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My Shark Tank Open Casting Call Experience!

 

Well cross this off my entrepreneurial bucket list!

I had the excitement of attending the first open casting call for Shark tank season 10 in Las Vegas! As like many other entrepreneurs, I am obsessed with this show and have always loved watching Shark Tank. I sit and envision myself on stage pitching the sharks. (And of course getting a deal! lol)

One of my business dreams is to have my products in Sephora and on QVC (Lori..are you reading this? I’m ready! )

So it all happened pretty quickly. On Jan 5th I got a text message from a friend. She wanted me to know that they were holding the first open casting call at the annual CES convention in Las Vegas at the Venetian hotel in 6 days on Jan 11th!

Once I heard that my head was spinning! I live in Florida but ironically I was actually scheduled go to Las Vegas as a sponsor for a spray tan convention that same weekend! I was thinking to myself OMG what are the chances? I already had a flight and hotel room already booked at the Venetian for Jan 13th.

I have lived my life with the belief that things happen for a reason and I started thinking…what are the chances that they were going to be holding an open casting call at the SAME hotel I was already booked at! But I had a lot to think about logistically. Being a business owner it is hard for me to get away from the office during the week due to the large amount of daily shipping and day to day operations. I started thinking.. do I take a chance & go to Vegas early or do I wait for another location to come closer.  Am I going to have enough time to prepare the application and pitch?

Needless to say the next few days were crazy, I was in full over analyzing mode and my boyfriend was a huge & amazing help. He has been my biggest supporter since day 1 so he was all for it. You have to take opportunities when they are presented as you never know if and when you will get another shot. (Plus waiting for another location might not have worked out.)

I called the Venetian to change my reservation to arrive a few days early. I was told that the hotel rate just for that Wednesday alone was over $700 for the night!! (Gulp) Being that the CES convention is the largest, all hotels were crazy expensive. Heck the motel 6 was close to $300 a night! So after a bunch of debating I sucked it up and just figured that this would be my vacation. I had to go alone so I was actually on my own for 4 days until other people arrived for the Spray tanning convention.

So now the fun part! I had to complete a 18 page application. I had to provide info on there such as my financials, why I wanted an investment and what I would do with that money etc. Being detail oriented I even put together a binder (Pink of course!)

This process was actually very important for me as an entrepreneur. Perfect Glow has been very successful but when gathering all of this information it really hit home & put into perspective the success I have achieved. Seeing on paper how much I have grown this business and have accomplished over the past few years was quite an emotional process. I thought to myself that regardless of the outcome I was really proud of what I have built and blessed that I actually was able to even have an opportunity to have a shot at this!

The night before I was scheduled to fly out I got this fortune cookie at dinner (Ahhhh) Was it another sign?

Day 1 – I arrive in Vegas

The first day I got there the hotel was a madhouse. I had stayed at the Venetian before and have never seen it so packed but they were hosting the convention.  The first night I decided to turn in early due to jet lag and having to wake up early the next day I wanted to get my rest.   I went to the small gift shop to get some necessities for the room (water and wine lol) and when I was paying for my items I saw Mark Cuban leaving with (I think) his Vitamin water ! There were thousands of people in this hotel and I am in the gift shop the same time as with Cuban!

Was this another sign? I tried to find him in the sea of madness in the hotel but didn’t  (What was I going to do if I did? I don’t know, maybe give an elevator pitch or mention I had a cool Pink binder? I can’t quite tell ya but knowing my personality I am sure I would have come up with something.)

That night in my room was the first time that my nerves really started to settle in.  You get a 1 minute pitch at the casting call to present and sell yourself. I  just kept rehearsing my pitch over and over. (Being that I am a native New Yorker talking is NOT a problem for me) BUT I just couldn’t cut my pitch down to under that minute.  I kept writing down different versions and of course overthinking it! Eventually I decided to just do a pitch that came from my gut.

I will say that doing months of Facebook live broadcasts on my business page was a huge help to me. Most of the time when I do them I do not go off a script and just speak off the cuff. So that was something that was very helpful to prepare for the open casting call as well as giving me confidence to speak in front of others.

