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Rhonda Thomas, the proprietor of Amazing Lash Studio, elucidates the numerous advantages of franchising in the beauty industry, particularly focusing on eyelash extensions and related services. She expounds on her experience as both an employee and owner within the franchise, highlighting the structured support system that facilitates business operations and enhances customer satisfaction. With a staff of fifteen highly trained professionals, each possessing a minimum of four years of experience, the studio prides itself on its ability to deliver customized and artistic lash applications that set it apart from competitors. Furthermore, Rhonda discusses the benefits of a membership model that not only makes premium services more accessible but also ensures a steady revenue stream for the business. Through her insights, listeners gain a profound understanding of the intricacies of operating a successful beauty franchise and the importance of networking within the industry.

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Takeaways:

1. Rhonda Thomas elaborates on her extensive experience within the franchise, highlighting the benefits of established operational models.
2. The Amazing Lash Studio offers a unique service by utilizing highly trained stylists with significant experience in eyelash extensions.
3. Rhonda emphasizes the importance of building connections through networking events to enhance business collaborations and opportunities.
4. The studio's membership model effectively reduces costs, making eyelash extension services accessible to a broader clientele than ever before.
5. With 400 members and 15 skilled staff members, Amazing Lash Studio prides itself on exceptional service and competitive advantages in the Charlotte area.
6. Rhonda asserts that the meticulous application of eyelash extensions requires artistry and expertise, which is a hallmark of their trained professionals.

Companies mentioned in this episode:

1. Podcast Titans
2. Amazing Lash Studio

This is the Charlotte Business podcast booth.

Check us out wherever you get your podcast.

And of course, on YouTube, we're at the Charlotte Business Owners networking event.

And this podcast booth is brought to you by Podcast Titans.

They help you with planning, producing and publishing your podcast.

Visit podcastitans.com and we're joined by Ms. Rhonda Thomas.

Rhonda, step up to the mic.

What are you doing here?

Well, I'm here to promote my business, Amazing Lash Studio.

We do eyelash extensions, brows tinting, any waxing, anything really, like from here up.

Tinting?

Yeah, we tint lashes and we tint brows.

Okay.

I don't know nothing about that because I'm a guy.

Well, you don't really need it.

I mean, your lashes are like pretty good.

Okay, thank you.

I guess.

So what's the name of the Amazing Lash Studio?

Amazing Lash.

Where's it at?

In Valentine.

In Valentine.

Oh, that's where the money is.

Yeah.

Good location, let me tell you.

We got 400 members strong and they, they love every minute of it.

Oh, wow.

What brought you to this event?

So I have a couple of friends that were here and we were like, let's.

One.

One of them was like, I'm doing a networking thing and I'm like, you know what, I haven't done one in a long time.

So I kind of wanted to get out there and just start doing it.

I've been working a lot in my business and I want to, you know, work on my business, if you will.

Okay, so what do you think you're going to get here that's going to help you work on your business?

Yeah, just making new connections.

You know, I met a couple of people today that we can definitely do some collabs, which I, I like to do, like vendor cross promotion type of things.

I have a very large location with a really big parking lot.

It's got a great visual.

So having just other vendors doing pop ups and things like, it could really, it's good for Valentine to have that type of, you know, interactions.

So you, your business is a franchise, right?

It is a franchise, yes.

What made you buy into a franchise?

I worked for the franchise for about four years prior to owning.

And then even when I was owning, I still worked for the franchise.

So I did a little bit of both.

Okay.

Now, franchising isn't something a lot of entrepreneurs consider.

A lot of people think they have to build from the ground up.

Franchising is just another option.

Do you like the franchise?

Yeah, I mean, it has its goods

and bad not the particular franchise, but, you know, but being a part of franchise.

Look, when you buy a franchise, you buy a model that's ready to go, right.

It steers you in all the right directions, whether it be marketing, you know, platforms, software, everything is outlined for you, so you don't have to make a decision there.

And so that's kind of nice.

