IST | February 2024 Digital Edition by Lorraine-Publishing

From the Publisher

Welcome to Volume 28! Dear Readers, I’ve written many letters “From the Publisher” in IST’s 28 years; and the anniversary issue still seems to sneak up on me! I try to avoid cliché – but, I will say that publishing this magazine has been an eventful, everchanging and enjoyable journey that I look forward to continuing. The tan biz is still a great place to be and Team IST still works hard each month to create a valuable business resource. We particularly enjoy highlighting salons all over the country, sharing their stories. It’s been encouraging to see many new operators attending trade events, thirsty for knowledge and advice provided by industry veterans. Back in the day, all you had to do (basically) was hang a “TANNING” sign and open your doors; today, small businesses everywhere are facing huge challenges and many have not survived – it’s definitely not for the faint of heart! While the challenges abound, tanning industry leaders continue to innovate and bring exciting products to market. Many of you are made aware of these new products when you see them in your IST Magazine and we’re proud to have advertising support from industry leaders who see the value in our publication. When you reach out for more info, be sure to tell ‘em you saw it in IST! Yep, a tanning salon is a fun business – I’ll admit that when I opened my first facility in 1979, I was having the time of my life! But, while I had natural business acumen and was getting a great education (at the University of Michigan GO BLUE!), the industry was in its infancy and there was a lot to learn. IST was born nearly 20 years later when I decided to help others achieve the success I had found. Our goal has always been to help you work smarter and thanks to the contributions of many tan biz experts, industry support and my great team, we’re still making it happen. I hope you’re getting ready to make it happen this busy season! A great way to prepare is by creating a well-trained team of professionals who will help you provide a premium salon experience for all your guests. Sun is Life® is a super-affordable, user-friendly training and certification program that’s available 24/7. Check out sunislife.com today to set your staff AND your salon up for success. Thanks for reading!

Publisher Vince Lorraine Editor In Chief Vince Lorraine Managing Editor Sherron Barden Assistant Editor Peter Hinterman Editorial Advisory Sherron Barden Graphic Design Hailey Carriger Accounting/Circulation Kim Davis Senior Account Executive Terese Allen Contributing Writers Grant Cardone Melissa Damiani Jerry Deveney Gary Lipman Alex Zeedyk Lisa Saavedra Joe Schuster Leif Vasstrom

HOW TO REACH US

14165 FENTON RD., FENTON, MI 48430 810.230.1735 fax 810.230.1115 ist magazine.com

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CONTACT SALES@ISTMAGAZINE.COM February 2024 | Volume 28 | Issue 01 IST Magazine ISSN#2329-8545 (USPS 023149) is published monthly by IST Magazine, Inc., 14165 Fenton Rd., Fenton, MI 48430. Canadian Mail Agreement #41971515. Periodicals postage paid at Flint, MI and additional offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to IST Magazine, 14165 Fenton Rd., Fenton, MI 48430. For back issues, inquire for availability. Editorial Correspondence: Address product information and inquiries to: Editorial Department, IST Magazine, 14165 Fenton Rd., Fenton, MI 48430, phone 810.230.1735. To authors, photographers and people featured in this publication: All materials, articles, reports and photos published in this publication are the property of IST Magazine and cannot be used without written permission. The opinions and conclusions recited herein are those of the respective authors and not of IST Magazine. IST Magazine is not responsible for returning unsolicited manuscripts, photos or other materials. Every effort will be made however, to return rejected manuscripts, etc., if they are accompanied by sufficient first-class postage, but the publisher will not be responsible for loss of any such material.

Vince Lorraine, Publisher

If there’s something you’d like to see in your IST, please email vince@istmagazine.com. 4

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Contents

February 2024 Volume 28 • Issue 01

COLUMNS

IN EVERY ISSUE

4 From the Publisher

32 Notes from the Road

18 Product Showcase

26 ASA News

34 Trending@DC

62 IST Contributors

28 Lync IT

36 UK View

63 Distributor Contact

30 Monthly Motivation

Cover image by nadunprabodana / stock.adobe.com

Contents

February 2024 Volume 28 • Issue 01

FEATURES 10 7 Questions with ... Milenko & Rosa Ivetic Sunless, Inc.

12 Salon of Distinction Coco Beach Tan Hudson Oaks, TX

38 Are You Prepared? Creating an EAP

40 Reframe Your Business Value

42 4 Golden Rings to Rebranding

50 What to Do About Burnout

44 You Are a Leader

54 Treating Yourself or Cheating Yourself?

Whether You Know It Or Not

46 Want Millions of Followers?

The Digital Branding Blueprint

56 Get the Facts ...

... with Sun is Life® Training

Feature

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7 QUESTIONS WITH...

Milenko Ivetic & Rosa Ivetic Equipment Assembly, Sunless, Inc. Compiled by Sherron Barden

How/when did you come to your job with Norvell/ Sunless Inc.? Milenko

In October 2002, I started working for Sunless, Inc. on the recommendation of a friend. Back then, the tanning company was called “Magic Tan” and it started with only two employees and two bosses! My first position with the organization was assembly work and the company quickly grew with the new VersaSpa spray booth. I was directly involved in the production of five generations of spray booth machines and was the production manager for ten years. I think I have made a great contribution to the development of Sunless, Inc.!

Rosa

I also began working for Sunless, Inc. in October 2002 as an electronic assembler, which I am still doing. I have made thousands of circuit boards and other components that go into our spray-tan booths.

What skill would you most like to learn?

Milenko

I would love to apply my 20 years of experience into creating new innovations.

Rosa

The skill I would most like to learn is how to just sit and relax! I’m a workaholic and when I’m not working, I’m keeping busy at home.

What place is at the top of your travel Bucket List?

Milenko

My dream vacation is to take my wife to the Dominican Republic. I would also love to visit Mexico and Miami, FL.

Rosa

The Dominican Republic and Bora Bora are at the top of my Bucket List.

What does your typical weekend look like?

Milenko

What do you most often procrastinate about doing?

Milenko

I am known to put off washing the car.

Rosa

My least favorite thing to do is take care of my backyard – I always procrastinate cleaning up the leaves in the fall.

What is your favorite thing about your job?

Milenko

On the weekend, you will usually find me fishing and spending time on my boat.

I especially enjoy training new employees and tackling the daily challenges that come up.

Rosa

I like to cook special meals and host dinners for friends. I also love to visit my daughter’s and son’s families.

Making electronic parts for our spray-tanning machines is my favorite part. I enjoy working for a company that is so unique! ■

What is one of your pet peeves?

Milenko

One of the biggest is gossip; I like to stay out of it!

Rosa

I’m a very clean person and my biggest pet peeve is when things are dirty or disorganized.

Salon of Distinction

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COCO BEACH TAN Hudson Oaks, TX By Sherron Barden

his month’s Salon of Distinction operates in a small town located in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. Co-owners Tim and Ashley Decker were among the group of salon operators who completed the Sun is Life® Salon Operator Training & Certification classroom session offered at the National Tanning Expo in October 2023. We asked Tim a few questions about the salon and the couple’s goals for the future of Coco Beach Tan. IST: How/when did you get started in the tanning business? TD: My interest in the tanning business was sparked in 1996. I played baseball at Texas A&M and the team had a ritual of getting a workout and then tanning at the local salon in College Town, TX. After a year of tanning there, I met the owner who was kind enough to answer

! z i B n a T e h t Loving

my questions about how he ran the salon. It was interesting to learn how a successful business could be run without the owner having to spend much time “at the office.” With many avenues to pursue after college, the dream of owning and operating a tanning salon went to the back burner. At the beginning of 2022, I decided to invest in a small business and began looking for locations to open a tanning salon. Toward the end of 2022,

an opportunity arose to obtain ownership of a local facility, which included tanning beds, a spray-tan booth and a red-light therapy unit. This opportunity allowed me to pursue my dream of owning a tanning salon! IST: What challenges have you faced as a new salon owner? TD: Like so many businesses in the last few years, one of the biggest challenges we’ve faced is high staff turnover. →

Salon Stats OWNERS • Timothy & Ashley Decker YEARS IN BUSINESS: 1 STAFF: 4 UV SYSTEMS: 7 SUNLESS UNITS: 1

OTHER SERVICES • Red-Light Therapy • Custom Airbrush Spray-Tans MOST POPULAR LOTIONS • Devoted Creations • Designer Skin • California Tan • Australian Gold

SALON SOFTWARE • Tan Track DISTRIBUTOR PARTNERS • Four Seasons and Tan International

/ stock.adobe.com

Salon of Distinction

Since day one, we’ve been fortunate to have our office manager be a part of the team. Another challenge has been pricing for our services. It has not been easy to gauge pricing on tanning packages based on our demographics. Third, keeping overhead to a minimum has been challenging, as well. IST: What do you feel sets your salon apart from your competitors? TD: The level of customer service our staff provides to our guests definitely sets us apart from competition. Even though we have a high turnover rate, our staff is trained to educate our guests about tanning and make the experience all about them. Our dedication to cleanliness also sets us apart from other local tanning salons. We strive to keep everything as sterilized as it can be. 14

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IST: How would you describe the atmosphere at your salon? TD: The atmosphere at our salon is classy, bubbly and welcoming. We love interacting with our guests and meeting new people every day. IST: You and Ashley completed your Sun is Life Training at the 2023 National Tanning Expo hosted by Four Seasons. What was your biggest takeaway from the class? TD: The Sun is Life training taught us how important it is to train and educate our

team! We can now share the knowledge we gained with our staff members and enable them to provide our guests with the best tanning plan customized to them, and answer any questions they have. IST: What are your goals for Coco Beach Tan in the next 1-3 years? TD: We aim to expand Coco Beach Tan from one location to a three-store chain.