Day 2- Open casting call

The next morning I arrived at the open call casting area 2 hours early around 7am. They say that is not necessary to show up early because anyone that got there by a certain time was guaranteed a wristband. But I just figured that the earlier I got there maybe I could be selected to do my pitch earlier. I was afraid of a very long day and being told to come back at like 5 pm. The line was already very long but not a madhouse like I was expecting. They said that you could bring props if you needed to and I had brought bottles of my self tanning products to show my pretty branding and product line. But I forgot them in my hotel room! (Melissa…are you kidding me? ) A nice woman said she would save my spot in line. Heels off, I rushed back to my room to get them  (A cardio workout if you know how big the Venetian hotel is) When I came back, the line had moved into the main ballroom so I had to go further back on the line.

The CES convention was going on simultaneously so there was a lot of law enforcement and even bomb sniffing dogs. (I was happy to see all that security actually) When  it was time for me to make my pitch there were even 2 uniformed police officers standing behind the casting director.

I do have to say that for such a huge opportunity I was actually surprised at how many people showed up without even completing the application. But on the flip side it was pretty cool to see all these people trying (like me) to get the shot to make their dreams happen.

The casting crew was very nice and eventually they started handing out wristbands. I was put into the second group that had to come back 2 hours later ( Not too bad) This clip is from when I got my wristband. (Number 110)

So I enjoyed a cocktail to calm the nerves,  played some slots (Didn’t leave rich) and did some live videos on social media to pass the time.

 

Time to Pitch

When it was time to go back it was a little bit of a wait but again not too bad. They call your number and you go up to do your pitch. I thought it was going to be in a separate room but I did my pitch in the main ballroom (But it was not like you were on display as the rest of the crowd really cant hear you)

I didn’t pitch to any of the sharks as they were not in attendance ( just the casting company) They were all very nice and Mindy and the crew really did a great job making people feel comfortable and less stressed. At least at this location they didn’t hold you to the 60 second rule which was great as of course I exceeded that a little bit so that was a big relief.  I talked about my Perfect Glow self tanning products, pro spray tan solution and spray tan academy. It was probabally less than 10 minutes total and they were very nice. Then they just say to give it a few months to see if you get selected to move forward in the process.

 

Afterwards I went to Italy (Aka the Venetian) got a glass of wine and felt relieved. Auditioning for Shark Tank season 10 was such an amazing experience. Every entrepreneur should do whatever it takes to follow their dream. Without any risk there is no reward. All I can say at this point is that I have to wait and see what happens.

Hopefully there will be a Blog part 2 🙂 Stay tuned!

 

 

 

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Voyage MIA names Entrepreneur Melissa Weinberg as a Palm Beach Inspiring Story

Meet Melissa Weinberg of Melissa Weinberg Tanning and Beauty in Palm Beach

Voyagemia Staff

Today we’d like to introduce you to Melissa Weinberg.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I was in the financial industry for most of my career. I always wanted to do something in the beauty industry and since I had experienced skin cancer I felt that spray tanning was the perfect fit. I started spray tanning in 2009 as a part-time mobile spray tan artist. I worked nights and weekends 7 days a week building my company. It took a few years of hard work but I have built my business into a top leading brand in the Sunless beauty industry & regarded as a top Spray tan expert in my field.

I worked on formulating my own product line and in 2014 I introduced my professional line of self-tanning products called Perfect Glow Sunless™. My professional and retail products are used and sold by countless salons, spas and spray tan artists worldwide. I also run my local business Melissa Weinberg Tanning and provide custom airbrush tanning services in the Palm Beach area.

Sunless education is important to me and I founded the Perfect Glow Spray Tan Academy. My academy is top rated and I train spray tan professionals on how to start their own spray tan businesses and improve their skills. I also travel across the US hosting classes as well as in South Florida and offer an online class as well.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Like any entrepreneur, I had to overcome many struggles. One was working 2 jobs and trying to do a career change at the age of 39. Working 7 days a week was not easy while trying to juggle home life but I knew it had to be done and also wanted my salary from my full-time job to fund the creation of my product line.

Eventually, I left the creature comforts of the corporate world (Like a weekly paycheck and full benefits and 401k).

I also handled every aspect of my business for a very long time. Scheduling and spray tanning clients on the service side and on the manufacturing side I did whatever I could to save money. I did my website designs, set up my E-commerce store, and everything from Purchasing, marketing, social media management, sales, customer service and even today I still personally ship all orders.

