Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Britt Thomas. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Britt thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s start big picture – what are some of biggest trends you are seeing in your industry?

The biggest trend I’ve seen in the airbrush tanning industry in the past couple years is the use of social media marketing. While marketing has always been important for businesses it feels like now in order to feel relevant or successful as a business owner you need to create video content that catches the viewers attention in 8-10 seconds. I think videos can be educational and helpful for both clients and other airbrush tanning artist, but my concern is that being trendy or “cool” has become more important than what I find most important, which is a quality service and a comfortable environment.

Britt, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Britt and I am the owner and artist behind After Glow airbrush tanning. I started my airbrush tanning career back in 2012 in Scottsdale, AZ where I worked for a salon, and managed a team of other airbrush artist. I moved to San Diego, CA in 2017 where I continue to work for a salon and manage a team there. When I grew tired of not having creative control over which products I used and the pricing of my service, I decided to start my own company. Unfortunately when I did it was right before the pandemic, and needless to say it made things start slower than I had anticipated. I then had my daughter in 2022 and enjoyed being home with her, so I continued to grow my business slowly in my down time. If you have never had an airbrush tan, it is essentially a temporary tan that is applied through a spray tan machine and lasts for about a week. The main benefit is that clients can achieve their tanning goals without the risk of sun damage. Many people choose to get an airbrush tan before an event or a vacation, but there are also clients who enjoy having tan skin all year long and book appointments more often. It has always made me feel good to help others boost their confidence by giving them glowing skin. I enjoy meeting new people and building relationships with returning clients. As an introvert the one on one conversations bring me happiness, and hearing other peoples ups and downs reminds me that underneath it all we are all the same. I am proud of my ability to help my clients feel better about themselves both inside and out.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

I would say 98% of my business is referral based, so new clients come to me from someone who had a good experience with my service. The reason I believe they had a good experience is because I’ve learned over the years which products and techniques work best to achieve clients tanning goals. Whether someone wants to look natural but noticeable or back from vacation dark, my expertise helps them leave feeling satisfied with their results.

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

In my opinion, when managing a team it is helpful to learn about each team member individually. How they learn, respond to feedback, and what motivates them. Once you’ve learned these aspects of their personality it helps with scheduling and problem solving any client issues. For example, maybe one of the team members likes to sleep in or just quit their restaurant job. They might do better in an afternoon / evening shift at the salon. Another example would be a team member has former experience that makes them communicate well with clients ages 40-60. I would schedule them in the mornings since that age group tends to book appointments then. Lastly, I find it important for morale to plan social dates for the team to bond outside of work. In my experience team members work better together when there is a deeper connection or even a friendship that forms.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://afterglowsandiego.com
• Instagram: afterglowsandiego

Image Credits

Chair photo by Luisa Renay Photo