Deep Dive 18 – Regulatory Hurdles for Entrepreneurs: The Story of Project Belle

Armand Lauzon created a cutting-edge business called Project Belle. Belle is a service that connects consumers directly with health and beauty professionals for in-home or at-work care in Tennessee. A Tennessee salon owner who “found this type of competition highly disturbing” reported Lauzon’s business to the Tennessee State Board of Cosmetology. The Board determined that Belle had run afoul of a regulation that makes it illegal in Tennessee to practice cosmetology outside of a brick-and-mortar salon. The Board issued Lauzon a $500 penalty and a cease-and-desist notice. Believing his business model to be outside the scope of the regulation—Lauzon does not own a salon and does not perform cosmetology services himself—and indeed the Board’s authority, Lauzon challenged the Board’s order.<br /><br />Join us for this Deep Dive podcast to hear the full story of Project Belle and the Tennessee State Board of Cosmetology.<br /><br />Featuring:<br />- Armand Lauzon, Founder & CEO, Belle<br />- Braden H. Boucek, Director of Litigation, Beacon Center of Tennessee<br /><br />Visit our website – RegProject.org – to learn more, view all of our content, and connect with us on social media.