But I continue to grow and now have added on sales managers and trainers for my brand.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Melissa Weinberg Tanning and Beauty – what should we know?
I am known as the South Florida spray tan expert & I provide custom airbrush tanning on the Palm Beaches. As a company, I am most proud of a few things. First is my product line that I created as a female entrepreneur in her 40’s. I am proof that you are never too old to follow your dreams and can rinse up from starting a brand from scratch without investors or a ton of capital with good old fashion smarts and hard work

All of my products are based off organic and natural ingredients, Paraben free, gluten free, Vegan and cruelty-free. (I am part of PETA Beauty without bunnies program.) My products are truly odorless and there is no foul spray tan smell or heavy scent to mask chemicals as found in many other products on the market.

What also sets me apart is that I truly care about my spray tan clients and have top reviews. When someone comes in for a tan they are going to get a truly personalized experience form someone who cares. I customize the color based on their skin tone and educate them on safe sun. Since I am also an educator I make sure that the spray tan application is precise and the color is flawless. My tans last up to 9+ days and I even offer a rapid option where the client can rinse off in just 1-4 hours!

For my professional salon beauty pros, I strive to give the best service available. and my customer service & products are top rated in the sunless beauty industry. My products were used on the Superbowl 50 Carolina Topcat cheerleaders by their spray tan provider and most recently my spray tan solution was used on Jlo! She was spray tanned by Fabiola the owner of Sobe tan in Miami who exclusively uses my product line.

Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Staying humble. No matter how much success I continue to achieve I will never forget where I came from. I am truly grateful for my spray tan clients supporting me and choosing my services these past years.

As a beauty brand, I feel that customer service is a lost art and I strive to go above and beyond for my customers. I treat them with fairness and appreciate everyone who places an order. My customers are not just a number to me. I am available 7 days a week to help them with anything they need.

For my retail self-tanning line, I feel educating the public in the benefits of safe tanning is important and offering them a salon quality line is important to me. There are many cheap tanning products out there loaded with chemicals with sub-par results and turning people that dreaded orange. I am happy to offer a true salon quality product. It is my same professional spray tan formulations but for home use.

Contact Info:

    

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Perfect Glow Sunless Featured Business Owner

We are happy to feature Kelly Lawrence and have been watching her growth since she started. Both Susan and I had the pleasure of doing a hands on training with her and happy to see her grow and be successful adding on spray tanning to her business model. Thank you Kelly for sharing your story and for sharing some great information and advice for other spray tan artists.

Name of salon: KL Custom Tan

Years in Business: 2 Years

Location: Hershey, PA

What was made you start a sunless tanning business? I am an auburn haired, fair skinned girl that has unsuccessfully chased after a flawless tan for as long as I can remember. I have tried every tan in a can, lotion and magical potion around. When I became an esthetician, I always recommended spray tanning to my clients as an alternative to the damaging effects of the sun and beds. After my own skin cancer experience in late 2015, I bought my first spray tanning system on a whim while at a trade show. I planned to use it on myself, coworkers and friends, but before I knew it word about my tans was spreading. I realized my ‘little side hobby’ had the potential to be a successful business and compliment my existing spa career.

What do you feel has been a big part of your success? Without a doubt my amazing clients and coworkers have led to my success. I built my business solely on referrals from this core group. Everyone I spray is a walking advertisement for me and I am so fortunate for the referrals and positive word of mouth that has built my business and keeps it growing.

What is your favorite part of being a spray tanner? Happy clients! A bit of color makes us feel better about ourselves. Whether it’s for vacation, a big meeting, special event or just because, spray tans make clients feel more confident. Offering this safely as an alternative to damaging UV rays is by far the best part.

What was an example of a challenge of being a business owner that you had to adapt to? In the beginning I was not good at setting boundaries. I would get so frustrated and overwhelmed trying to juggle my business, esthetics career and young family. I had to set regular business hours, take one day off a week for myself, learn to say no and streamline as many business processes as possible. Even something as simple as having Melissa create my website was a huge help. I can direct clients to one place instead of individually sending info to each and every client separately.

What is an example of a marketing tactic that you found successful to increase your business? My marketing strategy is very simple, I focus on client retention and referrals. I make sure to reward that with a loyalty program and client referral discounts. Clients love the loyalty program in which they get their 6th tan at a discount after receiving 5 tans at full price. I also offer a $5 discount for each friend they refer. Additionally, Social media has been a valuable resource to showcase my work and stay relevant to my client base.

