My Brand's Facials Are Great. Our Real Estate Strategy Is Even Better

There is no shortage of competition in the $144 billion skin care industry.

- SYDNEY SLADOVNIK

Still, Rachel Liverman, 39, knew she had an original idea when she founded Glowbar in 2019. She offered 30-minute facials for $60 on a monthly subscription model-well below the average price-or $75 à la carte. Five years later, those rates remain the same. But Liverman's scaling strategy has as much to do with rent than retinol. She signed a 10-year lease for her first store in New York with no proof of concept, just high hopes and trust from her landlord.

Skin care is practically in my DNA. My grandmother founded the Catherine Hinds Institute of Esthetics in Woburn, Massachusetts, in 1977, which grew into one of the top esthetician schools in the U.S. My mom bought it from her in 2001 and still runs it today.

One day over dinner in 2017, my mom and I were discussing the state of skin care. Facials had become too long, expensive, and complex. So I thought, why not solve this myself? I had 10 years of professional experience behind me, having held director titles at Birchbox and Beautyblender. So, in 2018 I got my esthetician's license and developed the concept for Glowbar: 30-minute facials on a monthly $60 subscription model. I thought I would reach customers at an accessible price point and be a more sustainable time commitment.