Best of luck, Tim & Ashley! ■

Product Showcase

TELL ‘EM YOU SAW IT IN

IST Magazine

New 1.

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DEVOTED CREATIONS® 1. Berries & Brandy New

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Acai Berry & Raspberry Oils

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MSRP $24.98 18.25oz

• Tattoo & Color Fade-Protecting

• Tropical Sunfruit Fragrance

• After-Tan Odor Eliminators

MSRP $144 13.5oz

• Sparkling Sangria Fragrance

ULTRA-RICH DAILY BODY MOISTURIZER

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HIGHLY-CONCENTRATED BROWNING FORMULA

TRANSFER RESISTANT DARK BRONZING NECTAR

MSRP $69.98 12.25oz

Product Showcase

TELL ‘EM YOU SAW IT IN

IST Magazine 4.

5. 6.

SELFIE® GLOW SUNLESS 4. Sunkissed Facial Bronzing Serum

5. Going Off Tropic™

6. Glocation™

• Natural Colorless DHA

• Island-Infused Intensifier

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• Even, bronzed results develop over time

• Mega Moisturizers w/Almond Oil

• Hydrating Cocoa & Shea Butters

• Buildable Color

• Electrolyte-Rich Coconut Water

• Vitamin C-Infused Kakadu Plum Extract

• Golden C

• Tropical Smoothie Blend of Raspberry,

• Antioxidant-Rich Maracuja Oil

• Hyaluronic Acid

Blueberry & Watermelon Extracts

• Solarepare MB™

• Watermelon Extract

• Antioxidant-Rich Tropical Smoothie Blend

• Pore-Refining Blend

• Plum Extracts

• Anti-Aging Copper Peptide

• Hydration-Improving &

• Fragrance-Free

• Bronze Boost Complex w/Carrot,

Tan-Extending Formula

MSRP $24 1oz

Argan & Walnut Oils

• Coconut Sands Fragrance

• Tattoo & Color Fade-Protection

MSRP $14.98 8.5oz

INDOOR/OUTDOOR TROPICAL DARK TANNING LOTION

• Sparkling Sunrise Fragrance

MSRP $27.98 8.5oz

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LUSH AFTER SUN DAILY SOFTENING CREAM

Product Showcase

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IST Magazine 7. 9.

7. Color Contour™

8. HyperInked™

9. Infatuated™

• DHA-Free

• Energetic Triple-Bronzing Formula

• pH-Balancing Blend

• Vegan Collagen

• Quad Tyrosine Blend

• Oil-Absorbing Apple Cider Vinegar &

• Helps Mask Imperfections

• Color-Correcting Blend

Tea Tree Oil

• Contouring & Blurring

• Skin-Hydrating Avocado Butter

• Glowing Light Enhancer X50 Photoglow™

• Multi-Use Formula

• Collagen Boosters

• Skin-Perfecting Centella CAST™

• Color-Balancing Mel[o]stem™

• Skin-Firming

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• Skin-Energizing Caffeine & Guarana Extracts

• Advanced Matrixyl Synthe 6™

• Color-Balancing Mel[o]stem™

• Super-Slimming Technologies

• Oil-Absorbing Black Tea Extracts

• Hyaluronic Acid

• Targeted Anti-Aging & Firming

• Tattoo & Color-Protecting

• Marine Bio Retinol

• Hair Regrowth Inhibitors

• Anti-Aging White Truffle Oil

• Tattoo & Color Fade-Protecting

• Hydration-Improving Formula

• Avocado Butter

• After-Tan Odor Eliminators

• Golden Hour Fragrance

• Black Citron Fragrance

• Pure Bliss Fragrance

MSRP $39.98 6oz

MSRP $85.95 13.5oz

MSRP $84.98 12.25oz

HIGH-PERFORMANCE GLOW-BOOSTING LEG TINT

February 2024 istmagazine.com

HIGH INTENSITY BLACK BRONZER

PH-STABILIZING DARK TAN AMPLIFIER LIGHT-FRIENDLY FORMULA

ASA News

Correcting the Record on Sunburn: One ASA Success Story By Joseph Levy

to mine through a subset of a public database to produce their own set of 405 reports. They did not release this subset database nor really report the details of how they created it. The raw data in the same database suggest that “laundry baskets” were related to about seven times more injuries as compared to sunbeds. In fact, sunbeds would rank dead last in relative risk among the items actually listed in the database. The raw data show that ER reports in 2012 declined more than three-fold from the number collected in 2003. That should have been the lead-point – that sunburn from sunbeds was very rare and was significantly less common than it was a generation ago. Perhaps most significant: The report did not isolate tanning salons, but rather manufactured data from sunbeds used either “at home” or in a “public property/place.” That’s where it gets really interesting. If every sunbed in that “public property/place” category was in a tanning salon (which is unlikely – many were

unmonitored sunbeds in apartment complexes or gyms) that translates into an ER injury rate of just 0.00000345, or just over three-ten-thousandths of one percent for all public sunbeds in 2012. But since “public property/place” is not just tanning salons – and in fact, tanning salons may be the minority of sunbeds in that group – that means the ER injury rate at tanning salons would be somewhere between zero and three-ten-thousandths of one percent. And that’s why (almost) no one quotes this number anymore. And it’s why when they do, ASA has been able to nip it in the bud. That’s the kind of thing we do every day promoting a responsible sun care message. And why as a life-long defender of moderate UV exposure, I look at this as a challenge for the real pros in the professional suntanning market to up our sunburn-prevention game. It’s part of our success story. Thank you for supporting ASA’s efforts to bring this forward. It’s one small part of our success story. ■

About The Author Joseph Levy is Executive Director and Director of Scientific Affairs for American Suntanning Association. Levy is a member of the American Society for Photobiology and promotes sunburn prevention as a practical approach to sun care.

About the ASA: Founded in 2012, the American Suntanning Association is committed to defending and growing the industry through a detailed and proactive plan directed by an all-salon board and executed by more than two dozen management and consulting team members who specialize in this type of work.

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TO JOIN ASA TODAY, VISIT AMERICANSUNTANNING.ORG/REGISTER.

oraziopuccio / stock.adobe.com

The

professional tanning community can take pride in the fact that when we do our jobs correctly, we are part of the solution – not part of the problem – in the fight against sunburn. Now more than ever, the data tells that story: Non-tanners do most of the sunburning outdoors today, according to the government’s own data. As I promote our responsible story to legislators nationwide, I still occasionally stumble across anti-sun groups who quote a 2014 study asking the public to believe that sunbeds cause 3,234 emergency room visits per year in the United States. ASA debunked this in 2015. It’s worth re-telling how ridiculous that bogus statistic was. That’s because 3,234 wasn’t a real number. It was a manufactured number. And as you look closer and closer at the math used to create it, you have to wonder how it ever got published. Consider: The raw data came from just 405 ER reports collected between 2003-2012 in 66 hospitals nationwide. That’s less than 41 per year, which is much less than one ER visit per year/per hospital related to sunbeds. The raw data came from a database that doesn’t even collect information about sunbeds – the researchers had

Lync IT

PLAN FOR THE UnEXPECTED By Melissa Damiani

experience a damaging event such as a server crash. This backup should also be stored offsite. After all, if the location where your server is housed undergoes a natural catastrophic event, it may not survive. Additionally, you want to make sure that this backup can be easily restored, and that you have an available resource to assist you with the restoration, if needed. Another important preventative measure is to install antivirus and monitoring software on your server and workstations to deter a malicious hacker from damaging your computer network. You may have experience with managing a server and desire to host your database yourself, as you have a high comfort level when it comes to the associated required maintenance. Alternatively, the mere thought of being solely responsible for your database can, understandably, leave you feeling a bit vulnerable. If so, you may consider employing a hosting provider so that you have confidence in knowing you are securing your database safely and that it is being protected

The actions you take before, during and after an unforeseen event can make all the difference in terms of the impact it can have on your business.

