We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Tracey Sanders. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Tracey below.

Tracey, appreciate you joining us today. Often outsiders look at a successful business and think it became a success overnight. Even media and especially movies love to gloss over nitty, gritty details that went into that middle phase of your business – after you started but before you got to where you are today. In our experience, overnight success is usually the result of years of hard work laying the foundation for success, but unfortunately, it’s exactly this part of the story that most of the media ignores. Can you talk to us about your scaling up story – what are some of the nitty, gritty details folks should know about?

Before there was email, cell phones, social media and the electronic transfer of money, I was an entrepreneur. I’ve been in the entrepreneurial eco space for 30 years. From easter baskets, upscale children’s clothing, to a home delivery food service, I have always been ahead of my time with service oriented, problem solving ideas that make life easier and more efficient. My weakness was my impatience and immaturity in believing my businesses were supposed to grow with time, not marketing. After closing five businesses with exceptional potential, Lavender Mobile Spa was my final attempt at being a real business owner with longevity. I said, “if this doesn’t work, I’m going to go work on the assembly line”. I knew that would never happen but it was sort of a self punishment for possible future failure. Looking back, things turned out completely different than in the past.

Upon the creation of Lavender, I originally planned to only provide spa party services. But shortly after we opened, one of my clients who worked at a hotel in our service area, informed me that his boss was looking for a company to provide massages to their guests. I visited the hotel, spoke to the manager and we created a partnership. We began servicing hotels that did not have spas but wanted to provide their guests with the amenity of in room spa services. At one particular hotel, the front desk manager was engaged to the front desk manager of another 4 star hotel across town and word started to spread in the hospitality community that there was finally a solution to the issue of not having an onsite day spa. This attention led to the infusion of corporate clients; particularly, a large Michigan based insurance company. I was called in for a “vetting interview” of sorts and while on the elevator with the team member, she scanned me from head to toe and probably made assumptions on who I was as a business owner. But that scan, which I watched out of my peripheral, made me much more attuned to what I was about to walk into and how I had to be at the top of my game and represent Lavender as the top of the line, professional company that I had cultivated it to be. Needless to say, we won the contract and still have it five years later!

During this time we began to receive calls from the Dallas Fort Worth area. These calls were for spa parties and individual private services. Upon inquiring to those potential clients as to how they heard of us, they informed us that they had seen our segment on Fox 2. 
We had recently recorded a Valentines Day segment on Fox 2 here in Detroit. Apparently, the Fox 2 Dallas affiliate was showing the segment and Dallas residents were watching it on Youtube!
After two years of this, we decided that we would take advantage of the built in free marketing and open a mobile operation in Dallas. Through virtual interviews, building relationships with massage and cosmetology schools, phone conversations and emails, we built a staff of nail techs, estheticians and massage therapists within 6 months! To date, our Dallas business accounts for 20% of our overall revenue.
Initially, I never thought past our Detroit operation, but once we opened in Dallas, I could visualize expanding to several states across the country and becoming national. Currently, we have mobile operations in Detroit, Dallas and are hiring for Houston, TX.

Providing great customer service is one thing but what I believe has contributed to our successes is the way I treat my staff. I believe in authenticity, integrity and fairness. When you treat people fair and you operate in integrity, this shows up in your relationships. I look out for my staff before I look out for my customers. My staff keep the ship sailing and it is important to consider them in many decisions and to make sure that they are compensated fairly. When I worked for a high end nail salon many years ago, the owner decided she was going to discount a local celebrities services without informing me. This directly affected my compensation. I told myself then, that I would never treat my staff with such inconsideration and disrespect. Those types of experiences helped me to clearly define what type of owner I wanted to be and what our core values would focus on. There are many facets to growing a business but your people, your human capital, should be at the forefront of everything you do.

Recently, I completed the Goldman Sachs 10K Small Business’s program. This helped us solidify our growth plan and actually begin planning our nation wide expansion. I’ve learned the importance of marketing, social media, business infrastructure and patience. All of these are keys to success and longevity. There is no need for self comparison to others. What is yours, is yours and it will come to you with time. Be steadfast and hard working and you will enjoy the fruits of your labor. In conclusion, scaling up took many strategies and tactics. It took preparation, a great website presence, great reviews from past clients, policy’s and procedures and more. But the biggest thing was having the heart to take a risk and a brilliant mind to turn an idea into an explosive success!
@everyprenuer

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I have been a licensed nail tech for 30 years. I was a mobile tech while in college and have experience working in various salons and spas. I’ve always had an entrepreneurial mindset and have always needed to be in control of my time and finances. This, I couldn’t get from a traditional 9-5 job.

Lavender Mobile Spa was created to address the need for private in-home spa services for groups who are celebrating memorable milestones. However, it later became the go to for individual spa services and corporate wellness. We provide manicures, pedicures, geriatric pedicures, massages and facials. We come to the rescue for home bound individuals who need wellness as well as those who choose not to visit a day spa. Our staff are highly skilled in multiple massage modalities as well as esthetics and nail treatments.
I am most proud of our growth and development in the wellness space. There is a strong need for personal care services and Lavender Mobile Spa has developed a reputation for providing professional and high quality services. In 2016, we created a line of organic body products that include, cuticle oil pen, whipped body creme’, sugar scrub and a heel balm. We require our nail staff to utilize our product brand on our clients because we feel that our products are superior to other brands and they make the skin feel soft, smooth and regenerated.

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

My advice would be to do what you say you are going to do. Let your team know that they can depend on you to keep your word. Consider your team when creating policies and procedures. Be fair but also stick to the rules and enforce them consistently. Try not to create personal friendships with staff members but remain friendly and approachable. Reward and acknowledge your team and show them that are appreciated.

Can you open up about a time when you had a really close call with the business?

A few years ago, we were running extremely low on cash due to 30 day net receivables from the insurance company we are contracted with. During their busiest season, we had to pay our staff up front and then wait 30 days for the invoices to be paid. At some point, I knew that we were not going to be able to make payroll. Luckily, I was able to dip into my savings and temporarily transfer funds so that staff could be paid. Thank goodness, the insurance company kept its commitment to 30 days and no more!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.lavendermobilespa.com
• Instagram: lavendermobilespa
• Facebook: Lavender Mobile Spa
• Linkedin: lavender mobile spa

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