IMAGE Studios has been growing quickly since it was founded. The brand now has 121 locations in 27 states and expects to add up to 15 more by the end of 2025. Another 40-plus openings are planned for 2026. This steady growth has made the brand appealing to franchisees who want a business that is both stable and able to expand in a strong industry.

The company was started by Jason Olsen in 2009 during the recession. After opening five locations in five years, he filed the first Franchise Disclosure Document in 2016. Since then, he has worked on building a model that is simple to run and can scale easily. Franchisees can choose to operate one location or expand into multiple units over time.

Olsen’s approach is based on his personal values of creativity, freedom and success. Those same values connect with franchise owners and with the beauty professionals who rent suites in IMAGE Studios. The brand’s culture encourages growth and gives franchisees the chance to guide others while building long-term wealth for themselves.

Unlike many salon-suite brands that focus mainly on hairstylists, IMAGE Studios is designed to serve a wider group, including nail artists, tattoo artists and medspa professionals. This broader focus, along with the large number of open markets still available, gives investors both opportunity and urgency.

Olsen says open territory will not last forever. IMAGE Studios is in a strong position for growth, and investors who move sooner will have more options to secure the markets they want.

Olsen recently sat down with 1851 Publisher Nick Powills on “Meet the Franchise” to talk about IMAGE Studios’ growth, why franchisees are drawn to the brand and what comes next. A transcript of their conversation is included below. It has been edited for brevity, clarity and style.

Nick ​​Powills: Question one is always kind of scripted, but my only beef with you is you call yourself a serial entrepreneur. It doesn’t seem chaotic. You’re very committed and loyal. So I want to hear about that. But the scripted question is, how did you accidentally fall into franchising? What’s your franchise?

Jason Olsen: I started IMAGE Studios in 2009 during the recession. I launched my first location in 2010 in Salt Lake City and built five locations over the next five years. In 2016, I started to think about the growth plan for the next 10 years. Expanding corporate stores in surrounding states was the primary goal, but scaling a large corporate operation was difficult. Financing for salon suites wasn’t widely available, and debt was tricky.

That’s when I started talking to people I knew in franchising. Like many, I thought franchising was only for restaurants or QSRs. But other franchisors told me my business was a franchise model. I had scale and had proven it with multiple locations, which is critical in franchising. If the first location works, you’re lucky. If the second works, you’re lucky again. But if you can prove success three, four, five, six times, you’ve built a proven system.

I filed my first FDD in 2016. I had already attended IFA to get the lay of the land. Since then, I’ve loved franchising and the opportunities it creates for people across the country. It gives entrepreneurs a proven process, limits risk, and offers something scalable. Not everyone wants to risk everything to prove out a concept. Franchising shines for those looking for stability and growth.

Powills: Frame the business for anyone watching. What does your development look like?

Olsen: We have 121 locations open in 27 states. By the end of 2025, we’ll open 15 more, depending on December. In 2026, we have a pipeline of 42 to 45 new locations. We expect to continue that pace with existing franchisees and new awards. Growth has been strong in a resilient industry. Beauty performs well in downturns and strong economies alike.

That’s what drew me in. My two previous startups were in the automotive industry. I ran a dealership before starting IMAGE Studios. I was successful, but it left me drained. One day, driving to work, I realized I didn’t love what I did. That realization was both powerful and terrifying. The bigger fear wasn’t failing at something new — it was staying stuck in something I didn’t enjoy.

That motivated me to build something meaningful. IMAGE Studios became that. I love the business, the beauty industry and the real estate aspect of the model. It’s been rewarding to work alongside entrepreneurs — our franchisees and the beauty professionals who rent space in our studios. They’re all running their own small businesses, and it creates an amazing ecosystem.

Am I still in automotive? Yes. I brought my brother in to take over operations in 2016. I still have a partner, but I’m not actively running it. That speaks to the flexibility of this model. When I built five locations in five years, I was still running a dealership with 100 employees and 300 cars. It was exhausting, but I was younger and had the energy. It didn’t feel like work because I loved building something new. It’s been rewarding and fun to grow a national brand, something I’ve always wanted to do.

Powills: Automotive is franchise-adjacent. You still have to be a licensee of the manufacturer. Whether you realized it at the time or not, did that teach you anything about being a franchisee or franchisor? Did you get training, even though it wasn’t franchising in the traditional sense?

Olsen: I was an independent car dealer, not a franchise dealer. We sold late-model used cars, two or three years old, similar to CarMax or Carvana today. But I watched my peers who were franchise dealers. They had structure, systemization and processes from the manufacturers. That helped them scale quickly, open multiple rooftops and build large empires.

I envied that. We had to figure everything out as we grew — hiring consultants, learning from trial and error. I often thought I should have gone the franchise route because it would have been a shorter runway with fewer costly mistakes.

Powills: That’s interesting because it connects directly to what we saw during COVID. We worked with IWG and Regus to reframe their model. Instead of selling franchises, we suggested they build partnership agreements. They were willing to operate facilities themselves and needed landlords to build them out. Then they’d take a commission as the operating partner.

