Get Your Glow On!

If you ask me, who wouldn't want to glow all year around?! Marla Sacchetta, owner of And So It Glows, brings the best glow to you with her mobile spray tanning service. Using top of the line Norvell products for spray tans, the product is paraben free, gluten free, and 100% vegan. This week we wanted to spotlight Marla, her amazing business, and how you can keep your skin glowing all year long! 

How did you get into the spray tanning business?

One of my best friends brought the idea to me and we started the business together initially, and now I am branched off to do my own thing. 

Do you have any tips to achieving the perfect spray tan?

Exfoliate, exfoliate, exfoliate! Be sure to shower and exfoliate before your session and do not wear anything except dark, loose clothing to the session. No make-up, perfume, deodorant or lotions. Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize after your first shower which should be 24 hours after your spray session (if you can last that long). 

How do you balance being a wife, mother, and business owner? And so successful in all three! 

Well... that is nice to say... The best advice I can give anyone is to keep your sense of humor and to perfect time management!!! It's all about the balance. In today's world we are all so busy, even kids. It's important to stop and take time for yourself. If I am not the best version of myself both mentally and physically, I am not good for anyone else. Having a great support system is key too. Without the help of family and my babysitter I couldn't do what I do. Be present... whatever you are doing at that time, if it's doing something with your kids, or thinking of a new business initiative, etc. Be present and stay focused and on task. Set attainable goals! And just get your S#%$ DONE! lol. 

What are your goals for And So It Glows? 

Pitbull calls himself "Mr. Worldwide," I am going to be "Mrs. Worldwide" in the mobile sunless tanning industry, LOL. Seriously, my goals for this year are to be sure when people think of sunless tanning they think of And So It Glows. I want to always have a stellar reputation of being a reliable, dependable, and top-notch company. I plan to bring more staff on my team so that we can reach people efficiently, providing more flexibility for my clients. I am always brainstorming of where or who And So It Glows can partner with. Long term, I see us having a presence in NJ and DE as well as PA. I will start selling retail products in the Fall and I would love to someday have a "Tan Van;" I think it would be great to have for parties and events. How fun would it be for the Tan Van to roll up and inside you can get your sunless tan, hang out with your friends, and have some food and drinks??? I mean, come on!!! Last, I love that I can use this business as a platform to educate people of all ages on the benefits of getting a sunless tan. Although we all enjoy a little Vitamin D, which isn't a bad thing, we all need to be aware of the harmful effects of UV rays both naturally and from tanning beds! Sorry, it's the truth. 

What is your personal favorite custom color option?

Venetian Plus all day long!!! It's gorg and makes you feel like you just came back from an exotic trip. It's beautiful on any skin type too. Not to mention I go into the tent looking like my normal self and come out looking like Sofia Vergara. At least in my own mind I do!

Aside from house calls and private parties, where can people find And So It Glows traveling to next?!

For the latest and greatest places, check out my site at www.andsoitglows.com. I will be a social media expert before it's all over too; Patricia has a challenge ahead of her with trying to coach me along with this stuff. I will be doing a party at Scout and Molly's in the Glen Eagle Shopping Center on Tuesday, February 9th, 16th, and 23rd from 5 till 8pm! Come see me and get your GLOW on!

Is there any fun fact about yourself you'd like to share?

So I randomly met Mel Gibson when he was filming the movie Signs at Smith and Wollensky's in the Rittenhouse Hotel in Philly. I had a business meeting there and my team went to the bar for a few drinks after and he walked into the bar and sat right next to me. I was so star struck, but I easily am anyway, that after I shook his hand I told him I had to go into the restroom to call my parents to tell them who I was with. He was super nice and he commented that he liked my name and I said to him, "don't you think it's the kind of name that should be on a billboard or under a star on the Walk of Fame?" LOL. He has a horseshoe shaped kidney, by the way.  

Business Babe: The Blush Label

Two sisters, two styles, one colorful vision. Christie and Mary own The Blush Label, a stylish home fabrics boutique. Inspired by the beach, Puerto Rico, and their own personal styles, Christie and Mary have designed the perfect colorful touches to any home.

When and why did you decide to start The Blush Label?

Mary: We incorporated in July 2012 after making a trip to Puerto Rico to visit our father's side of the family. The colors on that island are so beautiful and we wanted to bring them into our homes. Once we were able to get the logistics together of starting a business, we sat down, started designing and eventually The Blush Label was launched in April 2014.

What was your background in and how did it prepare you for being an entrepreneur?

Christie: I grew up figure skating, and from a very young age designed each and every one of my competition & practice dresses. I would draw them while sitting in class (clearly not paying attention as I should have been!) and my mother would make the patterns from scratch and somehow bring my designs to life. 

Having a business partner can be tricky, how did you and yours meet and how do you balance your roles?

Mary: We're sisters so working together came naturally for us! Of course since we are sisters, we fight like sisters too, but it's only ever because one of us is really passionate about a certain product or launch and we want it to be the best for our customers. We work great together and have a deep understanding of each other, which is why we've been able to bring our business to place where it is and where it's going. I couldn't ask for a better business partner -- Christie is incredibly creative and does an amazing job bringing The Blush Label to life.

Where do you find inspiration?

Christie: I find a lot of inspiration in nature, music, and at the beach. We came up with some great ideas after visiting the Amalfi Coast, and our family in Puerto Rico last year. And sometimes I'll go over to Duke University and walk through Sarah P. Duke Gardens and draw from the flowers and plants there.

What's been your biggest challenge? Greatest success?

