April 4, 2025
MEET NICOLE DELAHANTY
A passionate entrepreneur and multi-unit FACE FOUNDRIÉ franchisee who has brought the brand to both St. Paul, Minnesota and Chicagoland. After transitioning from a successful corporate career, Nicole was drawn to FACE FOUNDRIÉ for its opportunity to combine her expertise in business and her desire to create something impactful. With five locations now open and more on the horizon, Nicole’s focus is on expanding in the Chicagoland area while fostering a strong team culture and providing career development opportunities. Her dedication to exceptional client service and her team’s growth continues to drive her success.
WHAT IS YOUR NAME? HOW MANY FACE FOUNDRIÉ LOCATIONS DO YOU OWN AND WHERE ARE THEY LOCATED?
Nicole: “My name’s Nicole Delahanty, and I have five locations opened. One in St. Paul, four in Chicago, and we’re about to open our fifth in Highland Park.”
YOU WERE AN EARLY ADOPTER OF THE CONCEPT. WHAT LED YOU TO HAVE AN INTEREST IN BECOMING A FACE FOUNDRIÉ FRANCHISE OWNER?
Nicole: “So I was on the tail end of my corporate career and looking for my next big act, and I think I just had that gut instinct, that overwhelming feeling, that this was right for me. And I think a lot of that had to do with the inspirational leadership of Michele Henry. But then also the ability to take all the skills that I had learned in corporate America; marketing, HR, finance, business, add in some construction and exceptional client service, and putting them all together and FACE FOUNDRIÉ just felt like the best place to do that.”
WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST FACE FOUNDRIÉ EXPERIENCE?
Nicole: “My first FACE FOUNDRIÉ experience was coming in for a walk-in and getting the Foundrié Glow. I didn’t know what to expect because of the open concept and it blew me away. So much so, I actually thought it was a fluke. I came back again a month later and again had this incredible experience, so quickly became a member, and I spread the word to everybody that would listen to me about FACE FOUNDRIÉ. I worked almost exclusively with men at the time, and I would bring them in for holiday parties, team events… we were always having FACE FOUNDRIÉ face parties.”
YOU ARE TAKING OVER THE CHICAGO MARKET. WHAT ARE YOUR FUTURE PLANS FOR YOUR FACE FOUNDRIÉ FRANCHISES?
Nicole: “We have so many plans in the Chicagoland market. So we are launching our fifth store up in Highland Park. It’s going to anchor us in the North Shore, which is such an important market for us. And we’re going to continue to build and grow from the city up to the North Shore and into the western suburbs.
So with 15 locations built out over time, our biggest goal and our vision is becoming the employer of choice in the esthetics world. We really want to be known as the place to work for our culture, for our technical developments, and also the career paths that we can give our team, whether it’s management, training, operations or providing that exceptional client service. We want to be known as the place to work.”
HOW HAVE YOU BUILT SUCH AN INCREDIBLE TEAM CULTURE?
Nicole: “We are so proud of our team and the culture that we’ve built, particularly in the Chicagoland market. I credit my managers with much of this, and it didn’t come overnight, and we had some fits and starts in the first year. But as we gained momentum and I look back at our success, I think, really, two things stand out.
The first: having unwavering high standards. We really set the bar high for ourselves and for us as a team. And then, the second is putting our team first. Our managers are really the best example of that. They always put the team first, they learn to then put each other first, and you put those two things together…high standards, amazing client service and putting each other first. We laugh through the more difficult times and we really rise to the challenge.”
WHAT IS YOUR “WHY?”
Nicole: “My “why” really comes from, you know, being a girl who was not all that comfortable in her own skin. I loved skincare, but never really felt included or welcomed in a spa environment until I entered into a FACE FOUNDRIÉ, and I just…I felt like I belonged.
My “why” is really bringing that feeling to others on a much larger scale. And also creating an environment that truly is the best place for people to work as estheticians to grow their careers in many different ways.”
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO A NEW FACE FOUNDRIÉ FRANCHISEE?
Nicole: “I think the advice that I would give is just keep going. That first year is…can be so hard, and I’m sure it was really tough for Michele Henry when she opened Edina. I know it was for me when we first launched Bucktown, but know that that’s part of the process. That that first year, you’ve just got to market harder, build your team, keep going and push your way through. You just have to get up and bring your best self every single day. Know that it will pay off in the end. Every single client matters. Every single client counts. And all those connections that you make from a business to business perspective will be so meaningful, not just professionally, but also personally.”
READY TO BRING FACE FOUNDRIÉ TO YOUR CITY? EXPLORE FRANCHISING OPPORTUNITIES HERE: FACEFOUNDRIE.COM/FRANCHISE