Today we’d like to introduce you to Taylor Henderson.
Thanks for sharing your story with us, Taylor. So, let’s start at the beginning, and we can move on from there.
When I graduated high school, I went to The University of South Dakota on a scholarship to play soccer. When I was there, I kept getting asked what I wanted to major in, and I never really knew what to choose. I always knew from an early age that college was not for me. One thing I always knew for sure was that I wanted to make money and be my own boss.
I tried college for two years and quickly realized I did not need it to become successful. I started working as a bartender, which taught me a lot about communicating and serving others. After that, I switched to the medical field and started working for a company that was brand new. It was an entry-level position, but I learned a significant amount from that company. After being there for almost three years, I knew that I was never going to be promoted and that the owners did not value me as an employee. I was a nobody in the corporate world, and I knew if I ever wanted to be something more than a receptionist, I had to take a risk.
I had gone on several interviews before quitting my receptionist job, and the one position that paid the most was the riskiest job of them all. It was a car salesman. I knew absolutely nothing about cars, but I knew I could sell. I have always been a risk taker and one to follow my happiness. Making money made me happy, and I knew staying at the clinic was not going to get me anywhere. I ended up leaving the clinic and starting my new job in car sales.
The car industry is a male dominant industry, and women aren’t treated with a lot of respect. I knew my fellow employees, and even customers did not take me seriously. I mean I was 23 years old trying to do what 45-year-old men do. I ended up selling my first car, and after that, the money just started coming in. I never knew I would make six figures just by selling cars, especially with being how young I was. After almost two years of being with the dealership, I was extremely burned out and exhausted. I knew I did not want to be involved in that business anymore. I was very anxious and stressed because I felt like I was back at square one again.
One night at around 3 am, I was woken up from my sleep. I will never forget the day nor the time that this happened to me. I just had a thought that I needed to open a spray tanning salon, I know it sounds extremely cheesy, but something told me I needed to do it. I do believe in God, and I had asked him to guide me where I needed to go, and I have always known that he had spoken to me that night. I have always wanted my own business since I was little, but I never knew what I wanted to do until that night. During that time, I had been driving almost an hour and would sit in rush hour traffic three times a month just to get a spray tan! There was nowhere around me that offered good quality airbrush tanning only!
Immediately the next day, I started researching to see if anyone else had this same idea. Of course, there were a few UV-FREE tanning salons, but I knew I did not want to be like them. I wanted to stand out and be better! I knew I was not going to put anyone in danger by having UV tanning beds at my salon because my mother was diagnosed with skin cancer when I was a child from tanning beds. She thankfully had it removed in time before it became deadly. I then started thinking about the local tanning salons that offered the mystic and versa spray tanning booths. I have been in both of the machines many times and left streaky, orange, and disappointed.
Another thing I noticed was all of the awful names and branding. I wanted to stand out and create a luxurious brand and tanning atmosphere where people could come and have a memorable experience! Bottled Bronze was founded in June of 2017. I had no clue how to spray tan, and I knew absolutely nothing about the sunless tanning industry. I spent days researching online to learn as much as I could. I also took online and in person training to make sure I was not missing anything. I started tanning people out of my apartment to build clientele, so when my salon opened, I had customers. I am thankful for the people that saw my Instagram with hardly any followers and still came to my apartment to get a tan by a newbie! After months of spray tanning, my salon was being built. I thought spray tanning and learning the business would be the hardest part, but I was so wrong. Finding a place to rent and build out was the most challenging thing I have ever experienced. I had hired a horrible contractor that wasted a lot of time and money. I was learning so many lessons from this process, and I am very thankful because I needed to go through this alone to understand what it truly took to open a brand new business from nothing. I ended up firing the contractor and re-doing the entire salon. I wanted people to be amazed when they walked in, and I wanted to love my salon. So after eight long months of renovating the salon was finally open!
Everything happened the way that it needed to. I am not upset that it took so long because I know that God has a reason for everything. Currently, my salon has been open for four months, and we are already fully staffed and have days that we are completely booked solid. I am looking forward to the future because I know it is only up from here. I plan on expanding to different cities and also different states. I am still in the beginning phases of being a business owner, and I know there is much more to learn. But this is where I am meant to be and what I am meant to do,
Has it been a smooth road?
Spray tanning, branding, and marketing were all my strong suits. The hardest part about opening my business was dealing with a horrible contractor. He definitely scammed me. He took half a year to do a job that should have taken three months. I had no clue how long construction took, and I also knew nothing about getting permits through the city. He was in complete control of my project and gave me zero say. It was the weirdest thing I have ever experienced, and I was truthfully scared of him. I had heard him making threats to people, and I always wondered if I ever wanted to fire him what he would do to the salon or even me! I finally worked up the courage to fire him, and it was the best business decision I made. I went from being in control of nothing to everything. Which is the way it should have been in the beginning.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Bottled Bronze is a UV-free airbrush tanning salon. Unlike other tanning salons, we specialize in custom airbrush tanning. At our salon, we take a few minutes to consult you so we can get an idea of what color you are trying to achieve. Unlike most tanning salons we do a custom blend just for your specific skin type! We also offer add-ons that include shimmer drying powder and scents to really give you a customized spray tan! We use a luxury line of solution that will not turn you orange or looking streaky! Our spray tans can also last 7-10 days with proper care,
I am most proud of Bottled Bronze for being a real luxurious tanning experience. We do care about your tan as much as you do. Most tanning salons are in a rush to get you in and out, and also use the same solution on everyone. Not us! You will be consulted, and we will find the perfect shade of brown for you!
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
I think the DFW is a perfect place for a spray tanning salon! We have beautiful weather, and everyone likes to show off their skin in the hotter months.
Contact Info:
- Address: 9500 Ray White Road Suite 115
- Website: www.bottledbronzetx.com
- Phone: 6822609582
- Email: info@bottledbronzetx.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bottledbronzetx/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bottledbronzetx/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/bottled-bronze-keller
Image Credit:
Katie Thompson and Liz Starr
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