We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Nadia Slominski. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Nadia below.

Hi Nadia, thanks for joining us today. Owning a business isn’t always glamorous and so most business owners we’ve connected with have shared that on tough days they sometimes wonder what it would have been like to have just had a regular job instead of all the responsibility of running a business. Have you ever felt that way?

Thanks so much for having me! There have been times, of course, where I have wondered what it would be like to go into an office, leave work behind at shift’s end, and have a steady paycheck. One major drawback to owning a small business, especially one that is so seasonal in nature, is the unpredictability and irregularity of one’s own income. Not having a salary while the business was still growing was probably one of the most difficult things for me to adjust to. Another aspect of running a small business is that you are never truly off the clock, even on holidays. Despite tough days, I believe that any job has its downsides, and knowing that I have built something that clients value and that I can be proud of always makes up for this.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?

I own a small spray tan salon called Healthy Glow Spray Tans in Nashville, TN that I started in 2020. Someone very close to me was diagnosed with Melanoma a few years prior and witnessing the process of multiple surgeries and immunotherapy treatment really opened my eyes to the dangers of UV rays and sun tanning. Unfortunately, many people still think of skin cancer as just something relatively harmless that can simply be topically removed. My mission for opening this business was to help provide a safer alternative to sun tanning with clean products, and to educate people about the dangers of melanoma. All products used at Healthy Glow are carefully vetted to be free of harmful chemicals and contain naturally and organically sourced ingredients.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

My best source of new clients is definitely Google. I get a lot of referrals from current clients; however, Google is where most of my new clients come from. A tip for small businesses starting out is to realize the importance of an easily navigable website with good SEO and a Google My Business account that lets people find you.

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

I believe that two things have helped build a great reputation for Healthy Glow. The first is genuinely caring about my clients. This business is my “baby” and something that I am very proud of and care about immensely. Making sure my clients are always happy is my number one priority. To me this means going above and beyond when needed. One story I remember is a mobile appointment I had where there was lots of snow and ice. The client lived on top of a very steep hill. My car didn’t quite make it up the hill and I ended up sliding back down sideways (apparently their neighbor thought it was quite the show… glad I could give him a laugh, ha!). I ended up being able to safely park on the bottom of the hill and hiked up to the house with all my equipment. The client was incredibly appreciative and turned into a regular client.

The second thing is being knowledgeable about every aspect of the business/products and making clients feel comfortable. Sharing preparation and aftercare is crucial to ensuring clients know how to properly take care of their spray tan. Especially for new clients, spray tanning can be a somewhat vulnerable process, so making sure that clients can feel comfortable and relaxed is extremely important. These few things can make a huge impact and difference from a client perspective.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.healthyglowtans.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/healthyglowtans
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/healthyglowtans