From spark to shine: entrepreneurial lessons from Glowbar’s Founder

Asking for money, trying to pitch an idea, growing that idea from the ground up: it’s not for the faint of heart. But every day, thousands of women with passion, dreams, and drive take a calculated risk and dive into the world of entrepreneurship. According to American Express female entrepreneurship statistics (2019), 1,817 new women-owned businesses are created each day in the U.S. Entrepreneurial women data also suggests that only half of all small businesses will survive their first 5 years and only one-third will make it to 10 years. As we celebrate Small Business Saturday, we look back at our conversation at Glowbar, where MBAchic had the exclusive opportunity to host our community at founder Rachel Liverman’s new Murray Hill location. MBAchic community members enjoyed mini-facials, mingling, bites, beverages, and an honest conversation about what it takes to launch an idea into a successful business.

About Glowbar

At Glowbar, each appointment is designed to be both personalized and standardized, eliminating the need for clients to make difficult choices. This approach was deliberate, rooted in the idea that in building a successful business, one must analyze the flaws within the industry and strive for improvement. With an overwhelming variety of options out there (and a lot of false advertising), founder, Liverman is on a mission to demystify skincare and focus on efficient, affordable, results-driven facials. It’s more than a passion for this entrepreneur, it’s basically in her DNA. She’s a third generation skincare pioneer – if you’re a skincare junkie you may have even heard of her grandmother Catherine Hinds, who founded the first accredited esthetics school in the country, the Catherine Hinds Institute of Esthetics – back in the 1970s. After struggling to find an accessible and trustworthy source for consistent facial treatments administered by expertly trained estheticians, Liverman decided to create one, and Glowbar was born. Her approach is all about boosting confidence and achieving skincare goals with clinical-grade facial treatments that eliminate menus and expensive add-ons.

Through developing facial treatments that are customized for each and every client, Glowbar tackles skin problems and in just 30 minutes to maximize time for the millions of other to-do’s in a day. Personalized treatments cater exclusively to each client, encompassing a wide array of services that range from dermaplaning and extractions to cavitation, high frequency, chemical peels, microcurrent, hydrating masks, and LED light therapy. Once a facial is booked, the client collaborates with their licensed esthetician to determine the most suitable treatment based on their unique skincare goals. Whether addressing hyperpigmentation or opting for dermaplaning, the estheticians guide clients in selecting the appropriate peel or mask from the back bar. This personalized consultation is especially vital for women, given the ever-changing nature of their skin due to hormonal fluctuations, dietary choices, and seasonal factors. 

Building a Business

Ask Liverman and she’ll tell you rule number one of building a business: you don’t ever do anything without asking for help from everyone and anyone. Raising her first million dollars to start her business required a huge leap of faith and a lot of learning. She consulted with past bosses, former coworkers who had started their own businesses, anyone who would listen to her idea and lend their perspective. At 30 years old, she started the process of raising capital, and now, eight locations later with a thriving business model, she still remembers the 66 Nos she received asking for that first round of funding.

“My whole philosophy is everyone you talk to can introduce you to one to a hundred people,” Liverman says. 

To create a bountiful and expansive network, entrepreneurs must be willing to put in the work by asking for introductions, whether through friends, family members, former colleagues, or former classmates. Even simply recognizing a connection on LinkedIn you’d like to make and asking a friend to introduce you can be the first step in a fruitful partnership, or it can open the doors to incredible, unforeseen opportunities. Following up about a scheduled meeting, expressing genuine interest in what they have to say, and showing gratitude for the new contact’s time is critical. Then you can explain your business plan or idea and always follow up with a thank you note. Nine times out of ten, Liverman says this approach will result in connections offering up another link who may be interested in learning more about your idea, creating gateways to hop on a call and broaden your network.

Liverman’s advice: “You don’t need to be the smartest, you don’t need to be the richest, you don’t need to be the prettiest. You don’t need to have any of that formula. You just have to have resilience. You have to just be able to send that email again and call that person again and pitch it again as if it’s your first time pitching this idea, selling it.”

