Firm, Fair, and Friendly: Scaling a Beauty Platform with Discipline and Service

Name: Meg Roberts
Title: CEO
Company: Head to Toe Brands
Units: 130 The Lash Lounge, 40 Bishops Cuts & Color, 26 Frenchies Modern Nail Care, 1 Delta Crown Extensions
Age: 53
Years in franchising: 19
Years in current position: 2

Meg Roberts welcomes the challenges that come with being a CEO. Whether it’s building strong teams, driving brand growth, or demanding operational excellence, Roberts embraces it.

She led Molly Maid for more than a decade before being named CEO of The Lash Lounge in August 2018. She oversaw the membership-based beauty concept that specializes in custom lash and brow services until it was acquired by Head to Toe Brands in spring 2024. The private investment-backed Head to Toe Brands then tapped Roberts to lead all of its brands, including The Lash Lounge, Bishops Cuts & Color, Frenchies Modern Nail Care, and Delta Crown Extensions.

For the past couple of years, Roberts has led the multi-brand platform, guiding strategic growth, brand integration, franchisee support systems, and expansion into new markets. Today, the four brands combined make up a portfolio that is just shy of 200 locations.

Roberts approaches her role as a service-driven, disciplined leader who blends structure with warmth in a style she describes as “firm, fair, and friendly.” Her people-first mindset is clear in the way she talks about lash artists, stylists, and nail techs. She’s quick to point out that they’re the reason members keep coming back. She says recognition should happen consistently at the franchise level, where culture is lived out every day.

Ultimately, she measures success less by headlines and more by the strength of her team. If the people around her are inspired, ambitious, and focused, she expects the results to follow. As Head to Toe Brands continues to grow, Roberts makes it clear the company isn’t chasing the spotlight. It’s chasing excellence, letting the work and the franchisees who deliver it every day speak for themselves.

LEADERSHIP

Describe your leadership style: Firm, fair, and friendly.

What has inspired your leadership style? My father’s leadership style was formed by his service in the military. He always said, “Officers eat last.” Essentially, always be serving others first.

What is your biggest leadership challenge? Resisting the temptation to jump in and rescue.

How do you transmit your culture from your office to frontline employees? At HTT, we make it a point to celebrate and acknowledge our frontline experts from lash artists to stylists. Their skills are what keep our members coming back. While we have annual awards and recognition, we believe the real value is in helping our franchisees appreciate, recognize, and honor their teams on a regular basis.

How can a CEO help their CMO develop and grow? My original aspiration was to be a CMO, but seeing the level of creativity required of ours (Erica Upshur), I can see and appreciate that I would not be successful! Our CMO brings the creativity. My role is to make sure that creativity drives real business results. Franchise marketing requires the best talent: being able to make magic without millions!

Where is the best place to prepare for leadership: an MBA school or OTJ? 110% OTJ. But this assumes you have good leaders to emulate. I was lucky. I worked for some of the best, including Mary Kennedy Thompson. Working for her is like getting a Harvard MBA!

Are tough decisions best taken by one person? How do you make tough decisions? I prefer to own the tough decisions. That’s not to say I don’t make them with my senior leadership team, but at the end of the day, I will own the fallout.

Do you want to be liked or respected? It may be a cop-out to say both, but picking one just feels dishonest. That said, I’m okay if someone doesn’t like me, but respect is required.

Advice to CEO wannabes: Consider carefully your ability to endure difficult times and be certain your motivation, at least in franchising, is the calling to serve.

MANAGEMENT

Describe your management style: Stay informed, empower proven leaders, focus on growth, and eliminate distractions.

What does your management team look like? My management team looks like a group of close friends at a big table in the back of a bar, solving problems and using the menu as a whiteboard.

How does your management team help you lead? By reminding me when I’m not following my own rules, keeping them informed, or providing autonomy.

Favorite management gurus: Do you read management books? I do not read management books. That’s not where I find my inspiration. I prefer podcasts about leadership, problem-solving, and everyday business. “Business Wars” is my favorite.

What makes you say, “Yes, now that’s why I do what I do!”? When a former franchisee calls to tell me they earned their citizenship, and I’m the first person they called.

OPERATIONS

What trends are you seeing with consumer spending habits in your stores? Our members are more dedicated than ever. Beauty and wellness don’t go out of style, but our members do want, and deserve, new styles and technologies. We are prepared to provide it.

How is the economy driving consumer behavior in your system? Consumer Index reports can be unnerving even when positive for beauty and wellness because broadly they are a sign of confidence or otherwise. While we don’t see membership declines, we have experienced some shift in new customer behavior, which suggests that providing value is all the more critical when consumers are more wallet aware.