What suggestions do you have for other techs in the industry that have worked well for you?

1. Invest in a superior solution (Perfect Glow Sunless of course)

2. Use top of the line equipment

3. Constantly educate yourself

4. Be patient and confident!

Where do you see your business a year from now? Are you looking to expand your business? I’m always looking to expand and grow! I absolutely love what I do and I hope to still be doing it 20 years from now. I grew over 50% from year 1 to 2 and I hope to experience that same growth into year 3. I’d also like to break into the education side of out industry.

What is your favorite Perfect Glow Product? I LOVE the Rapid formulas! I was never a fan of Rapids until I switched to Perfect Glow. Now I can’t imagine anything else! It applies flawlessly, develops into a beautiful tan that lasts and fades perfectly evenly.

What do you like to do in your free time? I have two young boys (4 and 6), so every bit of free time I have is spent with them. We live in the sweet little town of Hershey, PA where there is always something fun and kid friendly to do. In the warmer months, I spend every chance I get escaping to my hometown in coastal Delaware, where I enjoy relaxing on the beach while sporting my own Perfect Glow. (Under an umbrella of course)

 

Here are some beautiful client photos. Great job Kelly! For more information bout Kelly visit her at https://www.klcustomtan.com/

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5 Great Tips for Spray Tan Pros

Originally featured in Sun Biz Weekly !

Looking for tanning tips to help your sunless salon or mobile spray tan business? Sunless tanning solution professional Melissa Weinberg shares her knowledge with indoor tanning pros.

As your tanning magazine, we at Sun Biz Weekly prides ourselves on providing useful business-building tips for tanning salon owners and sunless techs. That said, the tanning industry’s manufacturers and distributors also have so much good information to share! We include their helpful advice in our Five Tips With series. This week, Melissa Weinberg of Perfect Glow Sunless sat down with us to share her thoughts and plenty of indoor tanning business tips.

1. What should every tanning salon owner/sunless technician should know about doing business in today’s economy?

“That there is always going to be a slow season. Budgeting is very important to get you through the slower times. Also, take time to think about your business strategy and client volume before jumping in and leasing retail space. Sometimes it can be better to start off as a mobile spray tan tech or rent a treatment room until you can get the volume of business you need to commit to a lease.”

2. What’s the easiest thing tanning professionals can do to improve their business, but many of them aren’t aware of it?

“Take time to read about and understand the spray tan solutions you use. Know the key ingredients and highlight them in your marketing strategy. Many technicians are not fully comfortable with product lines they use, but they don’t take the time to read the website or contact the manufacturer for their best recommendations. Also, a reputable company will always be able to explain how their products work and give you the best suggestions for the best results. Taking the time to go directly to the source rather than ask other techs that use different techniques will save you time and help you in your business by understanding the best use for the products.”

3. What is the one marketing strategy you would like to see every tanning pro use to promote their business?

“Taking the time to build a portfolio of your work. This is especially true with spray tanning, where people are afraid of turning orange. A portfolio showcasing your work is a huge marketing tool that puts the potential customer at ease. And don’t just use any pictures. When you post a picture, always make sure that the lighting is good and there are no Instagram filters altering the color of their tans. When in doubt, leave it out!”

4. What is the most important thing that new tanning salon owners/sunless techs entering this industry need to know?

“That proper education is crucial. Although Facebook groups provide good support, it should never take the place of proper training. Whether it be hands-on or online training from a well- rated company, investing in your skills is more important than spending money on the most expensive equipment and solutions. Use that money to train properly so you have the skills to succeed in your new business. The other stuff doesn’t matter if you are not using the best technique to tan your clients. Also, new spray tan techs have a tendency to join every spray tan forum on Facebook. Some are in five or more groups in many cases. Doing this can easily overwhelm you and provide you with conflicting information from others that are new spray tanners themselves.”

5. In business and in life, it’s easy to feel discouraged by occasional setbacks. What motivational advice do have for indoor tanning professionals who are slugging it out in the current marketplace?

“Stop worrying about what your competition is doing. I know it sounds cliché, but the more time you focus on what others are doing, the more it takes time away from building your own brand and focusing on your clientele. Setbacks are the nature of any business; when you have a bad day, it’s okay to disconnect and take time for yourself.”