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against unauthorized access. In some cases, your software provider might provide such services. Over time, workstations and associated peripherals can also fail for various reasons. Have you thought about having preconfigured backup workstations? If you use certain peripherals that are imperative to your operation, such as timers or receipt printers, you should consider having extras on hand in case one becomes inoperable. It’s also important to document your disaster recovery plan once you’ve laid out the procedures that should be followed. Equally important is the testing of the plan. Remember those fire drills you had every year as a child at school? Make sure to train your staff on your plan, and that it is easy to understand and execute, especially during what might be a chaotic situation. A solid disaster recovery plan is an easy way to be prepared and alleviate the stress that you and your staff will undergo should you experience an unforeseen technical calamity at your salon. You will surely thank yourself when you are able to continue to operate seamlessly without your guests knowing you experienced an unfortunate event! ■

About the Author: Melissa Damiani is the Sales Manager of SunLync Software, Inc. a member of the JK-North America group of companies. With the company since 2002, Melissa has served the organization in several capacities, and has extensive knowledge of all aspects required to deliver robust salon management software solutions that are designed to enable measurable growth within its users’ ever-evolving business models. Call Melissa at 866.SUNLYNC x3 or email mdamiani@sunlync.com.

Diki / stock.adobe.com

we’ve moved into a new year and reflect on the last, one of the most valuable things we can take from 2023 is how to be prepared and how to adapt when unforeseen events prevent themselves. You’ve surely experienced an ever-increasing dependency on information technology over the last years, not only in your personal life, but also within your business operations. Now is a great time to reassess your disaster recovery plan. Many of us have been guilty of thinking “it won’t happen to me” – unfortunate events can happen to all of us. Not sure what I’m referring to as it relates to your salon or spa? I’m talking about the unexpected technical disaster that could occur. Even if you think that the chance of a natural or man-made catastrophe at your place of business (that salon that you’ve put your blood, sweat and tears into building) is unlikely, you should still have a plan in place to not only handle a disaster, but to help prevent the effects of one. The actions you take before, during and after an unforeseen event can make all the difference in terms of the impact it can have on your business. Since you can’t avoid some disasters such as natural ones, there are things you can do to minimize negative effects on your business and maintain some stability during a potentially tragic time. As your customer database is the lifeblood of your business, one of the most vital components of your disaster recovery plan should be a regularly scheduled data backup in case you

Monthly Motivation

2024 Business Planner for a 10X Year By Grant Cardone

Creating a 2024 Planner for the “Big Picture”

As I mentioned before – however you ended last year, this outline can help you. The fact is, nothing in this world stays the same. To be successful, you have to keep growing. This is the only way to expand while others contract – which means that this year, you may have to work harder and tighten your discipline. Therefore, the goal of this 2024 Business Planner is to help you determine not only the actions to take, but to also keep your eyes on the prize you’ll get for sticking with it. And, time isn’t slowing down, so let’s get started!

Set Revenue & Scaling Targets

You should set defined goals for EVERYTHING – especially as an entrepreneur. With that in mind, the first thing to decide is what you want to make and how you want to expand. I suggest setting these targets at the same time because one feeds the other. As a result, there becomes a built-in incentive. For example, if you hit “X” financial goal, you can afford to hire more help or buy new equipment. Massive objectives with huge payoffs are the only ones that will keep you motivated. Take your time here, since it is the foundation of your 2024 Business Planner. Next, we will add some heat to push you. 30

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Attach Dates to Your Goals

Most of us understand why it’s important to set goals; it gives you a destination. But, there is one more piece that the majority of people miss: When are these targets going to be met? Think about it this way. You wouldn’t let an employee or vendor not provide you with an ETA on a project or delivery. So why are you giving yourself a pass? To propel your success, you need deadlines and pressure. Don’t be afraid of it! After all, pressure makes diamonds …

Break it Down

Let’s explore the main body of your 2024 Business Planner. Step one is to take out your goals, then start crunching numbers like this: • How many sales does my company need to close to hit “X” revenue? • Who do I need to partner with to expand my customer base? • Where is there untapped potential for my business to grow? After answering these questions, you can start a daily to-do list. From there, it is

as simple as checking off things as they’re completed. However, this doesn’t mean there won’t be setbacks.

Refresh 2024 Objectives DAILY

As I say in my book, Be Obsessed or Be Average … “Anything worth doing is worth doing every day.” That’s why I take time each morning and night to write down my long-term goals – it keeps them fresh and clear in my mind. Additionally, it recharges my motivation if I ever hit a wall with them. For that reason, note these things in a journal or a planner daily alongside the actions you need to take in 2024. But of course, don’t just keep all these grand plans on paper. A 2024 Business Planner is only useful when put into ACTION! At the end of the day, this plan will only get you so far. To be honest, it won’t do anything for you without follow-through. All that being said, even if your 2024 planner is not perfect, start taking massive action, anyway. It is better than doing nothing with a pile of neatly organized notes. ■

About the Author: Grant Cardone is a New York Times bestselling author, the No. 1 sales trainer in the world, and an internationally renowned speaker on leadership, real estate investing, entrepreneurship, social media and finance. His companies have annual revenues exceeding $100 million. Forbes named Mr. Cardone #1 of the “25 Marketing Influencers to Watch in 2017.” He regularly appears on Fox News, Fox Business, and MSNBC, and writes for Forbes, Success Magazine, Business Insider, CNBC, and Entrepreneur. He urges his followers and clients to make success their duty, responsibility and obligation. He currently resides in South Florida with his wife and two daughters.

Diki / stock.adobe.com

hether you killed it or were disappointed with how 2023 wrapped, the question is the same: How are you gonna top it? Long story short: you need a strong playbook to win.

adragan / 1981 Rustic Studio / stock.adobe.com

Notes from the Road

Find the Power in LOVING What You Do! By Lisa Saavedra

FOR

personal and professional success, loving what you do is essential. When individuals are passionate about their work, they tend to invest more time and effort into everything they do, resulting in higher levels of productivity and creativity which in turn results in higher sales and better employee morale for your salon. A genuine love for your job contributes to a positive work environment, teamwork, collaboration and a sense of purpose among team members. Passionate staff who love what they do are more likely to rise to the occasion in the face of challenges. This mindset not only benefits individual employees but also has a positive ripple effect on your entire salon, creating a culture of continuous satisfaction not only for your team, but for your salon guests, as well.

HOW TO ENCOURAGE PASSION IN YOUR SALON Align your personal beliefs with your organization’s goals: Begin by aligning your individual goals and values with those you want for your salon. When employees can see a direct connection between their personal 32

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beliefs and the company’s mission, they are more likely to feel a sense of purpose and fulfillment in their work. Create a positive & collaborative working environment: A positive work environment is crucial for cultivating passion. Encourage open communication, celebrate achievements and create a supportive place where staff feel valued and recognized for their contributions. This positive reinforcement reiterates the idea that their work matters. This can be as easy as bringing in birthday flowers, or celebrating your salon employees’ work anniversaries. Anything that shows you are thinking about them and value their commitment to your business goes a long way. Provide Opportunities for Growth: Offer professional development opportunities to help team members grow in their careers. This could include training programs and trade shows. When individuals see a clear path for growth

within the organization, they are more likely to invest their time and energy into their work. Recognize & Reward Effort: Regularly acknowledge and reward exceptional performance. This can take various forms, such as Employee of the Month awards, bonuses/ contests or special acknowledgment during team meetings. Feeling appreciated and valued reinforces the idea that their efforts contribute to the salon’s overall success. In this month of LOVE, remembering to create a workplace where employees love what they do is a mutually beneficial endeavor. Employees who are passionate about their work are more likely to contribute positively to your salon, which achieves a higher level of productivity. As employers, it is imperative to prioritize a positive work environment! By investing in the well-being and satisfaction of your staff, you will in turn, increase the overall success of your salon. ■

In this month of LOVE, remembering to create a workplace where employees love what they do is a mutually beneficial endeavor.

About the Author: As Director of Brand Development for Devoted Creations’ family of brands, Lisa brings 17 years of industry experience, knowledge and enthusiasm to all aspects of the business, including social media, product development, training, customer relations, public speaking and marketing strategies. Lisa worked at the salon level managing a large chain of salons, which infuses her sales training and brand concepts with real world experience. Lisa has been chosen the IST Magazine “Person of the Year” five times. Commit to Your Tan

Trending @DevotedCreations

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Embrace THE

DAY OF LOVE! By Alex Zeedyk

alentine’s Day has become a retail extravaganza. For a beauty business, the “Day of Love” is a dream come true – the perfect time for selling Valentine’s Day services, as well as promoting your beauty products and services as gift ideas, whether it’s for a loved one or for the love of your own skin. With some creativity, you can offer a salon experience that customers will dream about. Offering a handful of V-Day promotions throughout your salon and social media is a fun and festive way to get your salon guests engaged and excited to purchase products and pampering services they will love. You could create the perfect February skincare/tanning bundle – a “Love the Skin You’re In” bundle – which is also a good way for tanners to test numerous products at a discounted price. You could offer one with products for both UV and sunless tanning. Let your creativity come alive! Create visuals and eye-catching graphics with Canva (a free, online graphic design tool) to bring your promotion to life. You can make it both fun and informative. Your social media posts can explain the key product characteristics, why they go well together and how the products will help your guests achieve fabulous tanning results. Whether it’s the similar active ingredients, how the fragrances pair well together, etc. You can create an attractive product bundle just based on how aesthetically pleasing the items look together in the package. Leading up to Valentine’s Day, create a social media calendar with content that highlights a daily product and why you 34

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love it. This will be a fun way to inform your followers about some key selling points of a product they maybe haven’t tried yet or know nothing about. Another approach would be to offer a handful of promotions every day leading up to Valentine’s Day, when you offer a 14% off sale on everything in the store.

