Today we’d like to introduce you to Kelly Giorno.
Hi Kelly, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My passion for making people happy started as a child. I have always wanted to do things for others and say “ta-dah!” and see their joy! Bringing people joy & happiness fuels me. My primary business is my airbrush tanning studio that I have run for the last 12 years in League City. There is something about getting a spray tan that makes everyone instantly feel more beautiful, alive & healthy. I love giving my clients that glow, that feeling, that confidence for their special event, photos, vacation, or “just because!”
Originally from the New Jersey Shore, I grew up loving me some tanned skin. Fast forward to age 20, when I had a premalignant melanoma removed from my right leg. Still wanting to have that tanned glowing skin, I then turned to airbrush tanning from a little studio in my hometown. I was addicted! It’s definitely an addiction! I went every Thursday for my spray tan. At age 23, I moved to Clear Lake, TX, to be with my then-husband, who grew up here. I remember asking him, “Where can I get my spray tan?” He nearly died, replying, “We don’t really do that down here.” Insert my shock & sadness. I went years without a tan. In 2012, I was becoming more and more unfulfilled in my teaching career as I had babies and built my family. I thought to myself, “What do I WANT to do that allows me flexibility to raise my kids?”
My passion… to be tan, of course! The fact that airbrush tanning was not a huge industry here at the time & there were very few places to get a beautiful hand-applied tan, I thought, well that’s what I will do. I told my husband; I am going to quit my teaching career and open a spray tan studio. That’s exactly what I did. In November of 2012, I found a woman who offered trainings on the North Side of Houston. I took her weekend course, quit my job in December & launched my new airbrush tanning business in January of 2013. At the time, I had converted our garage into my private studio and built my business simply by word of mouth.
Fast forward 12 years later, I have tanned well over 5000 local bodies. I love my clients, the relationships that we build, the comradery that comes from a very vulnerable environment (many choose to tan nude) & the comfort that I give them in allowing them to feel safe in my studio. I pride myself on making my clients feel like they have walked into their own bathroom and are about to get nearly naked with their best friend! The immediate joy and happiness that I see on their faces as they check out their new airbrush tan in the mirror has brought me joy for 12 years, and it still does! They look golden bronzed; in a non-UV safe tanning way & their confidence radiates.
In keeping with my desire to always make others happy, I very unintentionally launched my “side gigs,” if you will. In November & December I turn into Kelly Klause, the local holiday decorator who wizzes in, sprinkles my holiday magic & whips your home into a designer holiday haven. I absolutely LOVE Christmas! I always have! As a child, I would decorate my own bedroom with lights, trees & garland, and it carried into my college dorm room, apartments, and now adulthood. I love designing over-the-top Christmas trees. I work with clients on their holiday visions, do the shopping & show up to sprinkle that Kelly Klause Christmas Magic into their homes or businesses. I never intended on this being a business; I simply posted my 7 personal trees on social media for while, and that snowballed into people asking, “Oh my gosh! Can you please help me with my tree!?” This season, my 4th season, I have designed and installed for over 45 clients. The joy I get when I hear “Oh my Lord!!! This is amazing!!!”
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Honestly, it was smooth road. Not many things in life are, so for that, I am grateful. Has it been 100% easy? Not at all. Being your own boss, if you will, certainly has its advantages, however, those perks don’ts always come without a price. As a mom, wife, friend, family member & more, women are spread very thin and have many hats to wear and plates to juggle. Add to that, being a perfectionist, Type-A, ‘never want to let anyone down’ personality, lends itself to some disappointments. Whether I am working and cannot tend to my family immediately or have to say “no” to client due to other commitments… either way, you are letting someone down & that’s no fun. That elusive “work-life balance” is an ebb and flow when starting your own businesses.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Gold N Glow Airbrush Tans & my little private studio was built off of a foundation of genuinely wanting women to feel beautiful & glowing in a safe and healthy manner, 12 years ago, went I started this gig on a hope, prayers, and my cashed in Teacher Retirement, I had no idea what it would grow into. I wasn’t focused on the business side, per se, but rather making sure that my product and work were spot on. In all of my businesses, I am a one-woman show, so the final product is immensely important to me, I am too controlling to allow anyone to take over for me!
I think I am best known for giving clients a great tan, for sure, but mostly for how comfortable I make people during their appointment. I always say, “You come in and meet me for the first time, you strip down naked, and we’re besties before you leave me 15 minutes later!” It’s true, I adore my clients and the relationships we have built, and seeing them looking smoking hot with their fresh airbrush tan is just the cherry!
I pride myself on always doing the research, staying ahead of the game in a growing industry, and going above and beyond product/quality wise to ensure top-notch service every time; you will always get the little extras when you come tan with me… a personal heater when it’s chilly, access to new clothes to wear home if needed, top of line finishing powder so you don’t leave so sticky feeling, guaranteed laughs & sarcasm to make you feel comfortable, access to me at most times should you have questions or panics & a in the end a, killer spray tan that lasts longer than any I have seen in the industry!
With The Gilded Touch by KG & my seasonal counterpart, whom I affectionately dubbed “Kelly Klause,” I use my eye and skill set to design and organize for you. Many clients say they know what they want but cannot implement, or they have no idea where to start or just frankly are overwhelmed and want to outsource their organization project, home decor ideas, party planning, or holiday decorating; not everyone has a true passion for those things like I do. That’s where Kelly Klause & The Gilded Touch come in… Let me make your life easier!
An organized pantry, a well-suited closet, or a uniquely designed bathroom cabinet system are MY fuel but certainly not everyone’s!
Come October when I turn into Kelly Klause, I get the joy of designing and implementing your holiday decor dreams, from over-the-top designer trees to wrapped staircases & banisters, to a whole home Christmas-themed event, to gift wrap services & office building decor installs, I do it all. I am a one-stop shop. We collaborate, talk design & budget, I shop for you, show up with all your goodies, and install that Christmas magic all while you go about your business. You are left with a designer holiday home to enjoy for the holidays & all the decor is your to use again next year!
I am the one covered in glitter and flock for 8 weeks! You just enjoy the view.
We love surprises, fun facts, and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
As much as I am a perfectionist and will make sure that my work always is such (and if it’s not to my client, I will work until is), I am never 100% satisfied with anything. I am always questioning how to make it better. I am my biggest critic; even when clients love it all, I will always question what could be better?!? It’s exhausting, but I think that is part of what makes me successful…. never settling, always bigger, better, bolder!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @goldnglowairbrushtans @kelly_Klause_christmas_queen @the.gilded.touch
- Facebook: facebook.com/GoldNGlowTans facebook.com/thegildedtouchbykellygiorno
