This month, our featured client is Katrina Sanchez. She is a certified massage therapist, has a degree in business administration with an emphasis in marketing, and is the owner of BodyCentre Fullerton.
Katrina became interested in massage in 1994 when, after a bad car accident, she was introduced to massage therapy:
“It helped me so much that I wanted to be involved in the industry. However, in the 1990s, massage wasn’t a popular profession. There were many misconceptions about massage therapists. Massage was considered a luxury or a ‘cover for prostitution.’ I knew there was a portion of the population who wanted an affordable and professional massage. My goal was to provide massage therapy to everyone and make it part of their lifestyle.”
In 1996, Katrina opened the BodyCentre Fullerton determined to bring massage into the mainstream and raise awareness of a holistic approach to health and to provide affordable massage and spa services to men, women, and teens:
“The most difficult part of opening my spa was my lack of confidence and the financial insecurity. I was scared because I didn’t really know how to be an owner. It looked easy from the outside, but I soon realized I had a lot to learn.
By 2002, Katrina’s business had grown into three busy spas in California. Since then, Katrina has opened and sold numerous spa locations, but she continues to own her flagship spa in Fullerton.
Katrina believes educated and certified massage therapists are a benefit to their communities and deserve to be treated with respect. She has also worked with law enforcement to legislate the massage industry, and her ideas have been incorporated into numerous cities’ legislation.
Katrina gives this advice to massage therapists hoping to open their own spa:
“Take business, marketing, and financial courses. Being a business owner requires different skills than being a therapist. Successful spa owners have a clear understanding of business fundamentals. Learn your business. Create a vision of what you see as possible, then enroll others in your vision. Lastly, lead by encouraging others to be the BEST THEY CAN BE!”
At Beauty & Bodywork Insurance, we’re proud to have helped many small business owners like Katrina operate their dream business with the peace of mind of coverage.