In addition to the Day of Love, other special days happen in February that you can incorporate into your heartfelt social media posts. Combining promotional in-store signs with fun social media posts is key to a successful holiday promotion. With Canva, templates are so easy to use – you simply modify, edit, and add your own personal spice to the graphic elements. Depending on your location, February can still be considered a winter season. It’s a perfect time to offer winter skincare tips that complement tanning. Showcase the ways you and your salon associates are loving their skin throughout the dry month – whether they are using a

richer and thicker hydration product or incorporating new services into their daily routine. Provide advice on moisturizing, exfoliating and protecting their skin to help it stay healthy and glowing in the cold weather. It’s also a great opportunity for your team to shed some light on the importance of receiving vitamin D throughout the winter season. Some of your guests are simply unaware of the importance of vitamin D – which tanning sessions provide – and how it affects our health and mood. In addition to the Day of Love, other special days happen in February that you can incorporate into your heartfelt social media posts. For example, February 11th is National Make a Friend Day. You can invite your guests to come in and bring a friend for a free session. February 13th is National Self-love Day – you could market it as “Love Yourself & Your Skin Day.” If you think outside of the heart-shaped box, your options are endless! Seize these opportunities to share with your guests and attract prospective tanners – educate them on the products and services you love or introduce them to exciting new ones! Add in some yummy chocolates placed on the sunbed pillows and spread the love in your salon while generating some sweet preseason revenue! ■

About the Author On Team DC since 2021, Alex Zeedyk is Client Relations and Social Media Specialist, handling social media promotions and in charge of customer service.

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Making the Most of Dull By Gary Lipman

FOR

many of us – with the exception of the romance of Valentine’s Day – February is, quite bluntly, the dullest month of the year. The fun and frivolities of The Holidays already seem a distant memory; but we have hopefully given ourselves a well-deserved pat on the back for making it through January, with New Year’s resolutions motivating us to be better people for ourselves and others. That leaves the long, cold and dull days of February looming ahead with the bright, warm summer days still so far away … well for the UK, that is certainly the case! For the lucky ones, we know from the trading patterns of the last couple of years that February is likely to see the green shoots of the new tanning season sprouting and, of course, a repetition in 2024 would be fantastic! For the rest of us, we need to focus on being positive about what the rest of the year ahead will undoubtedly bring. As such, we need to make the most of the opportunity that February provides. It is a fabulous window of time to effectively get everything in the salon in tip-top shape to ensure we can fully maximise the potential of the coming months. A salon deep-clean; tanning bed servicing; lamp replacements as necessary; the new season’s lotions ordered; new tanning beds ordered (if not already

done!); salon protocols re-visited; staff training refreshed; marketing plan in place; budgets and expenses reviewed to ensure you are on the best tariffs available. These are just some of the tasks that we all need to ensure are in place to run our businesses effectively

knowledge, experience and expertise to help build the future success of your business. It is safe to say there probably is not a single scenario or situation they will not have seen or heard about. Building a relationship with your suppliers enables you to tap into this deep knowledge pool to help you make the right decisions for your business. I certainly believe it must be more than a coincidence, that when you look at successful salon operators, whether as a single-site owner through to national chains and almost without exception, these businesses have established and built excellent relationships with their product suppliers. Also know that to a responsible and reliable supplier, the smallest piece of business is always important! Being involved with and supporting the growth of a salon’s vision is such an exciting part of this industry. From the humblest of beginnings, truly amazing things happen. So as we plough through February, think of each completed task as a step closer to being where you want to be. And before you know it, take a deep breath – because the 2024 season will soon be upon us! ■

Salon owners should use suppliers’ knowledge, experience and expertise to help build the future success of their businesses.

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and successfully, yet sometimes there simply are not enough hours in the day to make this happen. February gives us an entire month! It is also a great time for salon owners to talk to industry suppliers about their plans going forward. A good relationship with reliable suppliers is a key factor for salon success. Responsible and reliable suppliers will be about so much more than delivering products and you, as salon owners, should use suppliers’

About the Author: In the tanning industry since 1982, Gary Lipman is Managing Director of the UK subsidary of Ergoline, and runs Ergoline Plus, the exclusive distributor for a wide range of sunless products & spray systems. He is also Chairman of the UK’s Sunbed Association & a European Sunlight Association member.

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Are You Prepared? SAFEGUARD YOUR BUSINESS WITH AN EFFECTIVE EAP.

a business owner, you know it’s best to expect the unexpected. This isn’t just a wise strategy for business deals. It also applies to property emergencies. Even with your best efforts, you can’t prevent natural disasters or other risks to your establishments. That’s why it’s critical to create an Emergency Action Plan (EAP). An EAP is a set of procedures that outlines how your workplace will respond to various emergencies, including fires, severe weather, chemical spills and floods. 38

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By prioritizing emergency preparedness, you can protect your business and create a safe environment for employees and customers who enter your buildings. WHAT DOES AN EAP INCLUDE? Typically, an EAP includes evacuation procedures, contact information and emergency communication protocols. An EAP is a proactive approach to emergency preparedness that minimizes business disruption and downtime in the event of an emergency.

Knowing how to create an EAP can be difficult, but you can start by conducting a risk assessment. A risk assessment will help identify potential hazards in the workplace, their likelihood, and their potential impact on the business operations. Working with professionals like Rainbow Restoration® can help accurately evaluate risks, taking the guesswork out of disaster preparedness. After an evaluation, the company can also help you create an emergency response plan.

ROLES, RESPONSIBILITIES AND COMMUNICATION A successful EAP assigns roles and responsibilities to employees who must implement the plan should an emergency occur. A great way to define roles and assign responsibilities is to organize staff meetings on emergency preparedness. These meetings can help ensure everyone is well-prepared and knows the part they’ll play in an emergency. This is also the perfect opportunity to outline a chain of command within an organization that can help streamline decision-making during crises. Once roles and responsibilities have been established, it’s essential to establish communication protocols. Effective communication allows employees to stay in touch, share critical information and enhance emergency response efforts. A communication protocol may include setting up emergency communication devices and developing plans for communication with employees, customers and suppliers. You can expedite emergency response by downloading a tool like Rainbow Emergency Call app. This mobile app allows you to build digital reports, take live photos of a property during emergencies, and communicate arrival instructions to service professionals. You can download and use this app to immediately access vital resources during critical situations after an emergency response plan is created. Once you establish an EAP, regularly review and update safety protocols to stay current with evolving best practices and regulations. Also, practicing an emergency action plan at least once

a quarter helps ensure everyone is familiar with the procedures. PREPARING YOUR BUSINESS FOR FIRE EMERGENCIES AND RESTORATION Fire emergency plans and restoration are critical components of any emergency response plan. In the fall and winter, it’s important for business owners to take the initiative to assess a property’s vulnerability to fire and educate themselves about the risks and recovery processes associated with fire damage. Being prepared in advance can make all

Should a fire occur, it’s essential to quickly and safely restore your property. Fire damage can also lead to lost revenue, inventory damage, equipment loss and prolonged downtime, which can financially devastate your businesses. However, when creating a fire restoration plan for your EAP, it’s best to collaborate with a professional to avoid common mistakes that can lead to additional property damage and health hazards. Common fire damage repair mistakes include waiting too long to start the restoration process, neglecting to address water damage, failing to document damage, and attempting to handle the restoration yourself. Professional restoration companies, like Rainbow Restoration, have the expertise and experience necessary to assess damage, identify potential hazards and create a safe and efficient restoration plan. They provide rapid response, thoroughly restore and clean your property and document damage. Hiring professionals ensures a smoother recovery process and reduces the risk of additional damage and health hazards. A commitment to safety is not only a legal obligation but also a moral one. By prioritizing emergency preparedness, business owners and facility managers create a secure environment that promotes the well-being of all those who enter the building. To learn more about how you can collaborate with a professional to create a strong EAP, visit RainbowRestores.com. ■

By prioritizing emergency preparedness, you can protect your business and create a safe environment for employees and customers who enter your buildings. the difference in ensuring the safety of employees and customers, as well as the longevity of your business. Fires damage the structural integrity of your property and pose risks to the health and safety of occupants. The heat generated by fires can weaken your building’s structure, making it unsafe for use, while the smoke and soot can lead to respiratory issues and health problems. Beyond the fire itself, the chemicals used to extinguish fires can also be hazardous if not adequately cleaned up.

