Kristin Bates is woman who knows what she wants, knows what makes her happy and knows how to turn that combination into a successful future. She is the owner of Gobare, a specialty salon which focuses solely on providing the services she loves with a dedication of purpose and a devotion to perfection.

Kristin always envisioned herself as a salon owner, even while completing her studies at a traditional 4 year college. Her Bachelors degree in Business from UMass was just a stepping stone, providing the background and skills for the business side of her career. She continued on after graduation with a Medical Esthetics Certification from Catherine Hinds Institute of Esthetics in Woburn, MA in 2005.

While saving up for her future, Kristin went to work in a full service spa to practice her techniques and gain experience. She fell in love with the more detailed services in her field like waxing and, after a visit to a beauty tradeshow, eyelash extensions.

“There were other lash companies there,” she says, “but I was really impressed with Xtreme because of the marketing, training and support.” Kristin booked her initial training for April of 2006 and has never regretted her choice. “I’m so glad I chose Xtreme Lashes now. I wouldn’t use any other company. I carry other lines of retail products, facial cosmetics and things. None of them do half as much as Xtreme Lashes does for support.”

After training, her new service was added to the spa’s menu, alongside her existing array of esthetics offerings. She quickly found lashes to be her favorite passion and began to feel the other services were taking her away from having the time to do more of what she loved. “It’s what I enjoy doing most. I was eager to put my time and effort towards what I loved more,” she says. “I wasn’t able to market it as I liked because it wasn’t my place and they really didn’t put a lot of focus on the lashes.”

As soon as finances allowed, Kristin left the life of “spa employee” behind and entered the world of “salon owner” with Gobare, hosting her grand opening in Worcester, MA, January 2009. The services offered at Gobare have been stripped down to include just those she and her staff truly love to perform, following the old adage, “Find what you love doing and do it well.” The location specializes in Xtreme Lashes, waxing and makeup, services she finds give her the most gratification due to the detailed worked involved and the instant “wow” factor they evoke in clients.

Gobare has grown tremendously since the initial opening. From just this past July to September, Kristin says they have added more than 75 new clients. It was such an upswing that Kristin needed to add another Xtreme Lashes Stylist to her crew, so she sent esthetician friend Kristie Lee to an August 2009 training with Xtreme.

She’s planning further expansion for the future with hopes to open several more Gobare locations over the next few years, staffed with additional Xtreme trained Stylists. “I’m hoping to get a really great crew that are all Certified by Xtreme Lashes,” she says. Kristin’s returned to Xtreme for additional training herself with a May 2009 Xtended Education to update and refresh her skills, and has plans to enroll herself and Kristie Lee in an Advanced training after the first of the year. “My advice to new stylists, from a veteran Xtreme Lash Stylist, is to keep up with your education,” she says. “You don’t want to under-service your clients.”

In sharp contrast to “under-servicing”, Gobare goes above and beyond with a unique service that has really increased client satisfaction and retention at the salon. Kristin's favorite way to market Xtreme Lashes is by doing lash consults. Of course, lash consults are not unique, but lash consults at Gobare are a requirement for all new clients and include a test set of 10 lashes per eye for $40. “We make sure they like the length, learn how to care for them, tell them about the products they may need and discuss maintenance costs,” she explains. “There are no surprises for them when they book their full set; they’re aware of the initial and ongoing costs and they already have experience caring for them. Plus, we get a chance to work on them before the full set investment and really plan the best look for them. It really increases their happiness with the final results and it’s an extra $40 in revenue for us.”

Adding to that revenue are retail sales at Gobare. “We really make use of the GlideLiner gift sets,” Kristin says. “We sell buckets of them, not just to our lash clients, but to everyone. The retail sales add a lot to the bottom line. The clients benefit and so do I.”

Clients seem to be benefitting all around at Gobare and they’re coming in from all around, too. Kristin has clients from all over Massachusetts, some travelling over 2 hours every few weeks for their fills. A number of her clients have been with her since her initial training in 2006, coming time and again to see her over the years. “I feel as though Xtreme Lashes has given my clients a level of freedom they can't achieve with mascaras; like I’m fixing a lash deficiency for them and it makes me feel good.”

Kristin makes her clients feel good, too, as evidenced by this response from Punky Style writer and boutique owner, Amy Chase: