Welcome to the latest episode of Empire Builders! In today's conversation, host Tommy Yionoulis is joined by Jolita Brilliant, founder of Brilliant Massage & Skin. Jolita shares her inspiring journey of building a wellness business from the ground up, expanding into multiple locations, and now exploring franchising opportunities. Whether you're interested in wellness, entrepreneurship, or franchising, this episode offers valuable insights.

Key Points Discussed:

Brilliant Massage & Skin’s Beginnings:

• Jolita talks about how she started as an individual practitioner and grew her business to include multiple locations in Vermont, with a focus on providing quality massage and skin care services.

Challenges of Hiring and Managing Staff:

• Jolita shares her initial fears about hiring her first employee and the responsibility that comes with managing a team. She discusses the balance between needing employees to grow and the challenges they can bring.

COVID-19 Impact and Adaptation:

• Jolita discusses the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on her business, the difficulties faced during the shutdown, and how these challenges ultimately led to strengthening their marketing efforts and operational systems.

Transition to Franchising:

• Jolita reveals her decision to start franchising Brilliant Massage & Skin. She explains the motivation behind this move, given Vermont’s limited market size, and her goal to expand the brand across the East Coast, with a focus on states like New York and New Jersey.

Importance of Systems and Processes:

• As a process-oriented business owner, Jolita emphasizes the significance of having robust systems in place for scheduling, client management, and staff training. She highlights how these systems help maintain service quality and support franchisees.

Marketing and Customer Retention:

• Jolita touches on the marketing strategies that have been successful for her business, including using technology for virtual management and outsourcing reception services, which allows her to offer competitive compensation to attract high-quality talent.

Personal Story and Motivation:

• Jolita shares her personal journey from Lithuania to the U.S., her passion for wellness stemming from personal loss, and how these experiences have shaped her approach to business and life.

Stay tuned for more episodes of Empire Builders, where we explore the journeys of entrepreneurs, industry leaders, and innovators. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review, share it with your network, and subscribe to the podcast for more insights on building successful businesses.

Links And Resources:

• Brilliant Massage & Skin
• Brilliant Franchise LLC
• Jolita (Brilliant) Sakmanaite on LinkedIn

• Tommy Yionoulis on Linkedin
• OpsAnalitica

Thank you for joining us this week! Are you interested in subscribing to Empire Builders? We would love to hear your feedback! Connect with us on