Wellness Week 2012 begins Monday March 19. If you're in the Conshohocken, PA area, and spa hunting, this chat with Vera Kosabutski might lead you to Lavenders Body Care Clinic.

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Q+A with Vera Kosabutski, owner Lavenders Body Care
Clinic
by The Whole Enchilada PR on Friday, March 16, 2012 at 3:32pm ·
Wellness Week 2012* begins Monday, March 19, so along with hunting down sharable tips for
finding your physical and mental Zen (and posting all the great deals happening at Lavenders Body
Care Clinic) we thought it'd be a good time to introduce one of our favorite health and beauty
experts, Vera Kosabutski.
Vera's outer beauty is second only to her inner beauty, which stems from a positive outlook on life and
a centered self that recognizes when, and when not to, sweat the small stuff. The Whole Enchilada PR
The Whole Enchilada PR's Notes
… team had an opportunity to take in a little pampering ourselves last month, and boy were we
pleasantly surprised. One very aromatic and deep-tissue relaxing exfoliation and massage later, along
with a perfectly-timed pre-summer facial and head and neck massage, we were free of stress, back
Tagged
pain, dead skin (a little gross, we know) and general been-sitting-behind-the-computer-too-long
grumpiness. After our treatments, we spent an hour talking with Vera, learning about her past, her
personal spa experiences, where she'd like to see Lavenders and herself in the coming years, and
being entertained by her stories. No shocker that our biggest giggles had to do with waxing. From
Get Notes via RSS
what it sounds like, if you're looking for a painless Brazilian to go with that bikini, Vera's got the magic
touch. (And no, we can't speak from experience. However, it's on our radar.
If you haven't yet heard about or visited Lavenders, take our advice and give Vera a call. This
unpretentious, warm and inviting, off-the-beaten-path gem will quickly become an addiction—and one
that you can afford.
How long has Lavenders Body Care Clinic been open?
Technically, Lavenders has been open in Conshohocken since March 2007. I opened a ‘boutique’ space,
just me and my room. I expanded my current location in April 2010 and opened for business June 2nd.
The business model has always been set up as a day spa with the menu choices and the other
marketing materials. So when I made the shift to a larger space, I was finally able to do what I set out
to do.
What you did before you opened Lavenders?
Before Lavenders, My entire career has revolved around day spas. I have worked in the industry
since 1994, when I graduated from massage school. I went back for my esthetics in 1998. I have had
the privilege to work in some really nice places and had some great bosses that I learned from and still
remember some their words now. I have been a student of ‘spa-ing’ for many years and was craving a
different kind of education. That led me to Buxton, England where I enrolled in “International Spa
Management”. It’s a four-year program with a BA of SC degree. I only completed three years and had
to drop out do to finances. This program dissected the field from the ground up so my training and
education is pretty solid.
What sets your business apart from others in your industry?
My personal belief has always been: Do one thing and do it well. So, this is the only thing that I do and
I feel like we have mastered the art of the ‘Day Spa’. My education path led me to Europe on a few
occasions and my spa is very European. It’s quaint and intimate and we only do skin and body. The
staff loves the intimacy of it and so it allows us to have more one-on-one time with our clients and we
really listen to what their goals and expectations are so that’s a pretty stark difference in today’s
terms.
The offerings are basically the same in most places, facials, massages, body treatments; I thought a
long time of what I really would love to do and that’s how the ‘Spa Rituals’ was born. All of the
treatments are hand made with organic ingredients and essential oils. From the technician point of
view, it’s a pain, but the clients really enjoy it. The smells are wonderful and you can feel the
difference of the products. It’s quite impressive and I get to ‘play’. It’s easy to get bored doing the
same thing all the time so being able to create new treatments all the time is very rewarding for all
parties involved. So aside from the regular service menu, we have specials often depending on what
time of the year.
What treatments are Lavenders most well known for?
The Lavender Fields Body Treatment and the Face of an Angel package are the biggest sellers.
Lavenders is also known for giving the best massages and facials! We won 5th place and 3rd place in
2010 & 2011 respectively for “Best Day Spa” by Philly Hot List.
What's your biggest client pet peeve?