Their thinking was similar to what you’ve done in beauty. They saw all this unused commercial real estate and wanted to convert it into co-working spaces. It worked well and became a conversion strategy more than anything else.

That connects to your experience as a dealer. There are still plenty of landlords with space or buildings who need someone to back them and help figure out what to do with it. Now you’re solving that as a franchisor. You get to play both sides — the pain of building your own dealership and now solving the same gap for others. And if we add your moment of driving home and asking yourself, “Am I happy doing this anymore?” — that’s often the trigger that pushes someone to buy a franchise in the first place.

Olsen: One of my personal philosophies has always been to be the person I wish I had when I was at that stage. That’s what I love about working with franchisees. We share institutional knowledge and wisdom that comes from making mistakes.

The best lessons in business — and in life — come from mistakes. They can be painful, but they’re valuable. We help franchisees navigate site selection, lease negotiation, build-out, recruiting and stabilization. We also provide training and support to beauty pros through our education programs and smartphone app.

I learned a lot of lessons early on by making mistakes. That’s how you iterate and improve. Anyone who thinks their first business or first location is perfect is wrong. There’s constant iteration. That’s why emerging franchisors need to reach meaningful scale before franchising. What you’re offering is a polished model, and it takes trial and error to get there.

Powills: I want to shift to the entrepreneur topic. I’ve always said franchisees are entrepreneurs. The industry often says they should be “entrepreneurial” but not “entrepreneurs,” as if the title is reserved for founders. But you said you work with entrepreneurs. How did you land on that mindset?

Olsen: It comes down to how you define an entrepreneur. To me, an entrepreneur has an idea and is willing to take a risk. The difference between those who pursue entrepreneurship and those who don’t is risk tolerance. Every business has risk. If there were a risk-free business, everyone would do it, and the market would collapse.

Franchising allows people with entrepreneurial spirit to take on risk in a structured way. Risk tolerance also changes over time. When you’re young, you can take bigger risks. When I started IMAGE Studios at 27, I put everything on the line — every penny I had, plus guarantees from my other business. It was during the recession, and landlords required strong guarantees. All the chips were on the table, but I believed it would work. Entrepreneurs understand risk but move forward with confidence that problems can be solved.

In franchising, you don’t face those unknowns alone. Risk is what remains after you plan for everything you can. The surprises always come, but the benefit of franchising is that we’ve seen many scenarios before. That experience allows us to reduce surprises and give franchisees insight and protection.

I think there are two types of entrepreneurs. There are disruptors, like me, who want to do things their own way. I’d probably be a terrible franchisee. Then there are entrepreneurs with process discipline, who make great franchisees.

I’ve told friends who are disruptors not to become franchisees — they’d want to change everything, and they wouldn’t enjoy it. The best franchisees respect the process and follow it. At the same time, franchisors need to leave space for franchisees’ good ideas. We have 125 franchisees in 27 states with diverse professional backgrounds. The collective knowledge they bring is invaluable.

The power of a national brand is consistency. Consumers want predictable experiences. That’s why McDonald’s succeeds — you know exactly what a Big Mac will taste like anywhere. If it doesn’t, you don’t return. Predictability creates trust. But consistency doesn’t mean stagnation. Brands must evolve and iterate, but not disrupt so much that the core experience changes. Predictable, high-quality experiences are what keep consumers coming back.

Powills: You’ve had tremendous success. You don’t need to earn another dollar. You could retire today and spend your life at the beach or golfing. How do you keep your internal scorecard? If it’s not about money anymore, how do you stay motivated when you’ve already won so much in business?

Olsen:  I was lucky to work with a business coach years ago who helped me distill my core values as an entrepreneur: creativity, freedom and success.

I’m a very creative person. I like being in an environment where I can create, whether that’s beautiful spaces, design or branding. Freedom has always mattered to me — the ability to have a personal life outside of business, not being locked into a nine-to-five.

Success, for me, isn’t monetary. I thrive when I’m doing something that helps others succeed. Those three values are at the core of IMAGE Studios. They resonate with our franchisees, who say they’re solving for the same things, and with our customers — the beauty professionals — who are always looking for their next opportunity to run their own business. That alignment from founder to brand to franchisee to customer is powerful.

If I’m not living those three values, I’m not happy. That’s the hardest thing for people — figuring out what truly drives them. Making money will always be a motive in business, but you need to know what fulfills you. When you live those values, work becomes fun, meaningful and enriching. I’ve always said you can make money doing anything if you’re good at it and commit to becoming an expert. Few people dedicate themselves to mastery, and that’s why those who do rise to the top of their industry. The money follows, but it’s your values that make it fulfilling.

Powills: The lines you’ve been sharing connect directly to your candidates. These aren’t people just starting out — they’re individuals who’ve built wealth and reached a point where they’re debating happiness. Am I happy with what I’m doing? Am I happy with my portfolio? Am I motivated every day? For them, business one is entering franchising in the real estate world. You’re giving them a pathway forward, but it’s complex. You’re not selling to beginners. They already have a track record of success.

