FACE FOUNDRIÉ

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Thirty Units in Three Years: This Brand is Shaking up the Skincare Service Industry Michele Henry, founder of FACE FOUNDRIÉ, is building a booming franchise opportunity.

Dave Puente
FACE FOUNDRIÉ is a focused facial bar specializing in facials, lashes, brows, and skincare.

Not long after having her third child, there was only one thing Michele Henry wanted: To feel good. Styling her hair and managing her wardrobe wasn't an issue. With a busy schedule and three little ones, maintenance skincare that worked with her way of life was nonexistent. She sought out medspas and salons alike and none were meeting her skincare or lifestyle needs.

"I couldn't take three hours out of my day, book three weeks in advance and spend $300 per visit," Henry recalls. "This wasn't sustainable or realistic for my life and I feel most people's lives in the modern world. I wanted something that was affordable, inclusive, and available."

Unlike most people, Henry decided to do something about it. She founded FACE FOUNDRIÉ, an all-inclusive facial bar with walk-in services for lash extensions, facial waxing, 20- to 40-minute facials, and an array of curated skincare products. "I wanted to bridge the gap between maintenance skincare and results driven treatments," she says.

Her first location opened in Edina, Minn., in March 2019. Within a few short months, she was booked solid and immediately started drafting plans to open a second location. Revenues come from selling services, memberships, and products. "Early on, we were scrappy in the best way, and it got us to where we are now," Henry says. "We have come a long way from a small one-room office with five corporate staff members."

Today, FACE FOUNDRIÉ has 15 locations all over the U.S. with plans to have 30 locations open by the end of 2022 plus an additional 30+ units coming in 2023. The brand began to boom in January 2021 when Henry began franchising. Within a year of franchising, they have 60 units sold with an expected 100 commitments by year end. The company grew by more than 230 percent last year. That's huge.

FACE FOUNDRIÉ opened their first location in Edina, Minn., on March 1, 2019.
Image credit: Love Big Live Small Photography

Entrepreneurship is in her DNA.

Henry's success with FACE FOUNDRIÉ is no fluke. She caught the entrepreneurial bug at an early age. Her father owns Paragon Pools, an inground pool company. Henry joined the team at age 13 and earned nearly $10,000 commission sales in her first year.

"Not bad for a kid with braces," says Henry, who is now 37. "I loved working hard and being the underdog."

She also loved learning the ins and outs of the business and what made it tick. By age 20, she was leading her father's entire crew and was developing a passion for making customers feel special and heard. She knew she wanted to become an entrepreneur in her own right.

In college, Henry earned degrees in apparel design, and fashion merchandising with minors in art and business commerce. They would soon come in handy. In 2010, she co-founded her first business, a cheap-chic fashion boutique called PRIMP.

The brand grew to nine brick-and-mortar locations throughout the Midwest before she sold the business in 2018. "As I have moved across several industries it's apparent that 95 percent of business translates and at the root of it all is understanding what customers want based on what they tell you, and what they don't," Henry explains. "This ultimately determines a brand's success and longevity. It's all about the client, listening and adapting."

Franchising for the future.

Built with a foundation of innovation in the skincare industry, Henry has big plans for FACE FOUNDRIÉ's future. Franchising, she says, is the key to getting there.

"We see FACE FOUNDRIÉ as an international concept that will help change the mentality of skincare and self-care across the globe," Henry says. "Our ability to adapt and stand out in the industry has allowed us to grow as we have so far. We are excited to continue to grow the brand by bringing in franchise partners that want to be a part of an innovative, fast-growing company."

One aspect of FACE FOUNDRIÉ's innovation are their curated products. Their Collagen Spritz is made from bovine collagen (the company says it is a 97 percent match to human DNA) and it works as a daily skin revitalizing booster. The everyday spritz won the 2020 Beauty Innovation Awards for best face mist. Along with the Collagen Spritz, FACE FOUNDRIÉ is launching seven proprietary products that are expected to be available by the end of 2022. They're being developed, manufactured, produced, and distributed in Minnesota, a few miles from their HQ. "The goal of creating our own line is ensuring the product quality, preserving active ingredients and reducing our carbon footprint," Henry says.

Empowering franchisees with the right skills, tools, and resources is the key to everyone's success. From franchise partners to estheticians alike, FACE FOUNDRIÉ has created an online training platform that hits on multiple learning styles. This includes a state-of-the-art training center that replicates an in-store feel, allowing new franchisees and their team to understand each step from station prep, skin analysis, to service protocol, all with the guidance and coaching from the brand's esthetic trainers. Once training is complete, FACE FOUNDRIÉ trainers continue to be available, offering both virtual and online monthly training.

Grand Opening celebration!
Image credit: Chantal Pryor Photography

"So many people come to us saying, "I don't have a background in aesthetics, can I still be a part of this system?' The answer is always yes and the reason we can say that confidently is because of the training we provide," Henry says.

Marketing is another way the brand supports its franchisees. Henry has created playbooks for each phase of marketing so franchisees know exactly what they need to do and how corporate can help them do it. FACE FOUNDRIÉ also provides in-house marketing support from running social advertisements, influencer events, and email campaigns. Henry's creative team ensures all marketing collateral is on brand and provides franchisees and their teams with valuable assets for education, promotion, and brand awareness purposes.

"Our ability to forecast and deliver on the needs of our franchisees, customers and overall system is extremely important. We were able to accomplish this by looking at franchising, seeing all the great things it has to offer, but knowing there is no rule book for us to follow when it came to structuring our system." Henry says. "Just because other systems have done things this way doesn't mean we have to. We were able to shake up the industry and set new standards for franchisees."

Click here to learn more about FACE FOUNDRIÉ franchising opportunities and how you can get started today.