Jodi Cottle and her team at Laser Clinics Australia’s Tweed Heads clinic really know their stuff when it comes to shining as a franchisee.
But don’t just take our word for it, Jodi was named Laser Clinics Australia’s Franchisee of the Year in 2021, and her faithful colleague Allira Miller won the Clinic Manager of the Year title in 2022.
So what exactly goes into running a successful franchise? Well, we went straight to the source and asked her …
Culture of success
Jodi puts the achievements of her clinic, one of Laser Clinics Australia’s network of more than 200 clinics globally, down to managing cash flow, staff and customer expectations, while all the while “crafting” a strong culture among her team of 13 or so employees. She also points to the business’s values that are built around having fun, being happy, upbeat and focused, showing trust and putting a premium on security.
“We live and breathe those fundamentals,” Jodi says.
She insists on recruiting people with those qualities who are the right fit for her clinic, maintaining that having substance behind a business’s brand is the building block of success.
“If you create a happy environment, then the money, the results, and the great customer experience just follow.”
In a market where high turnover of staff is often an issue, Jodi has been able to hang on to employees. “Happiness doesn’t just mean paying them more. I pay my staff well but, most importantly, they feel secure, they feel heard and there’s a real sense of belonging.”
No one better epitomises the accomplishments of the Tweed Heads clinic than Allira. Brought on initially as a clinic trainer, she was promoted to assistant manager within 10 days and has never looked back, culminating in the aforementioned award win. Cool, calm and collected, Allira has been the perfect partner for Jodi during the business’s testing times.
“She’s got a very authentic personality and creates a high-trust environment in the clinic,” Jodi says.
Crunching the numbers
Coming from a corporate background in New Zealand and Australia where she specialised in the property sector, not the beauty industry, Jodi ran the rule over the various market players before opting to buy into Laser Clinics Australia’s franchise system.
The structure appealed to her on many fronts, including a unique 50:50 partnership model with head office that substantially reduced start-up costs and allowance for remuneration of $100,000 a year for the nominated manager of the clinic from day one.
“I’d looked at the other brands, but Laser Clinics Australia was very aligned with the way I work and it trumped the others,” Jodi explains. “It’s very operationally slick and the marketing is on point. I could also see that they care about the client experience. And they are very professional, which is important when you’re investing your life savings.”
Aside from the staple business of laser hair removal, the Tweed Heads clinic achieves strong sales for its skin treatments and CoolSculpting. The growth potential of the cosmetics industry appeals to Jodi, along with the fact that the sector has rigorous regulatory controls.
“I still get a whole lot of support and, at the same time, they have genuinely unclipped my wings when running the business while restricting me on some things and, in hindsight, they were right to do so. I feel like they have great respect for me, and I’ve got great respect for them.”
Empowering women leaders
Never one to rest on her laurels, Jodi is writing a book on women’s leadership that is expected to come off the press in 2023. Called I Just F*#ken Said That – A Female’s Guide to Leadership & Business, the book is designed to provide female leaders with the knowledge and tools to help them achieve long-term success, along with tips on establishing high-performing, happy, successful and cohesive teams.
Reflecting its title, the book also calls out the phenomenon of “hepeating”, the scenario in which a man appropriates a female colleague’s comments or ideas and is then praised for them being his own.
Jodi says too often women are silenced or marginalised in their work environments, and she is determined to play her part in overturning this trend. Drawing on neuroscience principles, the book will also feature the strategies that she has learnt throughout her career and which have been instrumental to her success in the Tweed Heads clinic, including sections on leading yourself, leading your people, leading your customers, and leading your business.
The launch of her book aside, the other goal is to expand the Tweed Heads clinic and ensure that it continues to be a flagship business within the Laser Clinics Australia system.
For others seeking business success, Jodi advises setting and sticking to your principles and values. She also favours a leadership style that focuses on authenticity.
“If you can achieve that, people are more likely to come on the business journey with you.”
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