We recently connected with Gigi Jirapolchet and have shared our conversation below.
Gigi, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?
At Mercer Head Spa, we’re proud to be the first luxury Japanese head spa in Washington. After years of traveling to NYC, London, and Thailand to experience the incredible benefits of head spas, we realized it was time to bring that same rejuvenating experience to our community here in Washington.
For me personally, head spas have been life-changing. During a tough period when I was battling an autoimmune illness, I struggled with intense migraines. The only thing that provided relief was head spa treatments, which sparked a deep passion to bring this healing experience to others. That personal journey is at the heart of why we wanted to open Mercer Head Spa.
The wellness industry has evolved into a vital part of our daily lives—whether it’s getting a facial, doing Pilates, or finding moments of relaxation. We’re thrilled that head spas are finally gaining the attention they deserve in the U.S., and we’re proud to be leading the way in Washington.
Our mission is to help people embrace the beauty and health of their hair and scalp while offering a truly relaxing and rejuvenating experience. We want everyone to feel more connected to themselves through self-care and self-discovery, and to know that their unique journey is worth celebrating.
Gigi, 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?
Hi, I’m Gigi and I’ve spent over a decade working in digital marketing across tech and fashion, managing everything from multi-million dollar budgets to helping small businesses grow. During my career, I’ve had the privilege of launching groundbreaking products like one of the very first self-driving electric cars and working with Scholastic on national partnerships and educational materials. I also had the opportunity to work as a digital marketing consultant, and eventually, I honed my skills even further at Meta, where I contributed to the launch of Instagram Reels and improved the Ads Manager platform.
While digital marketing was my professional path, I’ve always had a deep passion for wellness. That passion led me to the creation of Mercer Head Spa, which will be the first luxury head spa of its kind in the state of Washington. I’m incredibly proud to be an industry leader in this niche, bringing a unique and much-needed experience to the area. Our head spa offers more than just a hair wash—it’s an elevated experience that combines relaxation with targeted scalp treatments. With services like scalp massages, we help alleviate tension from TMJ, reduce migraine pain, and promote overall scalp health.
Our goal with Mercer Head Spa is to create a place where relaxation, community, and luxury intersect. While we’re starting small, we’re building a sense of community both within our business and with local businesses who share a similar vision. These partnerships have been invaluable in sharing knowledge and cross-promoting, creating a stronger network of support for all involved.
Having managed marketing budgets of $500M+, I know firsthand the importance of finding your niche and staying true to it. That’s why, for Mercer Head Spa, we’ve partnered exclusively with two amazing brands, Milbon and Davines. These luxury, clean, and effective product lines are at the heart of our services, and they help ensure we’re offering the best to our clients. We’ve also paid close attention to the design and branding of our space, carefully crafting an environment that helps our clients unwind and truly experience the healing power of our treatments.
What sets us apart is not just the uniqueness of our services but the thoughtfulness behind every aspect of the experience—from the products we use to the community we’re building and the attention to detail in creating a peaceful, luxurious atmosphere. I’m incredibly proud of what we’re building at Mercer Head Spa and can’t wait to share it with the world.
How’d you meet your business partner?
I met my business partner, Cynthia Li, through my boyfriend in 2022. When we first started dating, Cynthia and her husband had just gotten married, and I was invited to their wedding as a plus one. From the very beginning, we clicked. We bonded over our love for food, wellness, and tech, and before we knew it, we were seeing each other almost every week. It also helped that Cynthia lived just down the road from me!
One evening in the summer of 2023, we were having dinner at my house, and I shared how much head spa treatments had helped me manage migraines from an autoimmune illness I’d been dealing with. When I lived in New York City, head spas were the only thing that brought me relief. But when I recently went back to visit, I couldn’t get an appointment at my usual spot—they were booked out for over a year! We both connected over the struggle of having to travel all the way to Asia for a head spa treatment, and it really hit us: Washington state was seriously missing out.
At that point, I was running my digital marketing agency, Defined Content, and I had promised myself I wouldn’t start another business on my own again. But the very next day, I texted Cynthia asking if she was “serious” about starting a head spa here in Washington. Her response was a definite “yes!” From there, we spent nearly a year searching for the perfect location—exploring places from Kirkland to Bellevue, Seattle, and Lynnwood. And then, we found it: Mercer Island.
We fell in love with Mercer Island right away. It’s in the perfect spot between Seattle and the Eastside, the community is warm and welcoming, and there’s a peaceful vibe that felt ideal for what we wanted to create. We’re so excited and grateful to have found our first location here, and we couldn’t be more proud of the space we’re building at Mercer Head Spa.
Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?
We kicked off our social media accounts when we signed the lease for Mercer Head Spa not too long ago. We don’t have a massive following yet, but what we do have is a community. And to me, that’s what really matters. There’s a big difference between having just numbers and having a community that actually engages with what you’re doing.
My best advice for anyone starting out on social media is: don’t wait for everything to be perfect before you jump in. Just start! You can always tweak and improve things along the way, but nothing happens until you take that first step. Think of it like building a house—you start with the foundation, then you add the walls, the flooring, the paint, and the decor. But you’ve got to start with the basics first.
Another piece of advice? Be yourself. Don’t try to copy what others are doing. Authenticity is key on social media—people can sense when you’re being genuine, and that’s what helps them connect with your brand. When you’re real, people stick around.
And one more thing: don’t wait until you have all the “right” gear. Start with what you have and see if it’s something you enjoy. Too many people get caught up in buying fancy equipment before they even begin, and when they realize social media takes more time and effort than they expected, they give up. My advice is to dive in with what you have, and over time, you’ll learn what works—like what content your audience engages to and the best times to post.
Building a social media presence takes time, but if you stay true to your brand, keep nurturing relationships, and just get started, you’ll begin to see growth. You’ll learn as you go, and so will your team and your business. And before you know it, you’ll have the budget to bring in some extra help.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.mercerheadspa.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mercerheadspa
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61564917375703
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gigijirapolchet/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/mercer-head-spa-coming-soon-mercer-island
- Other: https://www.definedcontent.com
Image Credits
Annie Tran | @glitterspill_
Natalie Post | @PostProductions