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Reframe Your Business Value Discovering the hidden value in your organization

your business matures and grows, you may start to think about how you plan on moving toward a significant end goal: selling your company. Whether you are in products or services, every business has to decide on an exit strategy. Will you sell your business to a family member so the business can continue to grow? Will you bring in investment capital to expand? Will you sell to a competitor as part of a merger and acquisition? Or will you someday simply close the shutters and turn off the lights?

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Many companies will only look at the revenue goals and inventory or client list. There is a misconception that only companies with inventory are worth purchasing. There is an even broader misconception that, if you are in the service industry and do not have a tangible asset, you do not have something worth buying. Regardless of whether your company sells widgets or ideas, you may already have business value – you just have not yet recognized it as having worth. Whatever your current situation, here are ways to reframe how you see your business value.

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By Lisa Apolinski

Whatever your current situation, here are ways to reframe how you see your business value.

Processes make your company efficient. A scientific process, with documentation that can be accurately followed, is a repeatable process. Processes that are repeatable and allow a company to achieve consistent results take the guesswork out of efficiency and growth. When you have a formula, you can remove the element of chance and become more effective at repeating the formula for success. There are things you most likely do for your company every day that you consider SOP and obvious. For most new entrepreneurs, some of these pieces of common knowledge are not always so common. No matter how small the process, take the time to set up a process document that catalogs what you do, how you measure it, and what your standard results are. When it comes to value, having a proprietary process that demonstrates easy repeatability is gold for a potential buyer.

Contacts make your company known. If you go beyond sales and revenue in your company, the next best source of income and business are your company contacts. Having a large pool of contacts (different from purchased lists) gives you a community of individuals who know and respect you, as well as your company. This list goes beyond a B2B engagement. Each individual can provide introductions, be a champion for work, and give your organization a foot in the door of a potential customer.

Many companies forget their community and the way in which those contacts within their business provide assistance, new project work, and daily reputation-building for those companies. The contacts can bring in consistent sales through referrals. These contacts become champions for your company’s growth, and growth equates to revenue. Increased revenue is a clear value-add.

Talent makes your company resource-rich. Whether you have employees, subcontractors or freelancers, that talent pool of team members can go through a rubric and be evaluated at the end of each project to make sure they are bringing value to your company and your clients. Companies today can also leverage talent across the globe, so that your team members can include some of the best and brightest minds from anywhere they currently are located. You may need reminders that if you want to see value in that talent pool, you have to remove yourself from that pool. Your job, on top of running day-to-day operations, is to grow your company and bring in amazing talent to do the work. This is the hardest idea to implement, but the real value lies in the team you build to serve your customers.

Leadership makes your company progress. One of the ways a member of the executive team can increase the company’s value is by being a thought-leader

and expert in their respective industry. A leadership role can be demonstrated in different ways, including providing expert advice, mentorship of upand-coming individuals, teaching or lecturing at an industry event, and volunteering for a board position with an industry panel or association. For example, are there voluntary board positions in your industry associations or at universities in your area where you can help mentor and guide the next group of professionals entering the industry? This experience of working with rising talent will help you become a better leader and more in tune with emerging issues. Leaders can also prompt discussions around these issues, leading to the industry doing better in the long run. Take stock in the non-monetary value that you already have put into your company. Your organization is more than just your bottom line – it includes intangible assets that have made your company what it is today. All the experience and relationships you bring to the equation are unique to you and your company, and more valuable than you may think. n

About the Author: Lisa Apolinski is an international speaker, digital strategist, author and founder of 3 Dog Write. She works with companies to develop and share their message using digital assets. Her latest book, Persuade With A Digital Content Story, is available on Amazon. For information on her agency’s digital services, visit 3DogWrite.com.

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Four Golden Rings to Re-Branding By Dan Stockdale

veryone is re-branding their business … new logos, new slogans, new business cards … the list goes on. But why are you “rebranding” in the first place? The tens of thousands of dollars being spent are meaningless unless:

the specific needs of your organization. And the “specific needs of your organization” must be catalyzed with how your customers conceive their experience. As you consider re-branding, here are the Four Golden Rings you can wrap your hands around:

1. you have a firm grasp of what it really means to ‘brand’ and,

Gold Ring #1 Branding

2. the “rebranding” isn’t founded on reimagining the customer experience.

Who are you? Knowing who you are – and more importantly, who others think you are – plays a huge role in the success of any business. It’s the essence of branding: who … are … you? Do you know how you’re truly known in your community? What are your stakeholders saying to each other privately in their text messages? In their DMs? How about in your sphere of influence? What do people really know about

So, what is re-branding? You will find a plethora of definitions across the internet but the truth is, it’s like trying to wrap your hands around a loose glob of gelatin. It’s a slippery, yet submissive form-changing concept. Yes, it may include new logos and marketing collaterals, but the brand is an individualized fusion of varying elements based upon 42

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you and how your business operates? You can bet they’re saying something; but do you know what that “something” is? It’s vital to the health and success of your business that you understand not only who you are, but what you’re actually selling. You’re not selling a product or service. If that’s what you think, your success will be forever stunted. The net result of every element of your operation is a metric and is easily identified by your percentage of market share in your PMA (Primary Market Area). Read that again, more slowly if necessary. … but we are in a recession …but our market has changed …but there was a global pandemic …but our industry had a fundamental shift …but interest rates increased …it doesn’t matter. Didn’t like that answer? Sorry, it’s the truth.

Gold Ring #2 Automate Hey folks, it’s the 21st century! We’ve been sending people to the moon for 50 years – half a century. Yet, most leaders aren’t utilizing the available technology that tells us how long a customer has been on hold. We have automated our phones to the point it is rare to have a human answer the phone when they are calling your business … to give you money! Not to mention, many organizations have team members scurrying about taking care of customers. Then, someone at corporate raises concern because a mystery shopper called and “the phones aren’t being answered in three rings.” Yet, the same office pushes efficiency beyond realistic expectations. As leaders, we must take appropriate and full advantage of all the available advancements in technology – technology that would benefit not only your customers and other stakeholders, but which also ultimately benefits staff burnout and turnover, as well as your bottom line. So, where do you begin repairing and realigning your original mission? After looking at the tools you have for your team, you must then consider your staff.

down in “mire,” the ones whose laziness or negativity is keeping your company from achieving the utmost potential. They foist their misery on others, like your team members and even worse, your customers. You’re a leader. Leaders take action. True leaders aren’t hesitant about using their critical thinking skills to make decisions that quickly lead to accomplishment. That means seeking out individuals who do not fit your newly envisioned culture, and rapidly walking them through your entire disciplinary

from the smallest department with the greatest impact. Other tactics that advance improvements within your company should include community involvement, as that creates “top of mind” awareness. Reach out to schools, dance studios, community choirs and theaters, anyone who can help you enhance the environment for your team members and customers. A critically important component of a totally successful, off-the-charts profitable company is the leaders. Leaders have true compassion. They will take the blame in a heartbeat. They know how to say “I’m sorry” and they do so. They truly value the input of their team, and beyond valuing the input, they implement it. Quit micromanaging your team. There’s no place for a pompous ass at the top of any successful business, including yours.

It’s vital to the health and success of your business that you understand not only who you are, but what you’re actually selling.

Gold Ring #3 Hire the fire. Fire the mire. Hire the fire: what does that mean, exactly? It means you should seek out and hire the individuals who show you the fire in their spirit – those who aren’t afraid to step up and take action when it’s called for. Fire the mire? Huh? This means don’t be afraid to get rid of the ones who are miring your organization

process. Rapidly means, fast! Once you’ve “fired the mire,” moving forward, you will only need to concern yourself with hiring the fire. Get that part right and you’ll have no “mire” to fire.

Gold Ring #4 Overlap & Overtures An important concept for you and your staff to embrace is that everyone is either part of the problem and/ or part of the solution. From the top leadership position to the “janitor” … so yes, this even includes you, the esteemed leader. Yes, sometimes you have to be detached enough to realize you are the problem. Ouch. So, how do you begin? In the same way you eat an elephant: one bite at a time. You overhaul your organization one department at a time, starting

Conclusion:

So, engage your gears to really explore who you are as an employee and as a company. Then, you can begin the journey of identifying how your customers perceive you and how their perception aligns with your goals and vision. Only then do you have the information you need to initiate a branding or rebranding experience. Know what branding is, and also understand what it isn’t. Understand the customer experience as it relates to you and your company. Give serious thought to whether or not your vision is the same as the customer’s perception. Then and only then are you ready to take the plunge into redefining and reimagining your brand. ■

About the Author: Dan Stockdale is a consultant whose passion for the customer experience and branding are unmatched. His clients include startups to multi-billion-dollar organizations. He is a PhD candidate in business, earned an MA in corporate communication and a BA with an emphasis in organizational psychology. Dan has appeared on Fox News, CNN, Fox Business Channel, New York Times and many others. He can be reached at dan@dan.ceo.

