Few franchise stories begin with the owners admitting they had no idea tanning lotion was even part of the experience. Staycie and Chris Skinner’s does.
When the couple decided to invest in Glo, neither had ever stepped inside a tanning salon. They were hardly new to business ownership, though. Chris is a general contractor, the couple operates multiple businesses together, and after being together since high school, they had already navigated plenty of ventures side by side.
Glo entered the picture through an equally unlikely route: Instagram.
Chris began following Glo CEO Onyi Odunukwe around 2022 because of his posts about real estate and entrepreneurship. The two began interacting regularly, and over time those conversations developed into a real relationship. Eventually, Chris and Staycie began talking about selling a property they owned and investing the proceeds into Glo.
The surprise came quickly once they got closer to the business. The word “tanning” only explained a slice of what they were about to open.
Introducing Glo to Arizona
The Skinners became the owners of Glo’s first Arizona location in Peoria, which meant introducing the brand to a market where many people did not yet realize just how much Glo offers, both within tanning and far beyond it.
That has made education part of the job. Staycie and Chris have watched people become far more interested once they learn about red light therapy, Wellsystem Wave, Skin Wellness, massage chairs and the broader lineup available alongside Glo’s tanning services.
Red light has become one of the location’s most popular services. Even tanning takes on a different appeal in Arizona, where customers have pointed out that a few minutes in an air-conditioned bed can sound pretty attractive compared with being outside when temperatures are pushing 118 degrees.
The Wellsystem Wave has also become popular enough that the Skinners are adding a second one.
For Staycie, that broader range of services is a big part of what separates Glo from a more traditional tanning salon. Customers are not choosing from a conventional tiered tanning menu. One membership gives them access to a much wider mix of services, creating an experience that can look very different depending on what each customer wants that day.
A Business That Is Becoming Part of the Family
The Skinners entered Glo as entrepreneurs, but the business is already becoming something larger than an addition to their portfolio.
Their 16-year-old daughter works in the studio and has become one of its strongest employees, regularly taking on leadership responsibilities. Staycie and Chris already talk about her eventually becoming a Glo owner herself.
They have seen that same enthusiasm take hold elsewhere on the team. One employee who initially came to the area for cosmetology school became so invested in Glo that, according to Staycie, she now hopes to own a location of her own one day.
Chris’s construction background has also created another connection to the growing franchise system. As a general contractor, he has been involved with buildouts for other upcoming Glo locations and shares what he has learned with franchisees moving through the development process.
The Skinners also point to the accessibility of Glo’s leadership as one of the things that has stood out most. Even as the brand has grown, they say they have continued to have direct access to Onyi and Glo’s leadership team when questions or challenges come up.
Now, they are already working toward their next studio.
Asked how many Glo locations they would ultimately like to own, their answer was essentially as many as the company will allow them to build.
For two people who had never even been customers of a tanning salon, that says a lot about where the journey has taken them.
Staycie and Chris learned the industry from scratch, introduced Glo to Arizona and found a business they now want to keep growing alongside their family.
What started with an Instagram conversation has become something they are building for the long term.
Interested in building a Glo business of your own? Learn more about Glo franchise opportunities and available markets.
