Industry-Leading Salon Suite Franchise Brings Entire System Together for Collaboration, Education, and Empowerment

Salt Lake City, Utah – IMAGE Studios, the industry-leading franchisor of ultra-modern, upscale, turnkey salon suites, proudly marked another year of growth at its 2025 retreat at the Grand America Hotel in Salt Lake City, Utah. The engaging and fun-filled event featured keynote speakers, panel discussions, and awards for IMAGE owners (franchisees), providing inspiration and strategic insights to drive success throughout the rest of the year.

Founder and CEO Jason Olsen delivered a keynote address on brand positioning that set the tone for the retreat, which was centered around connection, growth, and empowerment.

Prioritizing franchisee appreciation, IMAGE Studios recognized achievements with awards that celebrated excellence in key areas of performance. The outstanding IMAGE owners were honored in categories such as recruitment, site selection, development, and commitment to ongoing education. Highlighting the importance of creativity, there were also awards for exceptional marketing and for the best designed studios.

Awards & Recognitions:

• Stacy Read of Denver, CO was named IMAGE Owner of the Year.
• The Excellence in Education Award was presented to Brian Lombardo of Chicago, IL.
• The Highest Occupancy Award went to Tim and Lisa Mulks of Reno and Sparks, NV, as well as Stacy Read of Denver, CO.
• Dele Oladeji of Atlanta, GA and Jeff Friant and John Nelon of Petaluma, CA were honored as Site Selection Rockstars.
• The IMAGE Love Award went to Kevin and Nan McNamara of Raleigh, NC.
• Additional awards and recognitions included the Best Designed Studios Award, Five Minute Response Time Award, Top Recruiters Award, and Multi-Unit Developers Award.

“Our retreat is more than a celebration. It’s an opportunity to empower our IMAGE owners through collaboration and innovation,” said Jason Olsen, Founder & CEO of IMAGE Studios. “It’s an exciting time for everyone to reflect on how far we have come, to connect with others, and to leave energized with inspiration for the future.”

As advocates for ongoing education and professional development, IMAGE Studios held a series of expert-led panels on digital marketing and funding opportunities. Attendees heard from four top-performing IMAGE owners who shared their insights on a variety of topics, including opening the 100^th IMAGE Studios location (Ray and Pia Arthur) and how to leverage effective communication strategies for success (Stacy Read). Additionally, a “New Owner Bootcamp” brought IMAGE owners together, providing insight on site selection and recruitment.

At this year’s retreat, IMAGE Studios emphasized its commitment to emerging technology with new chatbots for its website designed to support both IMAGE pros and customers.

The impressive growth achieved by the brand has not gone unnoticed, as IMAGE Studios was recently recognized on Entrepreneur Magazine’s 2025 Franchise 500® List,  the world’s first, best and most comprehensive franchise ranking. The brand was also recently listed in the 2024 Inc. 5000 list.

For more information on IMAGE Studios and its franchise opportunity, visit https://imagestudios360.com/ or https://imagestudiosfranchise.com/. To learn more about opening your own salon at IMAGE Studios, visit https://imagestudios360.com/open-your-salon/.

About IMAGE Studios

Partnered with MPK Equity Partners, IMAGE Studios is the leading franchisor of ultra-modern, upscale, turnkey salon suites for beauty and wellness professionals in the U.S. With 100 stores open across 22 states and more than 200 stores in development, IMAGE Studios is a high-growth platform enabling independent beauty and wellness professionals to pursue the American dream and build their own business without significant capital outlay. Founded in 2009 and franchised since 2015, IMAGE Studios built and refined the business model that franchisees execute today.

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