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You Are a Leader … Whether you know it or not. Whether you want to be one or not. by Jim Bouchard

You inspire people – whether you know it or not. You guide people – whether you want to or not. You empower people, sometimes even if you’re not trying to.

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hat is your definition of “leader?” Before you go any further, let’s see if you’re singing in harmony – if not, there’s no point in pursuing this venture any further. Here’s the definition adopted for this article. Let’s see if you fundamentally agree … A leader is simply someone with the ability to attract WILLING followers. And again, whether you know it or not or whether you’re willing or not, there are people who follow your lead of their own free will. The best leaders are people with the will to serve their followers and give them the tools they need to make their lives better.

Something else we should make clear is that you need no specific number of followers to be a leader; you can lead one or you can lead millions. And you can change the world for the better or cause incredible damage by your influence on just one person.

Leadership is a responsibility. And it’s a responsibility we all share. What defines us as leaders is whether or not we choose to accept or attempt to shirk our responsibility – and in which direction we decide to lead. Let’s dig a little deeper into the fundamentals. These are the Essential Disciplines of the Leader:

Inspire You touch other people’s hearts, whether you know it or not and whether you want to or not. You can inspire love or fear. You can make someone’s heart or break it. If you’ve been on this planet for any significant time, you’ve probably done both. Empower You give people tools. Again, whether you know it or want to, you share many things with people. One of the most important ways to empower others is to encourage them––and you do. The bigger question is what, exactly, are you encouraging others to do? Guide You show the way – through your words, your actions, and who you choose to take under your wing. It’s a fact. Someone looks to you for guidance whether you know it or not, whether you choose to or not. Where are you guiding them?

You are a leader. You might not be the boss. That’s the excuse heard most often by people who still hesitate or even refuse to accept that they are leaders. That excuse supports the toughest argument still faced when trying to change people’s minds about leadership. The plain fact is that some people cling to one or more of the following beliefs:

Leaders are born – not made. Not everyone is cut out to be a leader. Everyone can’t be the leader. There are too many leaders and not enough followers. First of all, you might not be the boss. Leadership has nothing to do with rank, title or position of authority. It has to do with how you Inspire, Empower and Guide others. Everyone knows tremendous leaders who have no title or rank. These people usually have little power or authority in the traditional sense, but they have influence. They inspire, empower and guide people – sometimes even those

What defines us as leaders is whether or not we choose to accept or attempt to shirk our responsibility – and in which direction we decide to lead. at the top. If you doubt that, watch “Undercover Boss” sometime. And of course, you all know people with incredible power and authority who just plain suck as leaders. You all know people who have the rank or the title but little or no respect, trust or loyalty from the people “below” them.

Let’s address some of those excuses: Leaders are born. In fact, everyone is a born leader. Many of the mental health issues faced are due to a significant degree of the real or perceived inability to influence others at any given time. If you don’t make a difference in other people’s lives, you do not feel healthy. Having said that, while everyone is born into this legacy of leadership, it takes a lot of work to be a good leader. And for the best leaders, this work never ends. The most effective leaders are those who accept that perfection is not a destination, but a never-ending process. The best-of-the-best are obsessed with continual self-improvement as leaders and as people. But “everyone can’t be the leader.” This one can get a little complicated. The traditional model of command and control is dead. It is now understood that the roles of leader and

follower are not fixed positions, but rather, dynamic roles. In the aforementioned self-directed teams, people flow back and forth in these roles seamlessly depending on the situation and the talents, skills and experience needed to take charge or manage decisions at any given time. Everyone can’t be “the” leader. But anyone can be “the leader” in the right situation. Some will still say that there are too many leaders. Leaders are people who Inspire, Empower and Guide others to be their very best – people like you. We can never have enough. ■

About the Author: Jim Bouchard is an internationally recognized speaker, Leadership Activist and founder of The SENSEI LEADER Movement™. He’s the author of eight leadership books and hosts “Walking The Walk”, a podcast highlighting compassionate, engaged leaders from all areas of business, diverse cultures and experiences. Jim’s programs are an inspirational and interactive exploration into the importance of human-centric leadership. To bring Jim to your organization or event, visit ArmstrongSpeakers.com.

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By Gra

igital branding is something that everyone needs to master, but few get right. Despite this, today’s entrepreneur must dive into the murky Internet marketplace … or sink their own ship. These are the techniques I used to build a following of over eight MILLION people – then, in turn, blow up my business. The term “digital branding” sounds broad and complicated. While it does cover a spectrum of activities, it is not as confusing as people make it out to be. Once you nail down the fundamentals of this branded content marketing technique, you just have to be consistent to win. However, some of you – especially veteran business owners – are resistant to investing time into this effort. Trust me, I felt the same way. But waiting to implement digital branding

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nt Car

done

was the biggest mistake I made in my business. AND IT ALMOST COST ME EVERYTHING! I’ll tell you that story in just a moment. For now, let me make the argument as to why you must establish your online presence as soon as possible.

That’s the upside of great online brand positioning. But it would be negligent of me to not tell you the danger you’ll be in by failing to take this seriously. Better yet, let me show you how obscurity and “getting comfortable” almost caused my downfall.

Why You Need Digital Branding

How I Got Into Social Media … At Age 50!

The fact of the matter is that everyone needs digital branding, whether they own a company or not. This is because how far you go in life depends on being known. That is why the old saying, “It’s who you know,” isn’t quite right. It is how MANY people know you! An effective digital marketing strategy helps you reach your target audience and the entire world. In other words, your business’s expansion and revenue become limitless.

Unlike most of you, I did not grow up with the Internet or social media. To be honest, I didn’t put too much stock in it. It wasn’t until disaster struck that I had to give digital branding a second look. I was 50 years old at the time, by the way. Middle age is not the ideal time to start learning new tricks, but I had no choice. You see, I had achieved a moderate level of success with a niche customer base. Specifically, I presented

made: I was reliant on one industry, and not enough people knew me. Then, a colleague told me about a place online where I could get my message out to millions of people for free: it was called YouTube – and I was allowed to “post” my message as much as I wanted. From there, I made it my No. 1 priority to have a massive social media presence. And, that is what turned everything around. The rest, as they say, is history. That being said, I didn’t go viral immediately. I started the same way everyone else does – with zero followers. The difference between me and everyone else is that I had the mindset to persist for my digital branding to work. And, that is what you need to do for this strategy to work for you, as well.

Mindset for Digital Branding Success

live sales seminars for car dealerships across the country. Simultaneously, I had some real estate investments working in the background. The only problem was that I was a big fish in a small pond – and I didn’t realize it. I worked hard and did better than most. Both of those factors gave me a false sense of security. Until the economic crash of 2007 swept that all away in one fell swoop. My customers were paralyzed with fear, so they weren’t buying. The banks had frozen all of my real estate assets, so I had no cash flow. On top of that, my wife Elena was pregnant with our first daughter. I thought this meant we were going to die, but my wife snapped me out of it and told me I had to figure it out. After some time spent sulking in my office, I realized the huge mistakes I had

Like I mentioned earlier, I went all-in on self-promotion because I was in do-or-die circumstances. As a result, I had a much different outlook than the majority of social media users out there. See, most of you think that if there aren’t a lot of likes, comments, etc., your post is a failure. In contrast, I saw and still see all engagement – in any amount, on any platform – as a score. The reality is that digital branding is

a long game. It takes frequency and consistency over extended periods before you get traction. With this in mind, you must count everything as a win – especially in the beginning. Otherwise, you won’t keep up the momentum. Nevertheless, there is another aspect to this mindset that is crucial for you to adopt. You gotta shake this idea that you are hitting these channels too much or too often. This is the opposite of how social media gurus and influencers will advise you. However, this practice is the only way to break through the noise in the marketplace. Now that you’ve got a growth mindset instead of a fixed mindset, we can get to the specifics of developing your brand.

Find & Define Your Identity FIRST Before digging into digital marketing strategies, you must be crystal clear about who you are – as an individual and as a business. Digital branding is an extension of yourself. So you need certainty about your message and core values first. Whether you have established both or haven’t even thought about it, you should revisit and refine them often. After all, your brand should grow with you and your business. Take the time to nail down your brand voice, values and story. Often those come from your life experiences which, in turn, makes you attractive to like-minded people – AKA →

Feature potential customers. With that in mind, let’s talk about finding a great audience in the digital world.

determine who else can you get your products in front of.

Who Are You Trying to Reach?

Customer loyalty is great – until it ain’t. Like in my story earlier, relying on a specific customer base is like relying on one type of income stream. It’s stupid and puts you and your family at risk. There are over 8 billion people in the world. I promise you won’t ever run out of people to market to and who could benefit from your offers. You may have to repackage, adjust or rewrite the messaging; but there is no shortage of customers. In short, you must be creative. And that creativity will become easier, the more committed you are. On that note, I’ll show you how to build branded content that engages customers, new and old alike.