You know, amazingly I don’t have any. I just accept the fact that people are people and they’re going
to do what they want so I don’t let most things bother me.
How well do you think you and your staff meet client expectations?
Very well. The staff is so dedicated to their craft that they couldn’t do a bad job if they wanted to. I
am always reminding them to ask the clients what their expectations are so it makes it easier to hit our
mark.
What should people think about when considering a day spa?
I’m a results oriented person so I ask the clients what they want to achieve. When looking for a day
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2. spa to host an event of some sort, you have to know what your end result is and is that place going to
give it to you. Any place can put you in a robe and give you a massage, but are they really going to
listen? Of course there’s all the other good stuff like the décor, lighting, music, smells…
At the end of the day, you should go where you’re most comfortable and you leave better than when
you came in. That’s the benefit that we provide.
What's on your personal pampering wish list?
I would love to go to a spa resort and spend a few days. There are some really amazing ones all
around the world and they are really getting clever with the offerings. Most of them are themed
around the location, using local ingredients and such.
What’s your go-to spa treatment?
A good pedi since I’m on my feet all the time (and when I can’t jump on a plane and run away).
Health and beauty entrepreneur role models…
I don’t have anyone in particular but I have read many books including Dr. Howard Murad’s, The
Wrinkle Cure; The Perriconne, Melanie Sachs has a few books on Ayurvedic skin/body care and I took
a lot from them to think about my offerings.
How many years have you been involved in the spa/hospitality industry?
I have been doing this for 18 years. That was pretty hard to even write down…
What was the path that led you into the spa industry?
Well it’s a pretty boring answer but I knew that I didn’t want to go to college and I have an older sister
that is a therapist also, by 5 years, and I saw her success with Toppers Spa and so I just followed in
her footsteps. I have massaged many people and had the good fortune to meet some amazing people
who have opened doors to expand my career.
What was your inspiration behind starting Lavenders?
Mostly it was my boredom and lack of creativity in my current position. I did go to Europe for a month
back in 2003 where I had my epiphany to want to open one and Lavenders came from the south of
France, where I left my heart all those years ago. I still have some sprigs of lavender from a cute shop
in Orange where they tied it with a small bottle of lavender essential oil to my package.
On a deeper level, when I was thinking of my concept/name I really took it to a psychological level.
When people think of Lavender, there always is a positive thought behind it; the fragrance, the color,
the flower; most all have a really strong emotion tied to it so I thought that it would be easy for people
to remember the name.
What has been the hardest part about owning your own business?
Everything! I thought life was hard when it was just me in the boutique but when you introduce staff,
that’s where the true growth comes. You can imagine you’re a good people manager but I had to look
pretty hard in the mirror and definitely grow or I wouldn’t be able to sustain the business.
I just keep telling myself, business is predictable; it’s the people that aren’t. In the sense of, I know my
business inside and out, but it’s the other stuff that kept hanging me up and if I could just get the
people I needed, everything else would fall into place.
Now, I have a really solid staff so it’s back to life on easy street. My story is unique also because I
opened a spa in a downturn market and financing for me was impossible to obtain so I’m 100% self-
financed. So my funds were always on short order and that didn’t allow me to get the clients I needed
to grow how I imagined. This absolutely was the hardest thing I have done to date but at least I can
say I did it.
It’s also really hard for proper time management. Since I still see clients and my work is so physical,
when there was down time, the last thing I wanted to do was paperwork or marketing and that slowed
my growth in the beginning. It’s been also very challenging because I don’t have a partner to bounce
ideas off of or help with the load so there was a lot of pressure on me for a sustained amount of time.
It was very taxing and my quality of work started to suffer.
What advice would you give to women wanting to start their own business?
Do your homework and have a circle of contemporaries to get you through the tough times so you can
keep going. And if they’re anything like me; “No” is not in my vocabulary and just keep pressing on
until you meet the people who say ‘yes’.
What's the most valuable offering you bring to your customers?
Definitely our level of experience and dedication to our customers.
https://www.facebook.com/lavendersbodyclinic, www.lavenders-tlc.com
*(http://www.spafinder.com/Spa/40646-Lavenders-Body-Care-Clinic-)
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