Nikki Richardson was working in fundraising for a large nonprofit when she was introduced to L.A. Bikini and the sugaring hair removal process. She heard from other coworkers that they were going to get sugared on their lunch break at the Mountain Brook, Alabama, location near their office, so she booked an appointment as well. From the first appointment, Richardson was hooked and bought a membership that day. By Kelsi Trinidad
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A FRANCHISEE
Nikki Richardson was working in fundraising for a large nonprofit when she was introduced to L.A. Bikini and the sugaring hair removal process. She heard from other coworkers that they were going to get sugared on their lunch break at the Mountain Brook, Alabama, location near their office, so she booked an appointment as well. From the first appointment, Richardson was hooked and bought a membership that day.
“It just was so pleasant, informative and fast,” said Richardson. “It was so much less painful than waxing. I have super sensitive skin, so I’m a terrible hair-removal client. I was like, ‘Wow! If this works for me, this is great.’”
After being a paying member at the Mountain Brook location for about a year-and-a-half, Richardson had a conversation with the store manager and suggested that they open a location near her home in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. She knew it would be a hit with the college town community as well as her peers. That’s when she found out she could do it herself through franchising.
Richardson connected with Clay Haley, L.A. Bikini’s CEO and founder, and discussed the opportunity. “The beauty industry is fun work. This is a luxury to do because it’s fun, and it’s enjoyable. But to make it a business to me, it just had to make sense. And at the time, I had a pretty lucrative job, but also I have four children, and I wanted to be home more,” Richardson explained.
After weighing her options, Richardson opened her Tuscaloosa L.A. Bikini location in 2019. “The most rewarding thing is the relationships. I love the relationships with our sugarists, front-of-house staff and the clients who are coming in on a regular basis. It’s fun; it’s truly the best,” she said.
Here’s a glimpse of a day in the life of Richardson, as she balances her life as a mom and business owner.
6:30 a.m. Richardson wakes up for the day, packs lunches and starts getting her children out the door for school.
8 a.m. All the children are at school, giving Richardson time to work out and get ready for her day.
8:45 a.m. If she is out of the studio, Richardson checks in with her manager, Liz, before moving on to Zoom meetings with other franchisees, marketing calls or in-person strategy meetings. Otherwise, Richardson goes to the studio around 9:30 a.m. to work on studio operations, client relations, goal setting, financials, etc.
2:45 p.m. Richardson is off to pick up her children from school and shuttle them around to all their after-school activities.
6 p.m. The Richardson family sits down for dinner and settles in for the night.
Kelsi Trinidad