The Contour of Luxury Summer 2019 | Page 296

Jimmy you’re an athlete with a background in hurdling, how did you find yourself on a radical career detour and into a profession of spray tanning? I grew up an athlete in the sport of gymnastics, my twin brother and I together! However, there was a very talented French hurdler also called Jimmy Coco who competed in World Championships and who took a silver medal in the 4 x 400m relay at the 1997 Mediterranean Games which is who I believe you are thinking of. I believe my career in the Sunless industry is very much like my fellow Jimmy Coco as I encounter many hurdles along my path to success too. I only wish I could get over my hurdles as gracefully as he can! You started your spray tanning business in 2003. What was the inspiration for making your tanning service a VIP mobile service, and how long did it take for the idea to take hold with consumers? I never thought about it becoming a VIP mobile service. Since there was no one before me, I had no one to look up to... so, I just followed the business model I learned from my stepdad. He had a mobile window washing service. One summer when I was probably 14 or 15 years old, I tagged along with my stepdad to his client’s homes and I learned a lot about the house-call process…that was all I knew. When I started the first ever mobile tanning business in the world while living in Hollywood, it would become the perfect recipe for influence here. I never thought I would, or ever had the desire to work with famous people. However, the phrase “mobile tanning” peaked everyone’s curiosity so it caught on very fast. My life instantly changed, and I am incredibly blessed.