Are your franchisees bullish or bearish about growth and adding additional units? Head to Toe is bullish about the beauty industry, and each of our brands uniquely addresses a consumer’s need for luxury and quality. We expect The Lash Lounge to assume the premier position of leadership within the industry of lash extensions as we’ve proven and maintained our reputation. Frenchies is growing like wildfire as more people pursue clean manicures in a pristine studio, and Bishops is having a glow-up, revitalized and ready for coast-to-coast expansion. Finally, our newest brand, Delta Crown Extensions, is hitting the scene like a new Hollywood star. This brand is born for success!

Are commodity/supply costs any cause for concern in your system? Not specifically. But there’s no doubt the uncertainty of tariffs continues to be an annoyance and a distraction no business can afford.

In what ways are political/global issues impacting the market and your brand? Just as franchisees appreciate clear communication, so does the general public, including future franchisees, employees, and consumers. Mixed messaging doesn’t help anyone or any business.

TECHNOLOGY

How much influence does your IT department have on your brand? Technology should be at the core of all strategic planning: what’s working, what’s needed, and what can we imagine!

How have your company’s tech tools changed over the past five years? Just about every aspect of our technology has evolved over the past five years: what we use, how we use it, and how much more we rely on it.

How does technology influence your decisions? Emerging technologies are essential to success but must be balanced with thoughtful planning. Tech benefits are often obvious, but great technology can fail without consideration for end users. New tech must be integrated thoughtfully and acknowledge adoption fear and fatigue.

Are you using AI? How? Yes. Everywhere in franchise development, marketing, operations, and communications. There isn’t a facet of our business that can’t be improved or made more efficient with AI.

How do you measure your ROI on technology investments? There are too many variables to answer this succinctly, but let’s use an example that matters most: asking franchisees to spend more on a tech fee. Franchisors need to demonstrate the ROI of a specific tool (e.g., LMS training system) where a monthly fee will provide greater access to education, expediting trainees onto the floor. It reduces overtime costs, and clients spend less time waiting for an in-person visit.

How did/do you create a culture where use of technology advancements is welcome and used? Always a work in progress as people are different. Some embrace change quickly, and others take time. Ultimately, watching others succeed is the best way to create a culture of adoption.

PERSONAL

What time do you like to be at your desk? 8 a.m.

Exercise in the morning? Wine with lunch? Never and never.

Do you socialize with your team after work/outside the office? Yes. A great deal. I’m lucky to have worked with some of my teammates for nearly 20 years! We have a lot of laughs together and enjoy practical jokes.

Last two books read: Let Them by Mel Robbins (gift from a colleague), and I read The Onion regularly because we all need a little escape from reality, and it’s hilarious.

What technology do you take on the road? Laptop.

How do you relax/balance life and work? It’s difficult, but I escape by literally and figuratively walking away. Get outside, walk around the block, try to take out your earbuds, and just listen to the world.

Favorite vacation destination: Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina.

Favorite occasions to send employees notes: For no reason at all, just because.

Favorite company product/service: Of course, my own companies’ services. I love them all. Once you get a Frenchies manicure or a set of perfect lash extensions, it’s impossible to ever consider anything less. But right now, I’m hooked on the Delta Crown hair extension experience. It’s a game changer. Outside of my own, I’m a huge fan of Ariat cowboy boots. They’re my go-to look, dressed up or down, suit or jeans. They work with everything.

BOTTOM LINE

What are your long-term goals for the company? For each of our brands to set the standard for service, luxury, and opportunity in the beauty space and for our franchisees to enjoy the success and rewards of our shared efforts.

How has the economy changed your goals for your company? My outlook is always optimistic. I was born “glass half full,” so we press on and through whatever the economy brings. Hard times lead to creative thinking and the rise of the best ideas.

Where can capital be found these days? Capital is still in the same reliable sources: the SBA, local banks, and personal assets. When it’s harder to come by, it is incumbent on franchisors to have an even more compelling proposition and more robust support. We need to provide even greater confidence in the future franchisee.

How do you measure success? Success in my position equates to having a team that is inspired, ambitious, and focused. With a team that embodies these traits, the results will follow.

What has been your greatest success? Assembling that team!

Any regrets? Of course. Not listening to my gut earlier in my career. I trust my instincts a lot more now.

What can we expect from your company in the next 12 to 18 months? Head to Toe doesn’t seek the spotlight. We are ambitious, bullish, and confident in our growth plans, but we let our customers speak for our success. We are enormously proud of what our franchisees and their incredible professionals do every day to deliver the goods. You can expect more of that!