THANK YOU, MELISSA WEINBERG!

Sun Biz Weekly thanks Melissa Weinberg for taking time out of her busy schedule to answer these questions. Melissa is the owner of Perfect Glow Sunless and Melissa Weinberg Tanning and Beauty products. She is a maker of spray tan solutions and a variety of pre- and post-care products. Melissa also helps spray tan technicians and tanning salon owners with her Perfect Glow Sunless Spray Tan Academy. We’re certain that her answers here will benefit spray tan techs and tanning salon owners everywhere.

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Perfect Glow Sunless Featured Business Owner

It gives me great pleasure to introduce Michele Rivera as our December featured business owner. She is a Perfect Glow Spray Tan Academy graduate and has been working hard to grow her company.  We love seeing our students achieve success and are looking forward to seeing all the great things ahead for Michele!

Name of salon: Radiant Glow

 

Years in Business: Less than a year

 

Location: Portsmouth, Rhode Island

 

What made you start a sunless tanning business and how long? What made you want to start your business? 
I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit. I recently left the design and marketing industry after 17 years. I did some research on the sunless industry, it’s minimal to start-up and it’s something you can start off part-time and grow.

 

What do you feel has been a big part of your success? 
I genuinely love making my clients feel good. I’m very down-to-earth so I am able to make my clients feel comfortable when they are in my tent. They are vulnerable standing there in the nude (or close to it) and are 100% trusting you’ll make them look great. You must show them they can be totally relaxed with you and they can rest assured they are getting the best spray tan from you. You have to be a ‘people-person’ in this industry. I love meeting new clients growing relationships with my existing clients.

 

What is your favorite part of being a spray tanner? 
No doubt, the smile I see on my clients faces after my clients leave the tent and go look in the mirror … it’s the best! They feel so good, love their tans and I know I did my job – I love empowering people with self-love!

 

What was an example of a challenge of being a business owner that you had to adapt to? 
Finding effective advertising channels. I’m currently adverting across a lot of different mediums. I’m tracking them to see where my clients are coming from so I can see which ones produce ROI (return on investment). That’s key, I’m sure every market is different and everyone has they own niche in tanning, you’ll know what works for you after some time, but you must experiment and evaluate.

 

What is an example of a marketing tactic that you found successful to increase your business?
 We all know that a referral is the best way to gather new business. There a few gracious clients that I work with that help me to spread the word on my business and in turn I give them discounts on their spray tans. Word-of-mouth is always going to be number one way to build your clientele.

 

What suggestions do you have for other techs in the industry that have worked well for you?
I have an electronic consent form. Along with providing necessary details in the form I ask them to provide how they heard about me, this way I can see what channels of my advertising have been effective, it’s very useful to me. As a new business, I need to constantly evaluate what source my clients are coming from, that way I can continue to market in a way that is beneficial to my business and cost-effective for my budget.

 

Where do you see your business a year from now? Are you looking to expand your business?
 Absolutely, I want to expand my business or I wouldn’t be doing this! I will continue to network with local businesses, I feel it’s a better strategy to work with partners than be a standalone island. Again, this is goes back to my referral strategy. The more people that know about me and my business, the more my business will grow. I’d like to add more retail to my business but it’s not in the budget right now, I’m hoping to expand on that next year.

 

What is your favorite Perfect Glow Product?
 I love the Rapid solutions! Not only are the colors absolutely Perfect (pun intended) but the convenience of rinsing after a short time is so ideal for my clients. Evening appointments are popular and my clients love that they can rinse before they go to bed, never have to worry about messing their sheets and wake up in the morning with a beautiful, developed tan!

 

What do you like to do in your free time? 
Absolutely no doubt spending it with friends and family! I have two small children, come from a large family and live in a fun community where there are events going on almost every weekend and we like to attend as many as we can. Also, I live on a bike path that runs along the coastline that I live on, it’s absolutely gorgeous and we love to take bikes rides on it  — I pinch myself every time that I get to live here. For alone time, I like to pamper myself, a tan, a pedicure, a massage, a facial, I love it all and it always makes me feel better.

 

Thank you Michele for taking the time to share your great tips and we are happy to have you as part of the Perfect Glow community. Here are some Radiant Glow clients (with their beautiful Perfect Glow color) Keep up the fantastic work.

 

 

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