Any kind of brand awareness campaign is reliant on knowing who your target customers are. If you’ve accurately clarified your brand’s mission, this action should be fairly easy. That’s because there are clues within brand messaging for how to communicate with your target audience. So, start looking at things from this potential buyer’s viewpoint. Think about: • What problems do they have? • The ads/posts they would be interested in, • The types of objections they may have. You gotta know who you’re talking to if you’re ever going to close the deal – in person or online. That being said, it is also important to understand the ins and outs of each digital platform.

What Do You Want from EACH Platform? It is not enough to be able to resonate with future clients. You also need to predict how they interact with social media. Now, you might be wondering what that looks like, exactly. This is the point where you combine the data from the sections above with the purpose of the various platforms. See, Joe Customer is going to present himself differently on LinkedIn than he will on his Instagram or Facebook accounts. I can guarantee that on TikTok, he will be unrecognizable. But, you have to be able to sell to Joe in whatever digital space he runs into you. For that reason, research the “personalities” of these social media outlets and adjust your posts to fit the dynamic. Doing this will already put you leagues above the competition. Still, you don’t want to compete … You want to dominate. The best way to do that is to

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How Can You Expand Your Audience?

Creating Strong Digital Branding Content Now, we are at the part you’ve all been waiting for: how to create the posts that will make a mark on the digital space. This is where all the work you put into the previous exercises begins to pay off. Why?

Because people won’t always spend on what they need, but they will always find money for what they want. For that reason, understanding your prospective buyers’ point of view will guide your content. We will discuss every type of social media post you can create; but, all of them are going to do three things: • Provide value, • Create goodwill, and • Make an offer. For example, let’s say you own a health food store. You could educate followers on social media about the benefits of nutritional supplements or superfoods (value). Then, speak on how you have knowledgeable staff who can help guide customers to the right product based on their specific needs (goodwill). And after these, the post will wrap up with a call to action for them to visit your store or order online (making an offer). Are you getting the idea? Great! Next month, I’ll walk you through the nuts and bolts of getting this valuable content online. ■

WAITING TO IMPLEMENT DIGITAL BRANDING WAS THE BIGGEST MISTAKE I MADE IN MY BUSINESS ... AND IT ALMOST COST ME EVERYTHING! About the Author: Grant Cardone is a New York Times bestselling author, the No. 1 sales trainer in the world, and an internationally renowned speaker on leadership, real estate investing, entrepreneurship, social media and finance. His companies have annual revenues exceeding $100 million. Forbes named Mr. Cardone #1 of the “25 Marketing Influencers to Watch in 2017.” He regularly appears on Fox News, Fox Business, and MSNBC, and writes for Forbes, Success Magazine, Business Insider, CNBC, and Entrepreneur. He urges his followers and clients to make success their duty, responsibility and obligation. He currently resides in South Florida with his wife and two daughters.

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What To Do About Burnout When You’re Not Burned Out 3 Ways To Keep Burnout From Spreading Like Wildfire

urnout is impacting every company, position and industry. With 90% of the workforce experiencing burnout in the last year, you can no longer afford to ignore this epidemic. It’s affecting teams, leaders and the whole organization … even you. Even if you’re not the one in burnout, it still impacts you.

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Think of it this way. How do you feel in the morning when you don’t get quality sleep the night before? Grumpy? Groggy? Foggy? Impatient, irritable, unfocused? Lack of sleep impacts your perspective, attitude, how you respond to others and how you react to situations. The same thing happens with burnout. It doesn’t stay self-contained.

When a team member – let’s call her Burnout Betty – has burnout, it impacts how she leads, communicates, listens, focuses, thinks, interacts, her behaviors, energy, mood and disposition. It literally impacts everything. When one person is in burnout, it also trickles out to others, because burned out people burn others out.

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By Jessica Rector

Even if you don’t have burnout, you’re being impacted by it when someone else has it or is on the brink of it. Even if you don’t have burnout, you’re being impacted by it when someone else has it or is on the brink of it. You have the power to do something about it. What can you do? START A DIALOGUE. Talking about burnout is the best place to start. Even though it is rampant in the workforce, there’s still some stigma around burnout. People who admit they have it often fear what others will think, do or say. Will my leaders think I can’t do my job? Will they take away responsibilities or lose trust in me? If Burnout Betty (BB) isn’t focused, she becomes distracted, unproductive and makes more errors. She will do the same work multiple times, miss deadlines or forget to meet a client. Those are best case scenarios. BB will easily cut corners that possibly lead to cybersecurity attacks, safety issues and injuries. When BB misses deadlines, makes mistakes or has to redo work, how does that impact you? You might have to stay longer, do some of her work, or maybe your work gets pushed back waiting on her to get her part to you, which means missing dinner with your family, being absent from your kids’ activities, or not meeting your own deadlines.

it reduces this stigma. In the process, you allow others who are experiencing it to not feel alone and to know that someone, somewhere, gets it and understands. You create a safe place of compassion and empathy. This lets others know it’s okay to feel burned out. You can still love your job and be burned out. CREATE AWARENESS AROUND BURNOUT. Burnout doesn’t discriminate. It’s impacting your people. The more your team knows what to look for

and what to do to prevent it, the less likely they will find themselves in it. Develop a keen eye, because you can’t change something you aren’t aware exists. Since burnout impacts mental health, Burnout Betty is easily frustrated or irritable, making it harder to communicate or interact with her, because others don’t want her mood to affect them. One Burnout Betty, Negative Nancy or Toxic Tim can bring a dynamic team to a halt. Talking to BB can leave the most positive person in a negative state, because she doesn’t listen or she’s in a bad mood. So, every conversation with BB takes longer than it should, which means less time for you to tend to your daily tasks. Build a task force of people who want to be the eyes and ears in your organization in regards to burnout. They can gather information, ask questions of BB and other team members, and start creating a strategy to combat this epidemic. Then, they can take the information they gather and do something now to help them prevent it. →

LEAN INTO YOUR STORYTELLING SKILLS. Share your burnout story with BB – when you were in it, what led to burnout in your life, and the strategies you implemented to move past it. When people are in burnout, they tend to pull away and isolate themselves. When you tell your burnout story, they will start to engage. The more you talk about burnout, the more 51

Feature This allows BB to know that she is being heard and understood and that she matters. One of the biggest qualities people want in their employer is to know they matter. When BB knows she matters, she feels supported, knowing she will get the help she needs to combat burnout. Hint: Time off is great, but vacation won’t cure burnout. Once you create awareness around it, share with your people day-to-day strategies that work to help alleviate burnout. IMPLEMENT A BURNOUT PROGRAM. This is the key, fundamental element. Talking about it is a great beginning, but it’s imperative to do more. The only way to prevent and address burnout is to be intentional and strategic with it. Workplace wellness programs aren’t enough; 97% of them don’t specifically address or help with burnout, which is also why 80% of 52

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employees aren’t actively involved in wellness programs. As a leader, you have to do your part to help your people with burnout. If you want long-term results, your organization MUST implement a continual program (not a one and done) to help people like Burnout Betty deal with burnout and others to prevent it. A long-term strategy is where the magic happens with burnout. Burnout is a slow crawl, and working through it is multi-layered. Whether it’s an online course, bootcamp or Train the Trainer certification, burnout training is no longer a “nice to have.” It’s imperative if your company wants to keep its top talent and create a happy, thriving workplace and culture. The most successful burnout programs have these key components: accountability, support, encouragement and Q&A. Burnout doesn’t go away on its own. With most industries incurring staff

When one person is in burnout, it also trickles out to others, because burned out people burn others out. shortages, it’s up to you, as a leader, to invest in your people if you want to keep them. Since the No. 1 reason why people leave organizations is due to burnout, it’s a huge opportunity for you to end the burnout epidemic by

starting the dialogue, creating awareness and implementing a burnout program in your company. It’s a win-win for everyone. What will you do to help your people end burnout? ■

About the Author Jessica Rector, MBA, author of the No. 1 best-selling Blaze Your Brain to Extinguish Burnout and nine other books, helps organizations, leaders and teams Say Yes to eradicate burnout and enhance mental health. As a burnout trailblazer, her research is used in her consulting and speaking and often shared on her podcast, “The Say Yes Experience.” For how Jessica can help your organization and team, go to jessicarector.com.

