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Location: Heflin, AL
Owner: Jessica Brown
Staff: 3
UV Tanning Units: 5
Lotions: Devoted Creations,Australian Gold, Swedish Beauty, Designer Skin, California Tan, Pro-Tan
Salon Software: Tan Track
Other Services: Red-Light Therapy, Spray-Tanning
Salon Operator Training: Sun is Life®
Distribution Partner: Four Seasons
Best-selling Lotion: Swedish Beauty Love BoHo
Most Popular Package: $39.99 unlimited monthly
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This month’s Salon of Distinction is located in Heflin, AL. That’s right – Alabama – as in current NCAA FBS college football champs, Alabama. I can’t tell you the pain it gave me (as a Georgia Bulldog fan) to write that! Salon Owner, Jessica Brown, was on hand at the Four Seasons Expo held this past January in St. Charles, MO to take the Sun is Life® Certification program. I had the opportunity to catch up with her for an interview.
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IST: Jessica, how did you get your start in the industry?
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Brown: I’ve been an indoor tanner my entire adult life and even purchased a bed for my home. But, when my youngest daughter was in her senior year of high school, I started thinking that I would need something to do with all my sudden free time when she leaves for college in the fall. So, I decided to open a tanning salon from the ground up. We live in the very small town of Heflin, which has a population of 3,496 in the city limits. There was only one tanning facility, and it didn’t offer any spray-tan options. So, I thought opening a salon
in Heflin would be the perfect
business for me.
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IST: You just completed Sun is Life Certification. How important is it to your salon to be educated with factual information on UV exposure?
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Brown: My staff represents me and my business on a daily basis, so I want them to be able to answer all our tanners’ questions and concerns with confidence. It’s especially important when a guest who is new to tanning buys a package, that they are as educated as possible. I feel a responsibility to all my guests to educate and protect them, because if they get burned or overexposed at my salon, then I’ve put them at risk and that advertisement is not good for business. I want to offer everyone the best possible experience when they come to our salon.
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IST: Agreed! With knowledge comes the confidence to offer meaningful answers to sometimes difficult questions. What would you say has been your biggest obstacle to overcome?
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Brown: My biggest challenge, honestly, would have to be ME. This whole industry is new to me. I decided at the age of 45 to start a career when my kids left for college while everyone else around me is either thinking about retiring or are very close to it. It’s a huge risk starting a business at all, much less doing it this late in life. I have totally enjoyed it thus far, and I love that I’m learning new things daily that I can pass along to benefit my customers. And, who knows? Maybe I’ll build an empire to pass along to my kids and grandkids one day.
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IST: Now, that’s a goal! So, you overcame your big obstacle and started a business a little later in life. What do you see as the tanning industry’s biggest obstacle?
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Brown: There is still a stigma associated with indoor tanning, and tanners don’t want to tell others that they do it, because they don’t want to hear all the reasons why it’s bad. We need to educate those around us to the benefits of UV exposure in moderation and debunk all the misinformation that surrounds the tanning industry.
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IST: Great point. Okay, let’s wrap this up with a view to the future. Many in the class that you took indicated that they have been in the industry for one year or less. Regardless of when you started or how long you’ve been here, where do you want to be in the next five years?
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Brown: I would love to rise to the top of the tanning business in our county and the surrounding counties. And, if you ask anyone around here where the friendliest, cleanest, most educated and professional place to tan is, they’ll say “Brown Buns Tanning!”
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IST: Great answer! All the best to you and the staff at Brown Buns, now and in the future.