And then you have support, you have people that come out and help you get everything going.

You have.

It's just, it's all laid out for you.

It's really just follow the steps, Right.

And if you follow the steps the way you should, you will be successful.

And that's the good thing about buying into a franchise.

Okay, good.

So you said 400 members?

Yeah, we have 400 members.

How many people on your staff?

I have a staff of 15.

I have 12 stylists, which is basically our competitive advantage.

There's nowhere else in Charlotte, not one place that has as many stylists as we have that can do lashes as well as have been doing lashes for five, seven plus 10 years.

Nowhere else, I can assure you.

What, what is it you think?

You think you said nobody that can do the lashes the way you guys do them.

Yeah.

So lashes, very particular.

Okay.

You're basically adhering an extension to every single one of your natural lashes.

Right.

We're not just slapping it on.

It's a two hour service.

Full sets, two hours.

A refill is an hour.

So this is a very tedious thing and there's a thousand millions of ways to customize a look.

Right?

So having a very experienced stylist that have been working on all different types of clients, all different ethnicities, all different shaped eyes, I mean, you name it.

There's so many different ways to make a really great look.

So it's, it's an artist.

You have to be an artist.

So when you're a new stylist doing lashes, you're not that good.

Okay, I'm sorry.

It takes time.

Right.

So all of our girl.

We don't have a single girl that works with me that has is less than four years of lashing experience.

That, that's unheard of in any business where there's more than one or two.

Right.

You go to a individual suite, you might get one stylist that can only accommodate so many clients.

Right.

We have CL that can come in and get a lash experience from the seven days a week we're open seven days a week up until even seven at night is our last full set.

Eight o', clock, our last refill so from nine to nine is pretty great hours.

And to have that many stylists just gives the flexibility for women to be able to get in when they can.

So outside of what are your stylists have to have for?

Is there a requirement?

Yes, they do.

They have to be a licensed esthetician or cosmetologist, which they have to go to school for that once graduate.

You know, they.

We used to teach lashes.

We would teach them.

Amazing Lash would have a school for lashing.

We don't really need to do that anymore because we have enough stylists now that I can be very particular about who I hire.

And we hire only experienced stylists with two years plus experience.

So you're getting the best of the best at Amazing Lash.

Is that what makes.

What's it called again?

I'm sorry?

Amazing Lash.

Amazing Lash.

Is that what makes it unique?

Oh, it's what sets us apart from any other place that they might go.

If you were to ask any female, they're gonna tell you the struggles of trying to find a lash artist that is really good.

I didn't know that they put an extension on every one of them.

I thought it was just one.

They just blew.

That's what they call a cluster, which we don't do.

A cluster is where they slap a bunch of lashes on your natural lashes.

It's really bad for you.

It's not good for your natural lashes.

You know, one great thing is this kind of service has always been very exp.

And now that we're a membership based model and a franchise and a brand, we've been able to bring the price point down to and make it affordable for everyone versus where, you know, this was something that like movie stars did or, you know, celebrities.

And now because we have perfected it and made a way that we can do it to all, it's really brought the price point down.

That membership model's got to be great.

Just knowing that you're going to have certain money coming in.

Yes, for sure.

And for the stylists, because they come to.

Worked for me knowing that when they.

When a client gets the membership, they're coming in every two weeks.

This is an every two week service.

So it is like.

Yeah.

And they love that.

That's cool.

I appreciate you coming by and stopping and said it's your first time doing something like that.

Yes.

I've always been so apprehensive about podcasts.

I don't like my voice.

But you know what?

Here we go.

Here we go.

And you're doing well.

Thank you.

You've done well.

Tell people how they can find you.

Oh, okay.

So we're in Valentine.

It's called Amazing Lash Studio.

We are road.

Our website is www.amazinglashstudio.com.

we also have an Instagram.

You can follow us there.

It's Amazing Lash Studio, Blakeney.

So, yeah, come see us.

Thank you.

Yes.

Thank you.

Great job.