We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Dana Kupper a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Dana, appreciate you joining us today. How did you scale up? What were the strategies, tactics, meaningful moments, twists/turns, obstacles, mistakes along the way? The world needs to hear more realistic, actionable stories about this critical part of the business building journey. Tell us your scaling up story – bring us along so we can understand what it was like making the decisions you had, implementing the strategies/tactics etc.
You’re absolutely right—there is no such thing as overnight success. When people see a thriving Prime IV spa today, what they don’t see are the long nights, the financial risk, the emotional rollercoaster, and the hundreds of small, relentless decisions it took to get here.
When I first opened my Prime IV location, I didn’t have a massive team or a full book of clients. What I did have was a clear vision, a deep belief in the power of wellness, and the willingness to show up every single day—even when it was hard. We started small, learning the market, building relationships, and obsessing over customer experience.
The turning point came not from one big moment, but from consistently doing the unglamorous things that moved the needle—calling leads, following up with past clients, making sure every person who walked through our door felt seen, heard, and cared for. I trained my staff to not just provide services, but to build trust and connection.
One of the biggest lessons I learned is that scaling isn’t just about growth—it’s about growing smart. That meant creating repeatable systems, empowering my team with clear processes, refining our pricing and membership structure, and investing in marketing that created genuine community engagement, not just transactions.
We also faced plenty of obstacles—staff turnover, financial pressure, and the need to constantly adapt to stay ahead in a competitive wellness market. But each challenge pushed us to get better, not bitter.
Now, with multiple locations and more expansion on the horizon, our success is rooted in grit, intentionality, and a lot of trial and error. And we’re still learning every day.
If I could sum up the journey in one sentence, it would be this: Stay consistent, stay humble, and never stop refining.
Dana, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
Thank you for the opportunity to share my story. I’m Dana Kupper, and I own multiple Prime IV Hydration & Wellness locations, including our top-performing spa in Phoenix and new locations in Holland, Michigan and Mesa Shores, Arizona. My journey into the wellness space wasn’t a straight line—it was born out of a passion for health, longevity, and helping others feel their absolute best.
Before launching Prime IV, I spent over two decades in the corporate world, primarily in the travel industry with American Express. I also had a fulfilling 10-year career as a Mary Kay Sales Director, where I learned the value of personal connection, discipline, and empowering others. That experience taught me how to build a team, inspire confidence, and lead with heart—skills that have been instrumental in my success as a business owner.
At Prime IV, we offer vitamin IV therapy, booster shots, NAD+, peptides, and wellness-based products and services that support energy, immunity, beauty, recovery, and overall performance. Many people don’t realize how chronically dehydrated and nutrient-depleted they are until they experience one of our drips and walk out feeling completely renewed. We help our clients optimize their health and prevent illness—whether they’re battling fatigue, recovering from travel or illness, supporting athletic performance, or just want to age better.
What sets us apart isn’t just our offerings—it’s the experience. From the moment you walk in, you’re met with warmth, intention, and care. We’ve created a spa-like environment that includes zero-gravity massage chairs, cool lavender towels, oxygen therapy, and infused electrolyte water—every detail is designed to elevate how you feel inside and out. But beyond that, it’s our team that makes the difference. We hire people who genuinely care and train them to make every client feel like a VIP.
What I’m most proud of is building something that genuinely improves people’s lives while also creating meaningful careers for my staff. We’ve helped clients bounce back from burnout, boost their immunity, recover from surgeries, and even feel hopeful again. And our team? Many of them have been with me since day one, and we’ve built a culture rooted in growth, gratitude, and excellence.
To anyone learning about us for the first time: I want you to know that this isn’t just a business—it’s a mission. We’re here to help you feel better, live better, and be your best self—one drip at a time.
Can you talk to us about your experience with buying businesses?
Yes, I’ve purchased multiple businesses within the Prime IV Hydration & Wellness franchise, and each acquisition has come with its own set of challenges, learning curves, and ultimately, growth opportunities.
One of the most notable acquisitions was the Prime IV location in St. Augustine, Florida. I originally partnered with others on the deal, but it quickly became clear that we had very different visions for how the business should be run. I’ve built my brand on creating exceptional client experiences, strong team culture, and systems that drive results—and when that wasn’t aligned, I had to make the tough decision to step away from that partnership and restructure the deal. That experience taught me a lot about protecting your vision, doing your due diligence beyond just financials, and making sure any potential partner aligns not only on goals but also on values and work ethic.
Another acquisition I’m proud of is our location in Holland, Michigan. The previous owners were ready to walk away, and the spa had barely been operating. I saw potential—not just in the location but in the community. I flew out, assessed the team, rebranded the customer experience, implemented proven systems, and got involved in local networking. Within months, we began seeing traction, and the spa is now on track to have its best year yet. I also hired a local community wellness director to represent us at events, which has helped build meaningful relationships and drive new traffic.
The acquisition process itself is often more complex than people realize. It’s not just about the numbers. It’s about evaluating the current state of the brand, the team in place, community reputation, system integrity (like CRM and point-of-sale platforms), and what kind of effort and capital it will take to turn things around or take it to the next level.
What I’ve learned is that buying a business is like adopting a living, breathing organism. It needs care, structure, and clear leadership to thrive. And if you’re willing to roll up your sleeves, surround yourself with a strong team, and stay laser-focused on the customer experience, acquisitions can be one of the fastest ways to grow.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
One of the most defining moments in my journey came shortly after I took over a struggling Prime IV location. On paper, it looked promising—existing client base, good location, and brand recognition. But when I got in, I discovered the reality was very different: low morale, poor systems, inflated membership numbers, and a culture that had been neglected. To make matters worse, I was working with partners whose priorities didn’t align with mine, and the business was bleeding cash.
It would have been easy to walk away. But I didn’t. Instead, I doubled down.
I flew across the country and immediately got to work—retraining staff, rewriting processes, reorganizing inventory, making calls to every past and current member myself, and personally handling the cleanup of the entire CRM system. I listened to customers, rebuilt trust, and restructured the experience from the inside out. I even made supply runs and painted walls when needed.
At the same time, I had to deal with the emotional weight of conflict with partners, and ultimately made the decision to walk away from a joint ownership model that wasn’t serving the business. That meant taking on more risk, more responsibility, and more pressure—but I knew the only way the business could thrive was with clear leadership and integrity behind every decision.
Resilience, for me, isn’t just pushing through hardship—it’s staying grounded in your vision even when things feel uncertain. It’s doing what’s right, not what’s easy. And it’s showing up—again and again—until things turn around.
Today, that spa is growing steadily. I’ve since taken on new locations, trained staff from scratch, and built a system that I know works. The experience gave me more confidence in my ability to lead and transform a business—and it reminded me why I started this journey in the first place: to help people feel better and to build something meaningful.
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