Take a pause and relax.
Former CEO and executive director of Every Woman Works nonprofit Stacey Howell has transitioned her focus into owning a Woodhouse Spa franchise to offer guests a luxury wellness experience through different treatments.
After becoming a loyal customer at one of the spa’s locations in New Jersey, Howell’s experiences inspired her to dig deeper into the health and wellness industry and become an owner.
Howell shared her journey with BLACK ENTERPRISE and discussed how she strives to be a role model in her community as a franchisee of one of the few spas in the Buckhead owned by a Black woman.
Woodhouse Spa’s mission
“Wellness has always been one of my passions so I wanted to create a happy place for people to relax in,” Howell says.
Woodhouse Spa offers guests a variety of luxury treatments fully customized to meet their needs in a calming environment rich with warm earth tones and textures. Sounds of nature, soothing aromatherapy for skin treatments, massage therapies, facials and other exquisite services add to the spa experience.
“Every treatment, detail, space and feature has been carefully crafted by the Woodhouse masters of mood care,” Howell said.
Health and wellness services for the community
“I believe in self-care first and that every person deserves to have a go-to place to relax and exhale. Life is stressful and people should have a way to manage their stress. Otherwise, we don’t operate as our best selves,” Howell says.
As a health and wellness professional, Howell notices the lack of healthcare options in ethnic communities.
“If there’s no proactive self-care, the community will result in higher levels of silent heart disease, obesity, diabetes, etc. I am a firm believer that healthy individuals create healthy communities,” she adds.
Promoting wellness amongst the Woodhouse Spa company
“As a spa owner, I’ve made it my mission to work closely with the community to continue to be an ambassador for health and wellness. I do this through implementing tactics such as giving my employees two paid volunteer days each year to give back to local nonprofits,” the franchisee says.
“My employees are offered free services for their birthdays, with a 75% discount on services for themselves and a 45% discount on all products,” she adds.
Strategies for companies to implement
Howell encourages her employees to take care of themselves even with their duties as wellness
specialists.She is expanding on her efforts to implement strategies within her own company by activating partnerships with corporations and insurance companies to promote health and wellness days for employees.
“My goal is to identify three large corporations to pilot health and wellness programs through their HR representatives in charge of benefits and create a redemption program for spa treatments at Woodhouse for their employees to enjoy,” Howell says
Adding wellness practices to your lifestyle routine
The first step is to start a regimen and stay consistent, Howell says. Next, it’s important to identify your body’s specific needs.
“It should include exercise, massages, plenty of sleep, facials, and a healthy diet. What we put into our bodies will be reflected on our outer skin,” she adds.
New to the wellness journey, Howell suggests starting small.
“Don’t try to jump into everything too fast. A good place to dive into a wellness journey is to incorporate a massage once a month, alternating with a facial. I also recommend doing 30 minutes of daily movement.”
Woodhouse Spa Expansion
Woodhouse Spa is part of Radiance Holdings, a global company representing a collection of premier brands in the beauty, wellness and self-care sectors. It was recently acquired by TSG Consumer Partners.
Howell is pursuing partnerships with employers to provide positive health measures and affordable treatments for employees.
“I am in search of a new city to consider opening a Woodhouse Spa and a massage school to provide my community with additional job opportunities,” she says. Her goal is to provide more jobs with alternative paths and lower tuition.
Looking into 2023, Woodhouse Spa new locations will be in Raleigh, North Carolina; Savannah, Georgia; and Odessa, Texas.