“A lot can change in a year,” says Shannon Gray, owner of Sugar Me Right! Beauty Studio.
Last year, the studio was celebrating the move to a bigger space on Sherbrooke street in downtown Peterborough, a relocation that was prompted by a tremendous growth in clientele.
“We’ve been consistently growing, and the new space has allowed us to add more services and more staff,” says Shannon.
For those unfamiliar with the process, sugaring is a gentler and safer form of hair removal that can be used on all parts of the body. Shannon uses Alexandria Professional Body Sugaring products, which are all natural, so clients don’t have to worry about harmful side effects.
“Sugaring is a safe and effective way to remove body hair,” says Shannon. “I give my full attention to all my clients. I ensure they feel comfortable during the process and that they leave satisfied with the results.”
In addition to body sugaring, Sugar Me Right! Beauty Studio now offers lash lifts, semi-permanent mascara, lash and brow tinting, a dead-sea salt body smoothie, a Sweet and Plump facial, and the Alexandria Professional full body facial.
But these aren’t the only changes that have been taking place at Sugar Me Right! Beauty Studio.
Shannon started her sugaring business in 2011 after years of using the home sugaring products on herself. She began offering sugaring services out of her home in Buckhorn, then moved her business to a couple locations in Peterborough before settling on the current location.
After moving to the larger space, Shannon thought it was the perfect time to undertake a comprehensive rebranding campaign.
Last August, full-service marketing agency Mega Experience designed a new logo for Sugar Me Right! Beauty Studio, which had been operating under the original brand logo Shannon developed herself in 2011.
The new logo symbolizes the natural elements of sugaring, and the new business cards are soft to the touch — just like your skin after sugaring.
Despite how effortlessly it all seems to be coming together, Shannon is quick to note that rebranding is not a simple undertaking.
“It’s important for us to show in our brand what we are all about,” she explains.
“We wanted to convey the softness in your skin in the rose-style symbol. The confidence sugaring can bring is shown in the bold new look. We started working on this project last May. We wanted people to know we were more than sugaring by just looking at the logo. But just working on the website alone takes a long time, so altogether it’s a big challenge.”
Shannon emphasizes that the rebranding campaign has been a collective effort. In March of this year, staff spent five days painting the whole studio to match the new brand colours. The year’s work culminated in a brand launch on August 29, 2018, where members of the public were invited into the beauty studio to witness the unveiling of the new store signage.
But rebranding is not just about new designs, new paint, and new signs. It’s representative of growth, success, and provides a foundation for the future.
“These changes show me that we’re succeeding in what I set out to do,” Shannon says. “The new brand is visually stunning, but it represents so much more than that.”
The rebranding campaign has also provided a professional space for Shannon to focus on her other passion: education.
Educating clients, other sugarists, and the public is important to Shannon, which is why in April of this year she completed the Alexandria Master series training and become an Executive Educator in Alexandria Professional body sugaring products. This training allows Shannon to certify others in the masters courses.
Making the decision to become an Executive Educator seems like a natural next step, given that Shannon has been leading the way in body sugaring in the Peterborough area for years now.
She prides herself on providing in-depth training to her staff and has already been teaching as an Alexandria On-Call Educator.
“I tell my students that I’m their mentor,” says Shannon. “I’m available to them after the class ends. I provide them with information that goes beyond Alexandria Professional training. Some students are just starting out like I was, and I can help them with the entrepreneurship process as well.”
Shannon’s advancement in certification not only enhances her credibility, but it also allows her to run more advanced classes to educating other beauty professionals.
“I want other spas, salons, and studios to know we have courses that will help advance their staff skills and service menus,” Shannon says.
She isn’t worried about competition — she sees only positive outcomes to educating and training others.
“When sugarists do their jobs correctly, the client has a positive experience with sugaring and then they tell others about their experience,” Shannon explains. “What I don’t want is someone having a negative experience and then thinking negatively about sugaring in general, because that affects everyone’s business.”
VIDEO: Shannon Gray of Sugar Me Right! Beauty Studio
Though the practice itself is centuries old, the sugaring industry today is gaining widespread recognition as an effective and safe form of hair removal. As Shannon says, this is the result of educating people and she’s happy to be part of it.
Shannon has hopes of one day becoming the Alexandria Professional Academy in the Peterborough area, which requires extensive training and educating on a regular basis.
“We’re making headway to that,” she says. “My mindset is always focused on growth, new opportunities, and educating people.”
With all that Shannon has been able to accomplish in the nearly eight years since starting her business, the possibilities seem endless.
“It’s been a great year, and I’m excited to see what the next one will bring.”
Sugar Me Right! Beauty Studio is located at 161 Sherbrooke St., Unit 2 in downtown Peterborough. For more information and to schedule an appointment, call 705-742-6000, email info@sugarmeright.ca, or visit www.sugarmeright.ca. You can also follow Sugar Me Right on Facebook.