Mary: Our biggest challenge and greatest success was going to Atlanta Market -- there was a ton of preparation (and a lot of pressure on both of us) but it was worth it! Not only was it great for business, but we learned a lot and really listened to how the market responded -- that was important to us.

Favorite product on your site?

Christie: That's a hard one because I genuinely love everything we've designed so far. I'm going to have to go with the Pineapple Glasses because I use mine all the time!

Best form of marketing?

Christie: I've been doing some blogging, but Instagram has been very powerful and helpful for us. We weren't in the greatest spot at Atlanta Market and would have been missed by so many if we had not put our location on all of our Instagram posts. So many people told us they only came to that side of the building because they saw our posts and knew we were there!

What's next?

Mary: Next, we're off to High Point Market in April! We're looking forward to showing there, meeting new customers, and debuting some new products. Come by and see us if you're planning to attend -- we'd love to meet you!

Website, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest

Business Babe: The Stylist LA

How perfect would it be to have an ultimate closet where you could pick from trendy designer dresses for any occasion? Sounds too good to be true right? Wrong! The Stylist LA is a designer dress borrowing service founded by Emily McDonald. The aim of the company is to help women of all ages feel confident and beautiful in each and every outfit that they wear.

  

What was the inspiration for The Stylist LA?

The idea for The Stylist LA came to me when I was a student at USC.  I was in a sorority and saw how often girls needed dresses for events.  The girls always wanted something new to wear, but didn't want to purchase an expensive dress that they would only wear once.  At the same time I was interning at a fashion PR firm and I saw how celebrities basically checked out clothes for events.  I started to think it would be really cool (and convenient) if girls could rent from an "ultimate closet" for special occasions. 

What's your background and how do you think that's prepared you to be an entrepreneur? 

Where to start? I grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma and knew from a young age that I wanted to have my own company, particularly in fashion.  I chose to go to USC because of it's strong entrepreneurship program and it's location.  It was either New York or LA for me and ultimately the sunny days and beach won me over.  At USC I interned at a fashion PR firm for 2.5 years.  It was a great introduction to the fashion industry in LA.  After USC I did a post graduate program at The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Product Development.  There I learned everything from the conception of the idea of a product, to production, to selling it to the end consumer.    I believe that every step of my journey has prepared me for what I am doing today. I try and absorb everything I can from each unique situation I am in, whether it is school, work or meeting people in any industry.  Everything that I have done on this journey has taught me more about the fashion industry, leadership styles, and ultimately about myself and how I work.  

That being said, nothing but being an entrepreneur can fully prepare you for this unique journey.  Every day is different, you have to make tough decisions and at the end of the day the performance of your company relies completely on you.  

What's your best form of marketing? 

Our best form of marketing hands down is word of mouth.  We try and give our clients the best possible service that we can.  In turn our clients become loyal brand ambassadors for us by spreading the word about us to their friends.

How do you go about selecting merchandise? Knowing what your customers will like, staying ahead of trends, discovering new brands, etc.

It's tough!  I stay on top of what is going on in the fashion world by reading fashion magazines and blogs and paying attention to red carpet styles (especially during awards season!)  I ask our clients a lot of questions.  What do they want to see more of?  What are they loving right now?  Then I build our selection based on our customer.  I look at new lines and think, where will our girl wear this?  What is she doing in this piece?  What will it cost for her to rent it?  We have clients with a variety of styles and personalities, so I think of this when I am placing orders for new dresses.

What's been your biggest challenge? Greatest success? 

Our biggest challenge is growing rapidly and maintaining The Stylist LA feel.  When our clients shop with us they really feel like they are shopping in their fashionable, best friend's closet.  We develop close relationships with our client and when they come to us it is so much more than just renting a dress.  We chat about boyfriends, jobs, life updates etc.  We are focused on keeping this vibe while we grow and dress many more clients.

Our greatest success...that is a tough question!  One of our greatest successes lately would be the launch of our new ecommerce site last August.  Launching the new design and increased functionality was very exciting, and now nothing beats watching it grow. We are getting numerous orders daily from all over the country.  It is so fun to watch the orders come in and see The Stylist LA spreading the love from coast to coast.  It has been so fun to see this company grow and to see how loyal our clients are.

Why do you love what you do? 

My favorite thing about what I do is the moment that a girl finds the perfect dress.  There is this "aha" moment when a girl feels amazing in the perfect dress.  You can feel it.  I still get goosebumps when these moments happen.  That is the ultimate for me.

What's next?

So many things.  I can't divulge everything but I will say this.  Our goal for this year is to spread The Stylist LA experience to many more girls.  Our inventory will be growing, our client base will be growing and I can't wait to share more!

Favorite style currently available? 

This sequinromper by Karina Grimaldi. The sequins make it dressy while the romper style gives it an effortless feel.  I'm romper obsessed.  Get ready to see many more in our collection!

Website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram

Like A Pro: World Traveler

Chloe Johnston loves fashion and travel. So she decided to combine the two to create the Chloe Johnston brand. They provide customized city tours ranging from New York City to Paris. We don't want any Piqued PR lovers to look like tourists on their next trip, so we asked Chloe for a few expert travel tips!

Hydrate

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! Be sure to drink plenty of water the day before travel as well as the day of. Hydration will help with fatigue, jet lag, and making your skin look radiant.

Pack light

Remember you will be shopping wherever you go. Bring a few key pieces that can easily be mixed and matched. Adding scarves and statement jewelry to simple ensembles help to create completely different looks. For fall/winter, my jacket is key! I always bring something thats warm, waterproof, and chic. It's the first thing everyone sees after all!

Try new things

Immerse yourself in the culture. Keep an open mind and always try new things. It’s not only what you pack, it’s what you bring back!