Clay Haley is no stranger to franchising, but his career did happen accidentally. He began his career as a franchisee with Massage Envy and Face Logic in 2008, and then a friend introduced him to a hair-removal process called sugaring. By Kelsi Trinidad
Clay Haley is no stranger to franchising, but his career did happen accidentally. He began his career as a franchisee with Massage Envy and Face Logic in 2008, and then a friend introduced him to a hair-removal process called sugaring.
Sugaring completely changed the game for Haley. This new, innovative hair-removal process is natural and less painful for customers than the traditional waxing method. With the introduction of sugaring to Haley’s business, demand skyrocketed and became the key profit driver.
Haley founded L.A. Bikini in 2012 with the sole service of sugaring. With the knowledge he gained from having been a franchisee, as well as what he liked and didn’t like about those businesses, Haley built the foundation of L.A. Bikini. He wanted to implement a membership service that packaged sugaring sessions for a discount, but he didn’t like how other companies locked customers into never-ending contracts. Instead, Haley opted for a six-month membership called the Savvy Girl, that allows customers to keep their membership perks for a lifetime after the contract ends. “At the end of the day, we just wanted to build loyalty without requiring an ongoing contract,” he said.
It’s this kind of customer-
centric philosophy that has made L.A. Bikini the successful franchise it is today. Headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, L.A. Bikini has 16 locations across the U.S. and is working to bring on more locations. “We believe our training is what makes us special in terms of the experience,” said Haley. “The whole thing is really a streamlined design for the client to come in, get their service with an easy payment process and then get out the door.”
As a franchisor, Haley loves seeing his vision bring success to franchisees. “I love watching them succeed and hopefully find success in the ways I have. To see someone invest in an idea of mine and then find success in that idea is extremely rewarding,” he shared.
Kelsi Trinidad