Angie Katsanevas and Shawn Trujillo’s salon business has grown into something much larger than the RHOSLC star originally envisioned.
The couple owns Lunatic Fringe, a luxury salon brand that has expanded through franchising into three states with several locations. Ahead of “The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” season 7, Angie revealed that the business continues to grow even after the salons reached significant capacity.
The expansion has also opened doors for longtime employees who started their careers working inside Angie and Shawn’s salons.
Lunatic Fringe Employees Have Become Business Owners
Angie and Shawn remain focused on their existing Utah salons and franchise network while maintaining the luxury experience behind Lunatic Fringe.
The company has also received national recognition as a leading salon brand, but Angie pointed to employee growth as another important part of what they have built.
Some team members who started in entry-level positions eventually moved into ownership of their own Lunatic Fringe locations.
“So we’ve helped them find a path forward to entrepreneurship and financial freedom,” Angie told Bravo Insider. “So we’ve been able to do a lot of cool things. When I started this, I never had set my sight on a multiple-locations franchise.”
That career progression has become part of the larger franchise model, giving employees a potential route from working inside a salon to running one themselves.
Angie Katsanevas Brought Her Franchise Experience to Capitol Hill
Angie has also taken her franchise-owning experience into a very different setting.
In January, she traveled to Washington, D.C., where she testified before Congress on behalf of franchise owners.
“I testified in front of Congress this year on behalf of franchise owners. I walked the steps of D.C. and went up into Capitol Hill and was one of the first Real Housewives to push a bill across the finish line, and my work has made a huge contribution and created awareness around franchises and franchise owners and the fact that we’re local businesses. Not huge corporations,” she stated.
Angie has also worked with the International Franchise Association on legislation affecting the business model. Her advocacy has focused partly on the distinction between large corporations and independently operated franchise locations that employ and serve people in their own communities.
Tell us! What are you thinking about Angie K so far this season of RHOSLC? Let us know in the comments below.
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