Chet Lamey, the owner of three Sola Salons franchises in Alabama, is no stranger to the world of entrepreneurship. Growing up in a family that built one of the largest Planet Fitness franchise portfolios with over 190 locations, he was immersed in the industry from a young age. Lamey recently sat down with 1851 Franchise Founder and Publisher Nick Powills on an episode of the “Meet the Zee” podcast to discuss his journey into franchising with Sola Salons.

“I was super fortunate to grow up around wonderful mentors, which drove me into the operating franchise world,” Lamey said. “I’m pretty lucky; I’m a ‘sweat equity’ guy. I was able to take my knowledge and acumen that I built, and our group grew to over 190 Planet Fitness locations, one of the largest in the system ever. Since I was 11, I was in the front making smoothies, and by the time I was 14, I was running the front desk.”

Lamey’s own journey to business ownership was shaped by these early experiences. “Growing up around that environment, seeing what my parents did and being involved with various franchises, it just seemed like the route to take,” he said. “People seemed happier and more fulfilled. I always wanted to work hard but see where that effort was going and profit from it, rather than being stuck in a 9-to-5 job.”

After working in the corporate world for a while, the right franchise opportunity eventually came across Lamey’s desk: Sola Salons, the 725-location salon suite franchise under the Radiance Holdings umbrella. 

Sola Salons stands out as a franchise by offering a real-estate-like model that allows franchisees to provide beauty professionals with the freedom to customize their private suites, manage their schedules and create personalized guest experiences. Franchisees benefit from a flexible and low-maintenance investment with no onsite staff and minimal equipment maintenance. 

“Sola is a great low-operation model,” Lamey said. “You don’t have a lot of employees but great cash on cash returns. It is more of a real estate play.”

The brand also provides comprehensive training and marketing support, ensuring franchisees like Lamey have the resources they need to succeed. With a robust national marketing fund and in-house marketing team, Sola Salons supports local marketing initiatives to fill suites and bolster recruitment and retention rates.

“The support at the beginning is phenomenal,” Lamey said. “Sola helps with location development and offers great assistance and hand-holding.”

Best of all, Lamey says, is the opportunity to support beauty professionals in achieving their entrepreneurial dreams. “That’s what I love about Sola today — we can offer financial wealth and freedom to others who wouldn’t have the ability to open their own business,” he said. “The safety and support that comes with joining Sola for our entrepreneurs is truly amazing.”

Three years ago, Lamey officially signed on for three Sola Salons locations. Today, he has already hit that number and is looking to open two more. Overall, he says he takes the most pride in celebrating the successes of his tenants.

“It is one of the coolest things in the world when you have a guy or woman that’s been in commission for 20 years, 25 years, giving 50% of their paycheck to someone else,” said Lamey. “They come over to Sola, and within six months, they’re crying, saying, ‘What have I been doing my whole life?’ Many of them went from making $30,000 to $40,000 a year to earning six figures in their first year at Sola. It’s truly remarkable.”

Looking ahead, Lamey’s vision for the future with Sola Salons remains ambitious and unwavering, bringing the same scale-minded passion his family brought to their previous venture. 

“My intentions — I have no plan to stop,” Lamey said. “I’ve had enough experience to know what makes a great brand, and Sola aligns with my expectations. A very strong brand, a wonderful real estate play, simple operations and the ability to change people’s lives — that’s pretty hard to beat.”

The following transcript of Laney’s interview with Powills has been included below. It has been edited for brevity and clarity:

1851 Franchise: How did you accidentally fall into franchising? What’s your franchise story?

Chet Lamey: I have a very cool upbringing. I grew up in the Planet Fitness world, so I grew up in the health club industry. I was super fortunate to grow up around wonderful mentors, which drove me into the operating franchise world. I’m pretty lucky; I’m a ‘sweat equity’ guy. I was able to take my knowledge and acumen that I built, and our group grew to over 190 Planet Fitness locations, one of the largest in the system ever. I used that to leverage the opportunity to start doing Sola Salons.

1851: At what point during that journey in your career did your mindset go from “I’m an employee” to “I want to be a business owner”? Do you remember when the switch happened?

Lamey: Oh, yeah, most definitely. It was probably before I even graduated college. Growing up around that environment, seeing what my parents did and being involved with various franchises, it just seemed like the route to take. People seemed happier and more fulfilled. I always wanted to work hard but see where that effort was going and profit from it, rather than being stuck in a 9-to-5 job. I’m obsessed with growth and helping others, and that’s what the Sola world offers — financial freedom and guidance to those who wouldn’t have the opportunity to open a full-on business on their own.

1851: You mentioned “sweat equity.” How did you build that up? How did you get people to trust in you?