With 66 Nos under her belt, she received positive responses from 30 investors, ranging from $2,000 investment checks to $180,000 checks, amassing to her first million.

Branding a Business

As MBAchic founder Jeneta Hot pointed out in our Glowbar live event, the Glowbar brand identity stands out for its bold, clean, punchy, chic style that evokes a sense of cleanliness — and branding takes research and methodical planning. At our event, we asked Liverman to get detailed about her own branding process from the start and how she plans on continuing to anchor the brand as she scales and grows.

As Liverman explained, her brand is in sync with her personal aesthetic, inspired by the beauty, fashion, people, and philosophies that inform her own life.

“This is what I love. I love clean, I love black and white with a pop of color,” Liverman says. “I used to wear this lipstick called Nars Heatwave; it’s the perfect orangey red, no one can make it better. So that was literally the inspiration for this Glowbar red color. Even Glowbar, the logo; my philosophy is all skin is good skin; it’s all imperfect, and we have to embrace that. So the tilted ‘O’ symbolizes things that are imperfect. The font has a little bit of an art deco feel because my grandmother is infused into this brand too.”

To further build out a brand, a successful team will need to first establish a mission, strong values, and clear tenets of the brand – which can evolve over time. The Glowbar team has a set of values that have grown over the past several years to help create a work culture that reflects the brand mission, standing for DOPEST: Driven, optimistic, problem-solving, enthusiastic, self-aware, and trustworthy.

Scaling a Business: Exciting & Challenging

MBAchic asked Liverman what has been most exciting about scaling a business to eight studios and what has been the most challenging aspect of the journey so far.

Excitement:

“It’s just surreal to see an idea come to fruition,” Liverman explains, emphasizing the excitement in building a team one can trust and have confidence in, watching them thrive in a space that was once just a dream.

While much of a startup journey involves outbound efforts and grinding, eventually, with hard work and dedication, a turning point emerges, and successful entrepreneurs start experiencing inbound opportunities. Good ideas that transform into successful businesses often profoundly impact their clients. For Glowbar, it’s not merely about skincare; it’s about instilling confidence in every aspect of one’s being. Hearing clients share their life-changing experiences, especially regarding skincare goals, fuels Liverman’s excitement. When clients express newfound confidence after overcoming skincare challenges, it resonates deeply with her and validates the mission Glowbar stands for.

Challenges:

Never one to shy away from candid conversations, Liverman shared with MBAchic a significant business mistake that became a learning experience. In the case of the Westport, Connecticut location, the team discovered during the interview process, after signing a 10-year lease, that dermaplaning—one of Glowbar’s signature services—was prohibited by law in Connecticut. This example illustrates the complexities that can arise with rapid expansion, underscoring the challenges that accompany business growth.

However, Liverman identifies the consistent replication of their talented aestheticians and ensuring uniform client experiences across their various studios as the most significant challenge. Maintaining the same level of quality and service, whether in Tribeca, Murray Hill, Williamsburg, or future markets, remains a continuous endeavor for Glowbar.

What’s Next

In the coming years, Glowbar is poised for substantial growth, with plans to open more studios and in new locations and regions. This rapid expansion reflects their commitment to providing exceptional facial services to a broader audience. Despite inquiries about diversification, the company remains steadfast in their focus on their core services, emphasizing that they are, first and foremost, a service-oriented business. Their dedication lies in perfecting the art of facial treatments, and they have no intention of straying from this path. (Editor’s Note: Since our live conversation, Glowbar has expanded into products, developing their Expert Cleanser and Simple Solution [both formulated for all skin types). The focus remains on opening new stores, ensuring that people in various markets have access to their specialized services. This forward trajectory showcases Glowbar’s unwavering dedication to their mission, promising an exciting future for this growing enterprise.

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