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Are You Treating Yourself or CHEATING Yourself? By Grant Cardone

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you’re just itching to get rid of, resist any people are convinced that wouldn’t be where I am today. the temptation to spend it on an exotic treating themselves with a splurge When you keep making excuses to car because guess what? It doesn’t purchase here and there will morelax or put money toward things you matter. Nobody is going to care whether tivate them to accomplish their goals. know you don’t need, all you do is rob or not you drive the most expensive cars I get it – everyone wants to wear the yourself of future opportunities for and wear the finest clothes. They will “LV” on their belts and everyone wants wealth, connection and mobility. care that you have created to spend money to acquire lasting legacy of success nice things. But many people Pay The Price Now to Pay Treating yourself awithin your company and would be surprised to realize ANY Price Tomorrow can actually be a your family. that this habit is not going to We all want to get rich quickly. get you anywhere. However, creating your legacy means detriment to your Instead of spending your In fact, treating yourself hard work and sacrificing short-term progress toward hard-earned cash on things that are going to do nothing can actually be a detriment to satisfaction for a lifetime of success. So achieving finan- for you, utilize those funds to your progress toward achiev… Do you still need to buy yourself that cial freedom. create a steady cash flow and ing financial freedom. expensive watch? Or, are you finally invest in yourself. willing to make that sacrifice and start Treating yourself is nice when it’s setting up the life you know you’re Is Treating Yourself your birthday, but I’m going to be meant to have? REALLY Helping You? honest with you … if all I cared about Just a fair warning: The latter option Now, I’m not going to tell you that when working was what I was going might include less “treating yourself.”■ spending money is a bad thing. You to do next to treat myself, I definitely need to spend money to take care of yourself and your family. But when you About the Author: keep making excuses to spend more Grant Cardone is a New York Times bestselling author, the No. 1 sales trainer in the money on things you don’t need, or call world, and an internationally renowned speaker on leadership, real estate investing, entrepreneurship, social media and finance. His companies have annual revenues out of work or stay in bed longer – all exceeding $100 million. Forbes named Mr. Cardone #1 of the “25 Marketing Influencyou’re doing is justifying behaviors that ers to Watch in 2017.” He regularly appears on Fox News, Fox Business, and MSNBC, are doing nothing but hold you back and writes for Forbes, Success Magazine, Business Insider, CNBC, and Entrepreneur. He urges his folfrom reaching your highest potential. lowers and clients to make success their duty, responsibility and obligation. He currently resides in South When you do have extra cash that Florida with his wife and two daughters.

Does Your Team Know Their ABCs? By Joe Schuster

have instructed indoor tanning certification courses for many years – some of you may have been in one of my classes. I love spreading the “good word” about controlled, moderate UV exposures offered at professional salons. I typically start by asking the class to explain the tanning process or, “how do we obtain a tan?” As these classes start early in the morning, I’ve been met with several “deer in the headlights” looks as trainees contemplate how to best explain this. Some toss out “UVB this” and “UVA that” or something about the “tanning ray vs the burning ray.” One of the classic answers came after I pleaded, “Could someone, ANYONE please provide an answer?” After no one in the room dared give it a shot, one salon owner offered her own explanation. “How do we obtain a tan? Well Joe, we tan NAKED!” Well, there you have it. If it was only that easy to explain ... Let’s start with the basic biology. The skin consists of three distinct, thin and separate layers: epidermis, dermis and subcutaneous. The epidermis is the outer (top) layer. The dermis (corium) is the thickest; a subcutaneous (deepest) layer of fatty tissue that acts as a “cushion” for

underlying tissue and insulating the body from heat and cold. When it comes to stimulating melanocytes (tanning cells) in the dermis layer, UVB rays are the most efficient. Your skin can’t make more melanin, but the cells can be stimulated. In a tanning system fitted with low-pressure UV lamps, the key is to emit just enough UVB to stimulate melanocytes. Once stimulated, they begin to rise to the surface of the

epidermis. UVA then oxidizes the rising melanocyte cells, changing their color from pink to brownish. NOTE: UVA and UVB rays emitted by a tanning lamp do not have sufficient energy to penetrate past the subcutaneous skin layer. For years, an urban myth purported that a young girl “fried her internal organs” with five or six UV sessions in one day. Depending upon the version

of the tale, she was trying to get a tan before her prom or a wedding. If it had any authenticity, an investigation of this story would have certainly been given voluminous media attention. The myth may have gained traction from the 2006 movie, “Final Destination 3” in which two young girls seek a sunbed tan and haphazardly place a drink on a ledge which begins to drip moisture, shorting out an electrical box that (somehow) rapidly increases the sunbed voltage and heat in the room. They (somehow) get locked in the sunbeds (okay). The voltage and heat continue to increase and (shocker) … “fries” their skin off! I’m sure many movie-goers were thinking, “I KNEW that could happen!” But I digress. Perhaps the easiest way to explain the process is this: In a low-pressure tanning system, UVA and UVB are emitted in a precise combination. UVB stimulates melanocytes to migrate through the epidermis (top skin layer). Once stimulated, the melanin cells begin to rise to the skin’s surface where UVA oxidizes them and turns them brown. The result? A cosmetic tan. This factual info also dispels the notion or myth purporting that a pregnant woman can “microwave” her unborn child during a sunbed session. Sunlamps emit ZERO microwave radiation. Wanna test this statement? Toss a piece of raw chicken on a sunbed, turn it on for a typical session time and let me know what happens! When it comes to getting the facts about tanning, look to Sun is Life®! ■

Sun is Life® is the industry’s leading tanning salon operator training program. Developed by industry professionals for industry professionals. We offer you and your staff the tools to elevate your team’s level of professionalism, and increase your conﬁdence in both providing and promoting responsible tanning.

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Contributors

IST has the experts! Grant Cardone

CARDONEZONE A New York Times bestselling author, the No. 1 sales trainer in the world, and an internationally renowned speaker on leadership, real estate investing, entrepreneurship, social media and finance. His companies have annual revenues exceeding $100 million. Forbes named Mr. Cardone #1 of the “25 Marketing Influencers to Watch in 2017.” He regularly appears on Fox News, Fox Business, and MSNBC, and writes for Forbes, Success Magazine, Business Insider, CNBC, and Entrepreneur. He urges his followers and clients to make success their duty, responsibility and obligation. He currently resides in South Florida with his wife and two daughters.

Melissa Damiani

SUNLYNC SOFTWARE, INC. Melissa Damiani is the Sales Manager of SunLync Software, Inc. a member of the JK-North America group of companies. With the company since 2002, Melissa has served the organization in several capacities, and has extensive knowledge of all aspects required to deliver robust salon management software solutions that are designed to enable measurable growth within its users’ ever-evolving business models.

Jerry Deveney

SUNFORCE MARKETING, INC.

Jerry Deveney is the President of SunForce Marketing, Inc. He has been actively involved in the tanning, spa, wellness and fitness industries for more than 30 years. His company provides business analysis and consulting services in the areas of sales, marketing and operations. Jerry has worked in almost every industry sector including salon management, equipment manufacturing and distribution, new product development, regulatory affairs, and sales & marketing.

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Gary Lipman

ERGOLINE-UK, ERGOLINE PLUS In the tanning industry since 1982, Gary is Managing Director of the UK subsidiary of Ergoline, and runs Ergoline Plus, the exclusive distributor for a wide range of sunless products and spray systems. He is also Chairman of the Media Committee for the UK’s Sunbed Association & a European Sunlight Association member.

Lisa Saavedra DEVOTED CREATIONS

As Director of Brand Development for Devoted Creations’ family of brands, Lisa brings 18 years of industry experience, knowledge and enthusiasm to all aspects of the business, including social media, product development, training, customer relations, public speaking and marketing strategies. Lisa worked at the salon level managing a large chain of salons, which infuses her sales training and brand concepts with real world experience. Lisa has been chosen the IST Magazine “Person of the Year” five times.

Joe Schuster

SUN IS LIFE® An industry veteran and consultant, Joe has taught salon operator training since 1995 and has served as an advocate for indoor tanning in many capacities. A sought-after speaker and presenter at both national and regional trade events, he also interacts with the FDA, state and local regulatory agencies. Joe is director of Sun is Life Training & Certification.

Distributors

Leif Vasstrom

SUPRA Industry veteran Leif Vasstrom founded Napa, CA-based Supra Brands Group in 2004, and has been at the forefront of sunlamp innovation since 1978. He opened the first tanning salon in NYC on Madison Avenue in 1978. In 1985, his company designed the Breeze Salon Software and business management program, acquired by SunLync in 2003. He launched the Silver Solarium equipment line in 1978, and Dr. Müller systems in 1993. In 1986, he helped start Applied Digital (T-Max). In 2011, Supra acquired industry forum tantoday.com as a means to further the message about the positive aspects of moderate UV exposure.

Four Seasons Sales & Service, Inc. 2350 Lakeway Cir. Paris, TN 38242

800.325.2769

SALES@FSTANNING.COM FSTANNING.COM

MECOTEC US, Inc. Alex Zeedyk DEVOTED CREATIONS

A recent University of South Florida grad, Alex holds a degree in Marketing. She started as an intern in 2021 and has since transitioned into the role of Client Relations and Social Media Specialist. With over five years of experience working in salons, she has real-world knowledge that combines with a passion for skincare and products. Alex works closely with the company’s product distribution network and 5 Star Diamond Salons to provide the support they have grown to expect from DC.

1007 S. Murray Avenue Anderson, SC 29624

833.632.6832 MECOTEC.NET

Suntan Supply 35350 Chester Rd. Avon, OH 44011

440.937.7775

INFO@SUNTANSUPPLY.ORG SUNTANSUPPLY.ORG

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