Lamey: There are so many stories within a story. Growing up in that franchise atmosphere, we started with one club when I was younger. We didn’t start with wealth; that was gathered over years through deals, mergers and acquisitions. Since I was 11, I was in the front making smoothies, and by the time I was 14, I was running the front desk. I did my schooling, got my MBA from Ole Miss and continued to work in the corporate world. We took one location and grew it to 150, and eventually, when I left, we had 192. I operated as an operation specialist, working in every position in a C-suite office. I had an all-encompassing background. 

The offer to do Sola Salons came from another Planet Fitness group. My family and I discussed it during COVID, and I decided to start my own thing. Sola Salons popped up, and I signed on to build three locations. I didn’t have the capital to get involved, so I had two investors come on board, acting as mentors. Our first year, we won New Franchisee of the Year and we keep all our locations at high occupancy. We’re still growing, and it’s a lot of fun.

1851: Is your family still in franchising?

Lamey: They are no longer in franchising, per se. They do a lot of commercial real estate development. They’re serial entrepreneurs, as are my brothers and sisters, who are involved in various businesses like liquor stores and flower boutiques. It’s a really cool situation. At 192 locations, our family built wealth through wonderful groups like Planet Fitness Franchisee United PF Partners. They merged with other families and created a powerhouse of locations.

1851: How did you keep your focus and grit despite your family’s success? Many children of successful families might take it easy, but you and your siblings seem to have the entrepreneurial bug. Is it part of your DNA or did you want to build something on your own?

Lamey: It’s a bit of both. Even though we were given a lot, it was all about how we were raised. We were always pushed to do our absolute best with positive reinforcement. Seeing how our parents were treated in their business dealings drove me to want to build something of my own. My siblings felt the same way. We all wanted to be business owners, though we didn’t know exactly what we wanted to do. I never thought I’d be in the salon industry, but here I am. Our goal has always been to grow together and support each other, and that’s happening now.

1851: Sola has a real estate component, similar to Planet Fitness. How did you decide to go with Sola?

Lamey: This is a great question for my business partners John Landry, my father, and Steven Goguen. He was fantastic and brought this model to us. When you’re in the franchising world and build a good name for yourself, other franchisees and recruiters start reaching out. That’s how Sola came up. It’s an amazing opportunity with a low operating model and great cash-on-cash returns. It’s more of a real estate play, but the low operational side is very attractive. Plus, the support from the office is phenomenal.

1851: Can you talk about the impact Sola has on the community and individuals?

Lamey: It is one of the coolest things in the world when you have a guy or woman that’s been in commission for 20 years, 25 years, giving 50% of their paycheck to someone else. They come over to Sola, and within six months, they’re crying, saying, “What have I been doing my whole life? This is amazing.” Setting your own schedule and being your own boss within a 120 to 140 square foot room that’s built perfectly for your services — with safety and support included — is incredible. We just celebrated the two-year anniversary of my Shreveport location, which has roughly 40 tenants. It was a party full of stories about their journeys. Many of them went from making $30,000 to $40,000 a year to earning six figures in their first year at Sola. It’s truly remarkable. Most of the time, when people leave, it’s because they became so successful and learned all the tools they needed to open their own businesses. I’m their biggest cheerleader, always supporting their success.

1851: What advice would you give to someone considering joining a franchise?

Lamey: Do extensive research. Look for franchises with barriers to entry, as they often have better support and brand consistency. Talk to other franchisees and understand the costs and success rates. Sola, for example, offers amazing support and has a strong brand with great real estate opportunities. It’s important to have strong relationships with your tenants and operators. The support from Sola has been incredible, making the stressful process of building a business much more manageable.

1851: What’s your dream now? You signed a three-unit agreement, but where do you go from here?

Lamey: I’ve already acquired two more locations, so I’m at three within the first two years. I plan to expand to five locations. The real estate market has been tough lately, but my dream is to continue growing with Sola. I have no intentions of stopping. It’s a great model, but it requires hard work and the right team. This is a hospitality and relationship business, and the stronger the relationships, the better the performance. I’m excited about the future and the challenges ahead.

1851: How do you manage to scale up and maintain the culture as you grow?

Lamey: It’s about setting a strong culture and franchising that culture. At Planet Fitness, the teams knew exactly what they were doing. I have many contacts to reach out to for building my team. Currently, I’m involved in every aspect of operations, but I know that will change as we grow. Once you hit a certain number of locations, it becomes a process of copy and paste.

1851: Any final thoughts for a franchise buyer considering Sola?

Lamey: The support at the beginning is phenomenal. Sola helps with location development and offers great assistance and hand-holding. A very strong brand, a wonderful real estate play, simple operations and the ability to change people’s lives — that’s pretty hard to beat. I’ve had enough experience to know the difference between great brands, and Sola aligns with my expectations. The support is invaluable and it’s a great opportunity.

Watch the full interview here.

For more information on franchising with Sola Salons, visit: https://www.solafranchising.com/.