Opening Soon
Opening Soon is the podcast where we go behind the scenes with founders of brick-and-mortar businesses — from pilates studios to coffee shops, boutiques, medspas, and more. Hosted by Alan Li, co-founder of FotoLab Studio and Signs and Mirrors, each episode explores how real entrepreneurs found ...
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Recent Episodes
Sept. 17, 2025
Bootstrapping a NYC Fitness Studio to $200k a Month with Victor Valle
Victor Del Valle went from aspiring dentist to MPC bodybuilder to scrappy trainer hustling through the pandemic, literally converting his NYC apartment into a one-on-one gym. Within weeks he was booked 6am–9pm, charging $100/...
Sept. 10, 2025
Marissa Martin - Building House of Tone, a Nashville salon, for $50K
In this episode, Alan talks with Marissa Martin, Nashville-based colorist and co-founder of House of Tone, a boutique salon in the Wedgwood-Houston neighborhood. After three years of college, Marissa followed her instincts in...
Aug. 27, 2025
Better than Crumbl? THIN COOKIES - Selling 4,000 per day with Yoseph Raja
In this episode, Alan talks with Yoseph Raja, co-founder of Thin Cookies , a fast-growing cookie brand with locations in Long Island and Manhattan’s West Village. Trained as a pharmacist, Yoseph never expected to be in the fo...
Aug. 20, 2025
Building Glo Up Salon: From basement startup to $70k months - Nicole Farsalas
In this episode of Opening Soon , Alan sits down with Nicole , the founder of Glo Up , a thriving beauty brand and spray tan studio based in Chicago. Nicole shares her journey from working in hospitality and nightclubs to dis...
Aug. 13, 2025
Building Miami’s First Hand Roll Bar with Edouard Benitah of Pari Pari
In this episode, Alan talks with Edouard Benitah , co-founder of Pari Pari , a hand roll bar in Miami’s Wynwood neighborhood. Originally from Paris, Edouard came to the U.S. in 2015, working his way up through the restaurant ...
Aug. 6, 2025
Raising $6M to Build 5,000 Suburban Coworking Spaces — Enclave’s Robert Kellman
What if you could launch a profitable coworking space for $65,000, with no staff, and scale that model to thousands of locations? That’s exactly what Robert Kellman is doing with Enclave, a suburban coworking company he found...