“I very well could have just settled for just being on television and that’s it, but that wouldn’t be fulfilling to me,” she said.
Glo30 launched in 2012 and touts its monthly “SmartGlo facials,” providing personalized skincare treatments catering to individual skin needs. The company’s AI, “Gloria,” detects skin concerns and tailors a custom treatment regimen to address them.
Dixon cultivated a longstanding relationship with the brand, initially serving as its public relations representative and soon becoming a regular client.
“In working with them, I learned so much about the brand and the founders and admired everything about what they were doing,” she said. “I was able to see how innovative they were and how much they evolved. … When they announced they were franchising, I instantly was like, ‘Oh yeah, sign me up.’”
Glo30 began franchising in 2023. Dixon announced her franchising plans that same year and opened her first location last October, becoming one of the brand’s seven franchised units in operation.
“She was such a loyal follower for 11-plus years of Glo30,” said Arleen Lamba, Glo30 founder and CEO. “For us, I think it was a natural transition for a member to become a franchisee.”
Though Dixon is no stranger to operating a business—she runs an e-commerce accessory line called Embellished—Glo30 is her debut into franchising.
“This is a totally new venture for me,” she said. “I’ve never owned or was involved in a brick-and-mortar business, so everything was such a learning experience, every little detail. There’s a ton to learn.”
Franchising has opened Dixon’s eyes to the many moving parts associated with opening and maintaining a location; she highlighted the significance of construction and buildouts, staffing, working with customers, marketing efforts and learning software platforms. But it has not been smooth sailing every day. Approaching the opportunity as a learning and development process helped Dixon face the unpredictable hurdles—in one case, food smells.
Dixon’s studio space is part of a shopping center, which she said is a great location to grow her franchise. The studio, however, neighbors restaurants serving burgers and bagels, which caused some challenges.
“There are things that you don’t anticipate having to deal with that are put on your plate,” she said. “Now all of a sudden, I’m working with the landlord and the HVAC company on trying to reduce and eliminate the smells that are coming in from the food places next door. It’s stuff like that, but it’s stuff that’s to be expected. I don’t expect to start a business and it be perfect.”
She attributes the studio’s early success to finding the right staff and following Glo30’s formula. Success also comes from balancing her onscreen and offscreen work.
“I really have done a good job of compartmentalizing all of my different roles in life, so my role as a television personality and public figure does not interfere with my role as a franchise owner,” she said.
Dixon said she’s happy to take pictures and talk to clients familiar with her work on TV. That said, she doesn’t assume anyone is at the studio because of her.
“When I’m at Glo30, it’s about Glo30. It’s about the services, the treatments, my staff and making everyone that walks through the doors excited to be at Glo30—not just excited to see me or meet me,” she said. “I really take the approach where I reserve the television aspect for television. When I’m in Glo30, I’m the owner and the franchisee.”
While Dixon holds a strong belief in separating her television and franchising work, there are lessons she finds relevant in both. She advised those in the entertainment industry to leverage their platforms and skills for additional business opportunities, especially since “those careers don’t last forever.”
“Whether you are an athlete or a television personality, coming up with a backup plan or another type of business or another career is a smart idea because you can never expect to do what you’re doing forever in those industries,” she said.
Dixon’s goals for the future center on employee retention and satisfaction as well as filling the books at her studio. Becoming a multi-unit operator is also a possibility down the line, she said.
The total investment necessary to open a Glo30 franchise is between $241,500 and $599,500, according to the company’s franchise disclosure document.
“To do something that I’ve never done before—that’s not easy, that will require a lot of work, a lot of time, a lot of sacrifice—is a risk. It’s a huge risk,” Dixon said. “You don’t really know how things are going to work out, so I’m most proud of myself for accepting this challenge.”