This last June, Vagaro had the pleasure of collaborating with the University of San Francisco (USF) and its Masters of Science in Marketing Intelligence program for their annual research studies. Led by Kiran Kaur, Vagaro’s own Market Research Specialist, this year’s students gave presentations on the mental health therapy, tattoo, and martial arts industries and how Vagaro might be able to align with them more closely. Today, join us as we listen to Kiran’s own story, and her transition from a previous USF graduate participating in our 2022 collaboration, to now leading the presentation!
Kiran Kaur: Market Research Specialist
Thanks so much for speaking with us today, Kiran! To kick things off, why don’t you tell us a little bit about what you do at Vagaro currently.
Hi! I was originally hired as a Paid Media Specialist but transitioned into the Market Research Specialist role for the Marketing Department. I gather and analyze data on consumers & competitors. I then study consumer preferences, business conditions, and other factors to assess potential sales of Vagaro’s product/offering for different countries & industries. Essentially, I do this by analyzing industry reports and internal data, as well as interviewing/surveying our customers & prospects.
Now, stepping back in time for a moment, what can you tell us about the Master’s in Marketing Intelligence program at USF during your time as a student? How did it lead to your first experience with Vagaro?
The MSMI program is a market research program that began in 2020 and it runs for about 11 months (unique because most grad programs are at least 2 years). I was a part of the second cohort of students (Class of 2022) so my peers, professors & I really worked together to establish the curriculum and worked towards getting real-world experience for the students. This was also during the pandemic, so everything was pretty chaotic trying to stay safe and learn everything in an accelerated program with a lot of uncertainty around job opportunities once we graduated. Enter, Vagaro—my savior! Charity, Vagaro’s VP of Marketing, presented Vagaro as a possible partner and provided 12 students with two research projects on the Fitness & MedSpa industries. These projects were crucial in kick-starting our understanding of market research as a subject matter.
I led the MedSpa team of six students and our goal was to understand the opportunities in the market, which was new for Vagaro at that time. We worked on this for three months and presented our findings in June of 2022 to the entire Marketing Team. It was such a cool experience and really meant a lot to have the Vagaro Marketing Team show up to see our insights & findings!
After collaborating with Vagaro for the first time in 2022, what drew you to come back, not just as a graduate, but as a full-time employee?
After the presentation day, I remember thinking how friendly everyone was and how much I liked the Vagaro product/offerings. I also wanted to see something happen with my research & wanted to be more involved. So, I applied for the role of the Paid Media Specialist and then got a call about a month later from HR. I worked in Paid Media for three months & would help our team calculate market share, as well as look into new verticals as side projects before Vagaro ended up creating the Market Research Specialist role specifically for me.
If we fast-forward a year to this last June, how did it feel to host the 2023 graduating students in our second-annual USF Research Study collab? And how was that experience different than your first time participating as a student last year?
It was so awesome to lead this year’s research projects. I got really emotional going back to my alma mater during the first client & student introduction meeting. It was great working with my professors more as a collaborator this time around. And I think going from a student to hosting this year helped level up this partnership because I knew what the students needed to get the most out of this experience, but I also knew what Vagaro would find most beneficial in terms of insights. So, I was trying to always find the sweet spot.
The main thing that made the experience different this year was the final presentation. We hosted the teams at Vagaro, and I made it a more interactive event with breakout sessions, professional headshots, a networking moment, and a small graduation ceremony at the end. It just felt like a more collaborative and fun event for the whole Vagaro team, not just Marketing. Another thing would be the project overview and methodology. We did three different industry studies, and two of which were very new to us (mental health & martial arts), so those insights will really help us create a strategy to go to market. We also decided to survey prospects this time. Last year, we primarily focused our research studies on existing Vagaro businesses, but this year I wanted us to go deeper into the new verticals, and really learn about the way Vagaro and non-Vagaro users operate their businesses, as well as the challenges they experience, so we did a hybrid study of existing & potential customers. This made the data more enriching, and we plan on doing this again next year!
What advice do you have for aspiring students wanting to pursue a role in Marketing? Are there any key takeaways from your ever-growing experience here that you’d like to share?
My advice is a bit universal, but I think if you’re starting off your corporate career or trying to figure out what to do next, you should try volunteering for different projects and try working with new people. I did not start off in this research role, but I was given this opportunity after I helped executives with business planning for 2023. Also, half of my projects come about from meeting folks in the other departments and seeing how my work can aid in their efforts. So, I think my advice is to collaborate whenever you get the chance & try new things! If you’re specifically interested in Marketing or Market Research, I would recommend understanding/answering these questions:
- What problem are you trying to solve?
- Do you have data to back it up? If not, are you able to collect it?
- How can you solve the problem or get the right people to help you solve it?
I think the best innovations, whether that be in Marketing or generally in the business world, come from solving problems and understanding consumer behavior. Don’t be afraid to dive in!
Thanks so much, Kiran! It’s incredibly inspiring to see your growth as a graduate to a tenured Vagaro employee, and how you’ve taken your career completely by the reigns. For those reading, we hope this article stimulates you to make those nerve-racking career moves and provides those of you interested in Marketing with a basis of what you should do next!
And if you’re in the salon, barber, fitness or wellness industries and you’re looking for a way to take your career to the next level, Vagaro should absolutely be in your arsenal of tools. By providing you with means of marketing, growing, and managing your business, Vagaro gives you your time back so you can focus on your passion. To see how you can try Vagaro out for 30 days free, click HERE.
