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.