Not long after launching her hair removal salon in New York, Shobha Tummala had a turning point that helped her identify what she wanted her business to be known for. She had grown accustomed to hearing her employees complain about the working conditions in the industry. They would share stories about mistreatment by other employers and poor hygienic practices from the other salons. Determined to do something about it, Tummala decided to raise the standard in the beauty industry. But in order to meet her goal and have the impact she wanted, her business needed to be bigger. At the time she was only employing a few part-time practitioners.
Since then, Tummala has been balancing growth opportunities with her commitment to a great work environment. In addition to providing high-quality service for her own clients and elevating the industry standard, she is passionate about cultivating and maintaining the right company culture. It is this priority that has influenced her growth plans most significantly, she says, causing her to initially favor creating a line of retail products and professional training school over opening additional locations outside New York.
Today, Tummala boasts three Manhattan locations, 50 employees, numerous industry awards for excellence, a comprehensive line of skin care and hair removal products, and a professional training program for other estheticians.
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