Growth Club
1851 Growth Club
How Formah Body Sculpting CEO Transformed Passion Into Global Franchise Success
In his engineering career, Henrique Chimenes de Melo always felt like he wanted to see more of the world and build something of his own. Now he has done so with an international franchise.
In this episode of Meet the Zor, 1851 Franchise CEO and publisher Nick Powills interviewed Henrique Chimenes de Melo, the CEO and co-founder of Formah Body Sculpting, who shared his journey from being an engineer in Brazil to building a body sculpting franchise.
“I started looking to build some sort of business,” Chimenes de Melo said. “I was always connected with body sculpting; I always was like a gym rat, and I always liked to do body sculpting procedures in Brazil. Then I had this idea with a friend — he was my roommate — and we said, ‘Hey, let’s open a business like this.’”
His passion led him to open his first Formah Body Sculpting location in Brazil in 2014, initially offering various services before narrowing down to body sculpting. Chimenes de Melo partnered with industry experts to develop the company to cater to the demand for non-surgical fat reduction in Brazil. However, finding the market oversaturated in Brazil and still wanting to fulfill his desire of seeing more of the world, he decided to seek out opportunities abroad.
In 2019, Formah Body expanded to the U.S., adapting its model for the American market. The brand started offering franchise opportunities in 2022. After some initial challenges, Formah Body made improvements to its system and has since seen growth with two franchise locations.
“We have such a great advantage,” said Chimenes de Melo. “Body sculpting doesn't compete with massage places. It doesn't compete with facials and doesn't compete with wax. We have open real estate. We never faced a situation in a mall where they said, ‘Oh, your business cannot be here; we already have a body sculpting [business]’ because there isn’t. We are in an emerging market.”
Chimenes de Melo acknowledged that he still has a lot to learn in the franchise space. He knows there is a need to amplify his brand’s story and educate prospects on body sculpting. However, he is confident in the simplicity of operations and the scalability of the business, expressing optimism for future growth within the wellness industry and continued franchisee success.
Watch the full video above, or click here to watch the interview on YouTube.
