What is the story behind Planet Beach?
Planet Beach is the brain child of Stephen P. Smith, a former body builder and Mr. Mississippi 1986 who owned three Gold’s Gyms before getting into the tanning business. He left Gold’s to open his first tanning salon in New Orleans in 1995 under the name Electric Beach, then later changed the company name to Planet Beach to evoke the get-away-from-it-all experience. Steve asked me to be his business partner along with Richard Juka, and we began franchising the next year. I was enthusiastically leery. However, was ready for the challenge. We added spa-style treatments in 2005 to enable clients to handle their entire skincare regime in one location. I currently serve as the Sr. Vice President of Sales; I am a partner in the company and own a Planet Beach franchise right outside the New Orleans area. I am married to my husband, Jerome, and we have one daughter, Victoria, age 10. 2. Do you think the contempo spa concept is growing? Definitely! We are bringing the spa concept to people who
