Franchising with Mandy Rowe

by Elizabeth Denham

Mandy Rowe was bitten by the franchise bug seven years ago and will not be satisfied until everyone has experienced the healing powers of floating. As a part of TrueREST Franchising, she oversees franchise development and is a dedicated floater.

“Until everyone knows about floating, my job is not done,” Rowe said. “The first time I ever experienced floating was when I lived in Nashville, and it was a profound experience. I had never experienced sensory deprivation in that way – it is so dark you can’t see your hand in front of you face. It is jarring at first, but once you try it, you want to do it again.”

Rowe joined her father’s team at TrueREST Franchising seven years ago after working in Nashville in property management after college. Her father, James Rowe, is TrueREST’s CEO and has worked as a franchisee, a regional director and master franchisor with brands such as Help-U-Sell Real Estate, Healthy Inspirations and Dogtopia.

When they began working together, there were a few kinks to work through in the beginning, but it has been smooth sailing ever since.

“I am my father. I am his exact replica,” she said. “So, the first year was a challenge. It was a bit contentious at first, but we knew we were symbiotic. He knows what he knows, and he knows what I can do. We haven’t missed a beat since that first year. He was the voice of the franchise, and now I am the face of it.”

With her mother managing the corporate stores and her brother, a recent college graduate, joining the real estate side of things, it is truly a family business.

“My dad instilled the value of compete transparency in our business,” Rowe explained. “We give that to each other. There are no doors on our offices, and we can look over each other’s shoulders at any time. And no one gets in trouble for asking questions or voicing opinions.

One thing Mandy Rowe has brought to the business is the passion and social influence of her generation. She has built quite a following on TikTok and continues to grow it. With more than 170,000 followers, and 7.9 million likes, she uses the platform to gain brand awareness and build the business.

“It’s a lot of fun to make the videos,” she said. “We show the pods, we show the rooms, we answer questions. People are really into it!”

After graduating with a degree in economics from Vanderbilt University, Rowe said she always knew she wanted to go into business.

“All of the personality and aptitudes test show that I should be an entrepreneur. I am one with vision, but not as great at getting things done…so I am a delegator versus an implementor,” she said. “And I love the health and wellness sector. I have found a whole different kind of fulfillment with TrueREST that I didn’t even know I needed.”

The Future in Franchising

Rowe has lofty goals for the next phase of her career. TrueREST has 39 open locations today. She would like to see 50 more next year, and 100 in five years. She would also like to be on the top 20 list of franchises in Entrepreneur and wants to rise to CEO of the company before she is 40.

“The goal of the founder of our company, Nick Janicki, was to float one million people,” Rowe added. “In September, we hit 600,000. So, I think we will make it!” She also has a passion for helping women in business, and she believes franchising is a great way for women to become business owners.

“It is extremely empowering to be in this space,” Rowe commented. “It is so much fun! My favorite part, other than floating, is working with franchises. A lot of times women miss out on the opportunity for business ownership because they don’t know about franchising. I think any woman who wants to be in charge of her income and career, not just as a franchisor, but as a franchisee, can pretty easily fulfill her passion and find a franchise to do it. She can have someone holding her hand and be up there with the big boys pretty quickly. I am seeing women do it in TrueREST, and I just love it.”

What is Float Therapy?

True REST® (Reduced Environmental Stimulus Therapy) is a zero-gravity environment that allows the mind and body to completely let go, relax, and reset. Using 1,000 pounds of Epsom Salts, the buoyancy of the water makes floating on water feel like floating on air. By eliminating the forces of gravity pulling on the musculoskeletal and nervous systems, you can relieve pain, relax, recover and improve sleep.

Flotation therapy (aka sensory deprivation) offers relief and benefits which are cumulative—they build on themselves with each subsequent session. Though flotation is an “effortless” therapy, the body and mind actually learn how to relax into the float with each session. Stress, tension and pain have formed over time and will take some time to experience the greatest relief.

Until everyone knows about floating, my job is not done.

For more information, visit https://www.truerestfranchising.com/.