SugaringLA Employee Charts Her Own Course with Investment in Organic Hair Removal Franchise
Destinee Enomoto (above with husband, Maj. Michael Enomoto) was accustomed to working two or three jobs, holding on to one while trying out something new. Nothing really captured her interest until she discovered organic skin care. She became an esthetician, built a small practice and specialized in a variety of natural, non-toxic treatments including sugaring hair removal. “I always loved beauty, and I loved helping and connecting with people,” she says.
Marriage to an active-duty Marine meant relocation and a disruption in her career path – until she happened to spot a sugaringLA studio in Carlsbad, Calif., near the couple’s new home.
“I was so surprised. I went in without telling them I was a sugarist and asked to have my brows done. And the whole sugaringLA staff was so nice. They were so welcoming,” she says. “My husband said, ‘Why don’t you ask about working there?’”
Enomoto saw the tremendous wellness franchise opportunity in sugaringLA. She reached out, and Founder Danielle Correia said her lead sugarist was leaving and she’d love to have Enomoto on the team.
Four years later, Enomoto is preparing to open her own sugaringLA sugaring franchise in Jacksonville Beach, Fla., one of the first for the brand. Her passion for sugaringLA, its culture and the all-natural sugaring process, as well as Correia’s support and training prompted Enomoto to take the leap from employee to franchise business owner.
Sugaring: A Wellness Business Opportunity
Sugaring hair removal is an ancient technique that’s more gentle and effective than waxing. Formulated with only three ingredients – lemon, sugar and water – the sugaring paste is organic and eco-friendly, characteristics consumers increasingly demand in skin care products as they’ve grown more aware of the adverse effects of chemicals on the skin.
In addition to the ingredients, differences between sugaring and waxing include application methods. Sugaring paste is applied at room temperature as opposed to wax, which is hot and can burn and damage skin, some dermatologists report. The direction of application also is a distinction. Sugarists with sugaringLA gently work the paste into follicles in the opposite direction of hair growth and “flick” it in the direction of hair growth, removing more hair from the root. By contrast, wax typically is applied in the direction of hair growth and removed against hair growth, which can damage the hair follicle and break hairs off at the surface, resulting in shorter-term results. Because of the heat and application method used with wax, it’s only safe for use on some parts of the body, whereas sugar may be used anywhere.
The Rise of Self-Care
Greater consumer interest in self-care and wellness has coincided with increased demand for professional hair removal, an industry valued at more than $5 billion and increasing at a combined annual growth rate of 5.7%.
Because sugaring is safe for everyone, there’s no age or gender barrier, Correia says. Clients at her four corporate locations in California have included men and women of all ages, as well as adolescent girls with unwanted facial hair and people who are transitioning. She takes pride in sugaringLA being a safe and welcoming space for everyone. Rather than being solely focused on beauty, she says sugaringLA is about health and wellness.
Enomoto agrees: “When I first walked in, I could feel that sugaringLA difference. It’s a culture of care, and we really do care for our clients. We care for our teams and we care for the Earth, and you can see that in everything we do. So, it’s a really special thing to be a part of.”
‘A Special, Special Place’
As a military spouse, Enomoto says she embraces the lifestyle, moving every few years, enjoying new experiences. But it’s hard to leave clients. “Whether it’s getting their brows done or removing that bit of fluff they see on their face when they put on their makeup, they just want to feel better about themselves. And it’s so rewarding to be able to be a part of that.”
During the pandemic as people were socially distancing, Enomoto says relationships with clients grew much stronger. “There were so many times in a treatment room where people would open up about their lives and we would cry together. There were times when I was the first person a client told about being pregnant, or the first person someone told about a cancer diagnosis. And sugaringLA is safe for those kinds of interactions. It’s such a special, special place.”
As lead sugarist, Enomoto is passionate about training new sugarists, providing skills and opportunities, as well as the potential for longer careers than they might have in other beauty-related occupations that require working with harsh chemicals.
Enomoto and Correia also forged a special bond through their work together. When Enomoto’s husband received orders to move again, she recalls breaking the news to Correia: “Danielle said, ‘You’re not leaving me. We’re franchising and I would love to have you stay on.’”
The sugaringLA Sugaring Franchise
Enomoto saw the opportunity not only for the brand, but for herself as a franchise owner. Since then, she has worked to translate the sugaringLA way and “smart sugaring” systems into an interactive online platform. “We’re putting Danielle’s presence into this platform so everybody can benefit from her training and the techniques she’s used and improved over the last 20 years.” Enomoto also helps train new franchisees and their staff members, and plan their openings as well as her own.
“I’ve always had this entrepreneurial attitude,” she says. “When we moved to the Jacksonville, Fla., area, I was like, ‘Let’s start our own here.’ I don’t think my husband knew when he married me that I would have such ambitious goals!”
At the sugaringLA franchise discovery day, the Enomotos learned first-hand about the support from sugaringLA partner Franworth, a franchise incubator and accelerator backed by more than 450 years of collective franchising experience, and REP’M Group, a franchise firm offering expertise in site location, construction, marketing and more. “When my husband saw all the support we would have as franchise owners, he saw that we can have a semi-absentee model with a studio manager. He was able to see the picture that I had seen right when Danielle told me we were franchising.”
Enomoto says she’s thankful to Correia for encouraging her to pursue her own dreams. “I’m also really proud of myself for being a military spouse and not being scared to make decisions about my own life. The sugaringLA sugaring franchise is an incredible wellness franchise opportunity. It’s a challenge, for sure, to have this business and his career, and I’m just so grateful that we’re able to make it happen.”
About sugaringLA
SugaringLA® is a leading sugaring hair removal business. Its mission is to provide natural, effective, and sustainable hair removal solutions that enhance the well-being of its clients. By using organic, biodegradable ingredients and a proprietary sugaring technique, the wellness franchise helps individuals feel confident and comfortable in their skin. For details about wellness franchise opportunities with sugaringLA, visit sugaringla.com/franchise.
About Franworth
Headquartered in Ann Arbor, Mich., Franworth builds, incubates and grows franchise brands through mentorship, education and best-in-class support empowering entrepreneurs and creating brighter futures. With over 450 years of combined franchise experience, the Franworth team has been recognized with the highest honors in franchising and for repeatedly scaling brands using a franchise model. Franworth’s portfolio of Beloved Brands includes MilkShake Factory®, sugaringLA®, MosquitoNix®, Garage Kings®, HealthSource America’s Chiropractor® and Degree Wellness®.
For more information, visit www.sugaringla.com/franchise/.
