What catalyzed you into becoming an entrepreneur and starting Glowbar?‍

Glowbar was born out of my personal struggle to find an affordable and trustworthy skincare routine. My family has been at the forefront of skincare since the 1970s when my grandmother, Catherine Hinds, founded the first fully accredited esthetics school in the country. Despite this legacy, and knowing that I needed to take care of my skin, I found myself in the position of a "cobbler without shoes," — spas were either too time intensive or expensive, nor did I want to constantly book months-out appointments with my dermatologist. I figured if I was feeling this as a third generation esthetician, others must be in the same boat so I took my decade-plus beauty industry knowledge and opened Glowbar in 2019. ‍

What have you learned since starting Glowbar about being an entrepreneur?

Sometimes hearing ‘no’ is the biggest blessing. I think of how many investors passed on Glowbar or how we were forced to close our doors during the early days of the pandemic, which was terrifying for a 6-month-old brand. But each of these moments allowed me and my team to fine-tune our approach, giving us another chance to get it right, and it has turned out better than expected every time.

What growth hacks have been most successful as you have scaled?

This one might surprise you, but slow and steady growth has been my biggest success. You see so many buzzy brands boom and then bust quickly, and I did not want that to happen with Glowbar. We just entered our third market this year, and I've been very thoughtful about where our new studios are located, making sure we are close to our clients and strategically entering new cities.

What do you wish you knew when you started out?

I don’t wish I had known anything and I say this because I really believe this entire experience — the pitfalls, learnings and challenges included, were all part of what my journey needed to be to get me and Glowbar to where we are today. I am a big believer in “You don’t know, until you know” and it gives me a lot of comfort in the moments of retrospect that are absolutely going to arise.

Do you have one secret to your success?

Treat everyone as a mentor. Everyone has something to teach you, no matter their position or how long they are in your life. Just be a sponge and soak up every experience and use it as a moment to listen and learn.

Who is a woman you admire?

I come from a long lineage of strong, independent women and so it’s always hands down my mom and grandmother. Both of them taught me that women deserve not just a seat at the table but at the head of the table. They taught me what hard work looks like and the beautiful life that a woman can create for herself. One thing I hope for all women is that they have role models to look up to. I am a strong believer that it sets you so far ahead if you see something before believing it.

What’s one thing you can’t live without?

My friends. I don’t think society puts enough of an emphasis on how strong friendships are vital to one’s success and happiness.

What is one big trend you’re excited about in 2024?

I don’t know if this is a worldwide trend but I pronounced 2024 to be the year of “sloppy social media” and I’ve been maintaining that all year. I am excited about a world in which we don’t need to be perfect and can be our real selves without hesitation. Social media is, of course, a highlight reel but I think when used authentically that’s where the positivity is.