therapy, general health, and wellness space.
Despite differing journeys to growing their brands, the three founders found many similarities in the lessons they learned on their roads to success. Here, we share four key pieces of advice from the panelists.
For each founder, purpose is the guiding star of their businesses. Whether it’s reshaping the nail care industry, honoring a legacy in skincare, or leading the longevity movement, purpose ensures their brands stay grounded and mission-focused.
Anthony Tjan, co-founder, chairmain, and CEO of MiniLuxe, emphasizes the importance of a long-term vision and patience in building a successful business. "Business is about the temperament for the long struggle,” he notes. “You need purpose, you need people. But the singular thing that most businesses miss is patience.”
The MiniLuxe mission isn't just about beauty; it’s about empowering their staff and enriching lives through self-care and safer practices in nail care.
Before scaling, define the “why” of your business. What problem are you solving? Who are you helping? Use this sense of purpose as your North Star in decision-making and communicating with your team and customers.
“Purpose has to come before product, and product before profit. Purpose is always bigger than your product, and profit is a by-product of those two things.”
- Anthony Tjan, Co-founder, Charmain & CEO, MiniLuxe
At the same time, remember that growth takes time. As a female founder who faced challenges raising capital, Rachel Liverman learned that “resilience is the only thing you need as a business owner.”
“I spoke with over 100 investors that told me no,” shares the Glowbar founder and CEO. “Today, I've raised $12 million from private equity. And I went through all of those nos.”
With 17 thriving East Coast locations in six states, Liverman’s persistence paid off – with fellow panelist Antony Tjan noting just how impressive this was as “less than 3% of all venture capital dollars go to women-owned, women-led businesses.”
To succeed, stay persistent in pursuing opportunities and solutions, whether that’s seeking funding, entering new markets, or cultivating a loyal clientele.
Related: Listen to Liverman’s inspiring journey of resilience on Growth Diaries by Zenoti—the new podcast hosted by Zenoti CEO and co-founder Sudheer Koneru. Listen to the episode here.
Community connections and relationships are invaluable, especially for businesses in the beauty and wellness sector. All three founders relied on their community to grow their client base and brand awareness early on.
Rachel Liverman highlights the importance of being present locally and building partnerships. “Everyone we could talk to, we would tell about Glowbar, and as a business owner, that is your job,” she explains. She recommends approaching complementary businesses such as Pilates studios, fitness boutiques, and other salons, calling partnerships “the driving force” of Glowbar’s strategy.
Kyle Jones shares a similar sentiment, emphasizing the need for entrepreneurs to step out of their business and engage directly. “Networking is a huge factor of success early on. You have to be belly to belly, face to face. You have to press the flesh.”
“A lot of business owners focus on that first location, but they get stuck in it. They're working in the business, not on the business. When you're driving people in the doors, it's not about the service you provide, it's about the experience they walk into."
- Kyle Jones, CEO & Co-founder, iCRYO
Panel session moderator Ryan Hicks, Certified Franchise Executive at Franchise Supplier Network, agrees, calling current customers “your best source of new customers” Cultivating excellent experiences ensures people will spread the word about your business.
Focus on creating remarkable customer experiences that people feel compelled to talk about. Happy clients are brand ambassadors who will amplify your efforts naturally.
The ability to innovate and adapt has set these founders apart, especially during challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic.
Anthony Tjan shared MiniLuxe’s efforts to evolve their model, using AI and data to optimize supply and demand across locations. “We are trying to be more data-driven and use AI tools to dynamically price against weather, holidays, and other inputs.”
Glowbar founder and CEO Rachel Liverman champions creativity in marketing, especially with limited budgets. “We did an ice cream truck in Philadelphia, branded it with one of our partners, and gave out free ice cream on a really warm day this summer,” she shares.
While the initial $50,000 proposal for the truck was far out of the team’s budget, Liverman was able to get the price down to around $5,000. When asked how, she shares, “The answer is always no if you don’t ask.”
For Kyle Jones, a visionary mindset was key to expanding iCYRO’s footprint, seeing an opportunity to pioneer the concept of franchising in the emerging cryotherapy space.
Jones’ approach was to shift the mindset of people toward proactive health management, emphasizing the importance of extending the "health span" rather than just the lifespan. “We’re now calling it the longevity space,” explains Jones. “It’s encouraging people to think more proactively about their health to become the best version of themselves."
These approaches serve as a great reminder to stay open to new industry trends and innovations. Being a pioneer in a growing market, as Jones did with cryotherapy franchising, creates room for exponential growth.
A thriving business requires a solid foundation of values and the right team to uphold them. Each founder highlighted the importance of creating a purpose-driven company culture to attract and retain employees.
Glowbar founder and CEO Rachel Liverman explains using the brand's core values to recruit and train their teams. “Our core values stand for dopest, D-O-P-E-S-T,” she shares. “They are Driven, Outgoing, Problem solving, Enthusiastic, Self-aware and Trustworthy. That is what we take throughout our entire employee life cycle.”
Anthony Tjan of MiniLuxe highlights the importance of evaluating character over competency when hiring. “We underestimate character… Resumes and interviews tend to be rehearsed, but character is revealed.”
Related: Hear Tjan share more about what it means to empower employees and clients alike on Growth Diaries – the podcast by Zenoti. Listen to the episode here.
Kyle Jones shares how culture transcends work-life boundaries, particularly in family-founded businesses. “You are the company, you live the core values, you are the mission statement. If you're going into business with family, the family lives and breathes those same core values.”
Start by defining your company’s core values – which traits and beliefs do you want your team to embody? Incorporate these values into your hiring process, daily operations, and employee recognition.
The founders of Glowbar, iCRYO, and MiniLuxe have built highly successful brands by staying true to their purpose, leveraging their networks, innovating with intention, and nurturing their company cultures. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to scale, find inspiration and practical advice for your own entrepreneurial path from their stories.
Remember Rachel Liverman’s words of encouragement: “Look around this room – we’re all trying to keep our business capitalized, keep our customers happy, keep our teams happy. Resilience is really a beautiful thing, and we should all be really proud of ourselves.”
By applying these insights, along with patience and persistence, you too can turn your beauty and wellness business into a thriving brand.
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