In the early 2000s, the print industry was changing: Internet-based printing companies were becoming more popular and home printing technology became simultaneously more advanced and affordable. After 17 years working for a printing company, Peter Cappadona started to see the ramifications in his own workplace. As the layoffs began, Peter decided to begin calculating his next steps.

His first thought was to open a gym, but the overhead was daunting. It was then that he began to explore indoor tanning — a business that relied on a similar EFT-driven structure. One decade ago, Peter opened the first location of Sun Factory Tanning Studios in Quincy, Mass.

What Peter didn’t know then was that there was a missing component. Two years and a second location later, his vivacious girlfriend Rachel Losordo joined Sun Factory as a partner — one who would help Peter grow his business and later become his fiancée.

Rachel was in retail sales while going to school for criminal justice and interning at the Quincy district courthouse. When she began working with her then boyfriend at the salon, tanning quickly became more than a beautification routine. Together, they opened a third location.

“I always liked the management aspect of retail, and sales always felt comfortable,” says Rachel. “And once I got into the business, it just felt right being a woman who was into looking good and feeling good. It was something I wanted to run with — everyone wants to do what they love, and now I do.

Click here to read the entire article in the latest issue of Smart Tan Magazine online.