Olsen: A hundred percent. Most of our candidates are 45 to 60 years old. They’ve been successful in corporate America, running their own businesses or both. At this stage, they’re asking, “What’s next?” They’re thinking about legacy and often their kids, who might get involved in the future. Our business is easy to run and rewarding. Franchisees get to coach and mentor beauty professionals who want to start businesses. That’s fun and fulfilling.

The qualities that make our franchisees successful aren’t just process discipline but soft skills — being good communicators and, most importantly, good listeners. Listening is an underrated sales superpower. Too many people in sales can’t stop talking. The key is finding out what the buyer wants, what their pain points are and what they’re trying to solve. Once you understand that, you can present a solution that makes them feel heard. That’s when they buy.

I learned that selling cars. Customers usually know what they want. The worst thing is a salesperson who talks their ear off. A question-based approach works better: ask why they’re there, what they liked or disliked about their last car, what they want in the new one. Then present options. People walk away feeling great because they got to talk about themselves — and everyone loves that.

Powills: What’s your dream now? I joke about the “serial entrepreneur” on your LinkedIn, but you’ve accomplished a lot. If you have a North Star beyond your core values, what do you want to achieve in business or life?

Olsen: I love what we’re doing. We’re becoming a larger brand, but it’s still relatively small. I see myself here for many years because every stage of growth brings new challenges. Operating 20 units is very different than operating 100. When we reach 200, 300 or 500, the business evolves again. Each stage requires new systems and processes to support a growing population of operators across the country.

We’re also focused on the broader beauty industry, not just hair. We want to serve nail artists, tattoo artists and medspa professionals. That segment of the market isn’t being addressed. Most of the industry focuses on hairstylists and barbers. We’re building spaces that accommodate all beauty professionals, and we’ll keep evolving to solve for what’s next.

The key is looking ahead. Too many business owners react to growth instead of planning for it. We’re focused on five- and 10-year planning — figuring out what needs to be in place to support the next level of growth. That’s the fun part.

Powills: It’s the game of winning. It’s not about the money anymore — you’ve already achieved that. Now it’s about building infrastructure, building a better business, supporting franchisees and helping them create wealth.

Olsen: Exactly. I’ve learned that whenever a business doubles — whether it’s revenue, store count or staff — systems and processes need to be reengineered to handle the new scale. A foundation that works for 30 stores won’t work for 60. New people join the org chart, job descriptions change, processes must evolve.

When we implement new systems, we ask: Will this support us now and over the next 12 months? And will it support us at 300 units? If the answer is no, we go back to the drawing board. We build systems that carry us further so we’re not constantly reengineering.

Nothing is permanent — things will always evolve — but having long-term systems in place prevents those moments when you suddenly hit a wall and realize processes can’t handle the scale. Taking that larger perspective has been critical to building a foundation that works today and in the years ahead.

Powills: We’ve talked about problem-solving, innovation during tough times like a recession and having an internal compass to measure happiness and reinvestment. If someone is watching, what else do you want them to know about the business?

Olsen:  At the core, we focus on creating a simple, stable, scalable model. If someone wants to open just one location, we’re fine with that. But we want franchisees to think about their growth goals. If they want to scale to five, 10 or 15 locations, we’ll help them.

We don’t require them to commit upfront beyond maybe a two- or three-pack. We want them to succeed step by step. At our convention, I always encourage franchisees to make a 10-year plan. Five years is easy, but 10 is harder. Still, the point is to have a framework. Whether it changes or not, it gives you a direction and allows us to build backwards into a timetable for growth.

This is a business with huge scaling potential without requiring a massive support team. A single location doesn’t need employees. Even with multiple locations, you’ll never need the staff of three QSR units. That lighter operational model makes it easier to scale smoothly, build a large portfolio and create real retirement opportunities.

Powills: Exactly. Think of Sport Clips or Great Clips — good business, scalable, fast-growing, and then sold out. Competitors larger than you have proven there’s demand, but once a market is built out, it’s gone. Franchisees need a sense of urgency. A good business opportunity won’t sit around forever.

Olsen: Right. White space doesn’t last forever. Those with growth goals rise to the top because they see that if they don’t develop quickly, someone else will. We’d rather our stores go in than competitors’.

We still have enormous white space. I believe we can get to 500 or 600 locations, like our competitors. But once we do, available territory becomes scarce. Then franchisees are forced to spread out instead of concentrating in a market. Concentration allows for efficiencies — 10 to 20 stores within driving distance, easier operations and better support. That window is open now, but it won’t be forever if we keep growing at our current pace.

Powills:  It’s the same as with your car dealership. You didn’t reinvent the wheel. You built a business model that worked, then made it your own. Now you’ve done the same thing in another industry, finding your inch of differentiation and putting it into play.

If I’m a buyer, yes, I’m looking at cost, ROI, validation and market availability. But above all, I’m looking at the leader. What’s their background? How have they proven they can handle challenges?

That’s the beauty of this conversation, Jason. We’ve showcased who you are. Buyers aren’t just buying into the business — they’re buying into you. I’m grateful you shared your story.

Olsen:  It’s been great to share it. Thanks for having me.

Watch the full episode above or on YouTube. 

To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/image-studios