In the early 2000s, Glo Sun Spa founder Earnhart played a central role in setting the trends of spa diversification and adapting terminology to reflect the evolving nature of tanning businesses. Even before that, Earnhart built his reputation as an industry pioneer by introducing innovative pricing and packaging options and helping introduce spray tanning to the masses.

Today, there are 25 Glo Sun Spas – six corporate locations and 19 licensees. As he continues to innovate, much of Earnhart’s attention is now directed toward evaluating potential additions to their spa services repertoire. While Glo facilities are constantly upgrading to the latest tanning technology, the category of esthetic and wellness services is much more diverse. And any one service could be the next big thing.

“Our clients really enjoy the variety of services, and it has helped stabilize EFT fluctuations and revenue stream,” he says. “There are thousands of modalities out there and people that are trying to get their equipment in places like Glo Sun Spa, so I’m constantly looking at and evaluating services that I think will have a good synergy with our brand. That’s a full-time job I’m always looking at. We try to stay on the path of automated spa services that don’t require an attendant in the room with you so you’re not requiring an esthetician and tying up man hours.”

Earnhart again became one of the first in the tanning industry to integrate a new type of equipment with the addition of the light therapy devices now known as SmartSun Therapy, which have indeed become “the next big thing” for Glo and other tanning businesses since. When he was first introduced to the technology more than four years ago, Earnhart knew he was onto something. He’d already had success with multiple different red light therapy devices, but it was easy to see why this equipment was in a league of its own.

“We obviously have been in the red-light therapy space for close to 20 years already, so we already had a comfort level with the technology. We really were excited to see when some of the companies started making full body red and infrared equipment. It’s important to understand that this not a red light therapy bed. It is a blend of red light, infrared, and even some blue light in the facial region as well. The problem with so many of those company’s designs, though, was the canopy is too far from the client’s skin. Body Balance or SST28 is the perfect design with a zero-gravity lounge and canopy that matches the curvature so the light is extremely close to the skin making it extremely effective. A sound frequency massage adds a surprising benefit that the clients love,” Earnhart says.

“The response was immediate and extremely impactful. Within one week at the location where we put the first one, we had to order a second one. Referrals are coming in daily, and I can honestly say this has been the most impactful piece of equipment in probably the last 20 years.”

As a business focused almost predominantly on memberships, the high-tech light therapy serves as a premium addition that adds tremendous value to their spa membership. While they could charge more per session than they are for unlimited monthly access to all their spa options, the approach reflects the philosophy Earnhart has believed in since college, which has become more commonly understood throughout the industry in recent years: Providing unbeatable value for memberships is almost always a winning proposition. The only “problem” is keeping up with demand.

“We are a member-based spa so our focus is on EFT memberships. We offer sessions but make it so much more expensive that the client always gravitates to the membership. Med spas that offer this type of technology charge an average of at least $65 per session so we match that pricing for single visits with our unlimited membership,” Earnhart says.

“While we have done a small amount of social media advertising, our success from this device has come from existing clients and tons of referrals. We have struggled to keep up with the demand just from existing clients.”

Click here to learn more about SmartSun Therapy.