Lauren Robinson's Dedication to Training and Details Helps Chain Succeed

BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA, UNITED STATES, July 6, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The devil is in the details. Just ask Lauren Robinson, Vice President of Corporate Training for L.A. Bikini, the franchise concept that combines a novel “sugaring” hair removal technique with a forward-thinking business model.

Sugaring uses an all-natural sugar paste formulation to remove unwanted hair in a natural way without the harsh chemicals used in the outdated hot-wax Brazilian. Sugaring is a healthier, less painful way to remove hair that also inhibits hair growth, all of which helps to achieve the smoothest skin possible – and a loyal following.

The 36-year-old Robinson has been with L.A. Bikini since it was founded in 2013 by Clay Haley. L.A. Bikini is in growth mode since it began franchising in 2015. It already has locations in seven states, and its ambitious growth plan calls for having 100 studios open across the country by 2027, eventually expanding to more than 300 locations.

While using sugar to remove unwanted body hair is actually an ancient technique, it took L.A. Bikini to find a niche with the unique service and help it stand out in a competitive industry with little differentiation. L.A. Bikini offers a forward-thinking business model combined with state-of-the-art technology; smaller, more efficient studio footprints that result in lower operating costs and fewer employees; and unique membership models that give customers special perks and savings with only a short-term commitment.

“We haven’t even reached the tip of the iceberg in the business,” Robinson said. “One of my favorite things about our brand is that we only offer one service – 100 percent sugaring. Our top five services are the L.A. Bikini (our version of the Brazilian), lip, brow, chin and underarm. My motto is, ‘If you shave it, you should sugar it.’ I haven’t owned a razor in 12 years! I would like to see clients sugaring head to toe.”

Robinson’s responsibilities cover the gamut from handling training for new franchise owners and coordinating grand openings to working with branding and marketing companies and getting involved with even the smallest details such as approving uniform options. And those responsibilities only touch the surface of what Robinson does every day. Asked to describe her job and average day at work, Robinson filled an entire page and probably could have filled another.
But most importantly, Robinson has made sure she knows everything about the foundation of L.A. Bikini’s business: sugaring.

“After learning to sugar myself, I understood the frustrations from our initial training,” Robinson said. “L.A. Bikini uses a specialized technique, and it requires consistent practice to perfect it. I wanted to make sure we had a training program that set all our sugarists up for success. After each training I adjusted the training schedule and ended up creating 27 schedules to be exact! Our training ensures our sugarists have all the knowledge and techniques necessary to be successful at L.A. Bikini. We also have corporate educators reviewing and critiquing our sugarists’ techniques on a quarterly basis via Skype to ensure we maintain consistency throughout all our locations.”

Robinson first began working for L.A. Bikini founder Haley when he and a business partner owned a Massage Envy franchise in Birmingham. It was simply a part-time job for Robinson, who was finishing radiology school. Robinson had been there only two days and was working the front desk when Haley came in at the end of the day and took care of all the closing duties such as cleaning the bathrooms, breakroom, and vacuuming.

“I’m sure Clay doesn’t even remember it, but it made a huge impact. I saw that he genuinely cared about his staff,” Robinson said. “He did it because that’s the type of person he is, without realizing he was teaching others about true leadership. It showed everyone that they were working for someone who will appreciate them and be there when needed.”
Robinson eventually was asked to take on more responsibilities, and to no one’s surprise, she dove in headfirst and learned everything she could about the business. “I printed out every document and manual available. I created training binders for the clinic and began applying the information,” Robinson said. “I went from a part-time sales associate to multi-clinic manager responsible for overseeing operations in just six months.”

While owning two Massage Envy locations, Haley also dabbled in the waxing and tanning business during his business partnership. That’s when a colleague told Haley about sugaring. It was an immediate hit when he offered it at his studio, called Facelogic at the time.

“We offered sugaring to all our waxing clients as an upgrade. After just a short time, no one wanted to wax,” Robinson said. “So, Clay changed the name to L.A. Bikini. He did this as part of our branding and to help define not just our main service, but the goal was when clients heard L.A. Bikini they would think ‘sugar’ and when they heard Brazilian, they would think ‘wax.’”

At the same time, Robinson had finished radiology school when Haley asked her to join L.A. Bikini on a full-time basis. She couldn’t have been more prepared. “When I left Massage Envy I had converted both locations to ‘spas.’ We offered a menu of add-on services and retail product sales had quadrupled. I was able to take my knowledge from managing and operating those franchises and apply it to L.A. Bikini. There is a rhyme and reason for every operation we created and have outlined for the L.A. Bikini franchise model.”

The advantages of sugaring are many:
• Sugaring ingredients are 100 percent organic and performed at body temperature with no need for hot wax being applied to one’s skin. It is completely natural and water-soluble.
• Unlike waxing, sugar paste adheres only to hair, not skin, which means less pain.
• Sugar paste is removed in the natural direction of hair growth – in contrast to waxing, which removes hair against the grain – revealing skin that’s beautiful and silky instead of irritated or inflamed.

Rhonda Sanderson
SandersonPR
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