When Carly Frei was wheeling her tanning kit around the College of Charleston campus from one tanning appointment to the next, she likely didn’t imagine that within just three years that side gig would turn into Glow Boss; a mobile spray tanning company that employs over 50 employees in six major cities and 21 college campuses.

But it’s more than just a company employing spray tan artists in their young 20s. Instead, Glow Boss has quickly become a brand that thoroughly educates its employees and gives them the tools (literally with spray tanning kits and figuratively with valuable knowledge) to make it in an industry that is rapidly growing and changing — all before they graduate college.

Frei chatted with us about what her journey in the spray tan industry has looked like so far, and what it’s like to employ a team of 50+ people all across the United States while she is based in Los Angeles. Read on to find out more about how the founder saw that niche college market in the fake tanning industry just three years ago and has been thriving ever since.

How many years have you been in the industry? Three

How did you get started? I started offering mobile tans at the College of Charleston my junior year. I started it completely as a side hustle and before I knew it, in the first year I had completed over 300 tans. After posting on my personal social media, other women at different universities reached out to me as they were interested in bringing my company to their campus. This is when I decided to start Glow Boss and offer college women the same opportunity that I had. Not only do you learn valuable marketing, entrepreneurship and brand management skills, you get paid to do a job that empowers both men and women by making them feel confident in a healthy way.

Favorite memory from your journey thus far? When I first started out I was tanning mostly friends, or people who I knew. My favorite memory was when I started getting all of these appointments that were people I had no relation to! They had seen or heard about my business from my Instagram or word of mouth, and that was the most rewarding feeling. 

Can you recall a time you faced a (tanning) challenge and how you overcame it? Having 50 employees comes with a lot of responsibility and as the owner of a company, everything they do is a reflection of you and your brand that you have worked so hard building. I have been so fortunate to have such an amazing team of women that work so hard, are extremely professional, and excellent at their job. However, with any company, there have been times where girls have missed appointments or poorly reflected the brand by lack of communication, etc. Although it's extremely rare, when these incidents do occur, I personally have to take responsibility and make sure that the customer is completely satisfied by the end of the day. 

Best piece of advice you’ve ever received?: My dad always told me over and over again, "Don't be afraid of failure!" Growing up I was always scared to try things simply because I didn't wait to fail. As I have gotten older I have realized that failure is such a beautiful thing because it allows you to grow and learn. I would rather fail 1,000 times than not try at all! 

Favorite product or piece of equipment?: My spray gun of course! I don't know what I would do without it.

One instance when you should see a spray tan artist versus using a self tanner? Any special occasion or instance where there will be a lot of photos taken. With a spray tan artist, you'll be sure to have an even tan everywhere, especially in places you can't reach with self tanner. There's nothing worse than looking back on old photos and seeing unevenness or streakiness from self tanning mishaps! 

What advice would you give to new artists?: There's always room for growth. Even if you think you are the best in the business or you've reached a place where you feel completely comfortable, you can always grow or learn more. Technology, formulas, marketing, everything is always changing and advancing and you have to be open to letting yourself and your brand grow with it — or else someone will come along and outgrow you!