People We Admire: Mark Strulowitz
There are two things that immediately come to mind when you first meet Mark Strulowitz: his New Jersey accent and that he has never met a stranger. People are immediately drawn to his dry and witty sense of humor and the way he naturally connects with people. Although famous for dropping frequent f-bombs in conversation, Mark is really known for being a serial franchisee. Having owned and operated several Massage Envy locations, in addition to currently owning and operating European Wax Centers – New York City and PROSE Nails – Florham Park, Mark has combined innovative business practices and a fierce kindness towards people to blaze his own trail in the business world.
Background:
Mark grew up in New Jersey, before moving to South Florida at the age of 15. He earned a Bachelors of Science in Marketing from the University of South Florida, before beginning his career in sales at Carlson Marketing Group. During his 15 year tenure at Carlson, Mark quickly discovered the value in giving people a personal stake in a business’s success. He developed and sold incentive programs to large Fortune 100 companies. With a complex sales cycle and multiple contacts to work with, Mark built relationships throughout the process, eventually leading to him becoming the regional Vice President of Sales.
Journey to Entrepreneurship:
Growing up, Mark’s role models were his father and uncle, who both were successful entrepreneurs. He saw firsthand how gratifying owning your own business could be as well as the hard work that went into being an entrepreneur. After having children, Mark sought a better work/life balance and more control over his career. He knew he wanted to be part of the franchising world because it offered a ready-made business model, along with training, guidance, and support. In 2005, he opened a Massage Envy, where he immersed himself in the world of franchising. Building on his initial success at Massage Envy, Mark opened European Wax Centers and later, invested as a developer in PROSE Nails for the state of New Jersey.
Above all else, he is passionate about helping others succeed and thrive. As a PROSE developer, Mark is able to share his franchising knowledge to those interested in being entrepreneurs in the beauty industry (worth $42.8 billion annually). PROSE Nails offers a unique membership based business model and focuses on toxic-free and fume-free manicures and pedicures.
Words of Wisdom:
Mark achieved all of this with “[a lot of] hard work, a little bit of luck” and the desire to take a chance on himself.
When asked what it means to be a business person, Mark answered: “It means I can control my own destiny.” Control his destiny he did, all while continuing to be a mentor to his friends, family, and colleagues, who he inspired to follow their dreams and invest in themselves.
“Owning a business allows you to control your own destiny, build, and grow. I wanted to be involved in franchising, which allowed me to learn and share my experiences of success with like-minded entrepreneurs.”
Helping Others Reach their Maximum Potential:
“I measure our success based on the culture and growth, as well as client and employee satisfaction,” Mark Strulowitz.
As a business person, Mark wears many hats, but perhaps his favorite role is being able to lead and inspire a team to reach their full potential. All of us at Slick Marketers are honored to work with Mark and admire his determination, kindness and leadership. If you’re interested in learning more about his PROSE Nails location, please visit: https://myprose.com/locations/new-jersey/florham-park/.