We recently connected with Jesseca Zollars-Smith and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Jesseca thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?
Success for me brings to mind a few words and their definitions:
Consistency: The very definition states that, to be consistent, there must be a state of harmony of conduct or practice; we must follow our own advice with consistency
Dedication: To me, this means self-sacrificing devotion, loyalty, and hard work a for the desired outcome
Kindness: Being friendly, generous, and considerate.
Reason: the power of comprehending, inferring, or thinking, especially in orderly rational ways.
Education: knowledge, skill, and development gained from study or practice
Leadership: A set of behaviors used to help people align their collective direction, to execute strategic plans, and to continually renew an organization.
Failure: The willingness to, “if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.” Shift, pivot, be patient, help others and bring them with you in your successes. Don’t let the fear of failure stop you, and if you do fail, don’t let that prevent you from starting anew. Go back to that fire in your heart that started you in the game in the first place.
Jesseca, 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?
With a background as a licensed Aesthetician, Aesthetics Educator, and manufacturer of original cosmetics, I have a lot to offer a new person coming into this industry, but I’ll tell you, there is also A LOT of information out there already! Those “freshies” right out of school have tool belts much more plump than those we were equipped with ‘back in the day’!
My business/brand has evolved throughout the years. In 2000, I opened my first location in my hometown of Olympia, WA. It was awesome! I named it the Avocado Tree Fresh Spa and Boutique, located in the old Capital Theater. After a few months, the concept was taking off and I had to find a bigger space STAT!!! Next door was a 3,400 square foot space — a very ambitious undertaking, but here I was making “it happen, and” by the years end, I was moving into the new space. It included a loft, a shower, two spa rooms upstairs, and a bathroom. Downstairs was retail and a full laundry suite. Avocado Tree Fresh Spa and Boutique was Olympia’s first downtown Day Spa, and it was aaaaaaaaall mine. I was 23 years old at the time. My then boyfriend formulated the Happy Fresh Facial & Skin Care line we made and sold there. With our brand solid and the concept set, the business was really taking off.
In 2001, a 6.8 earthquake hit the area. Hard times fell on that sweet little spa. Olympia was a ghost town. A few months later came 9/11. Nobody was shopping. Nobody was “spa-ing”. It felt scary to go anywhere. Business had slowed to a glacial pace, and I was desperate to bring in business. A marketing business came along selling “brochures” that had coupons for “spas just like mine” and guaranteeing they could bring in at least 1,000 new customers. I signed up straight away. Well, this turned out to be the tip of the proverbial iceberg that sunk my Titanic. These coupons, pre-dating Groupon, were spa packages to my precious Avocado Tree! The marketing company kept all the proceeds and I was expected to pay my employees for performing services from which my company saw ZERO revenue. I was in trouble deep! The only way I’d get paid is if we could somehow get the customers to “upgrade.” Long story short, our savings were shot; we went broke and had to close. It was a really bad deal. We found new places for our employees to work and eventually liquidated all we could. This was my first “failure.”
After Olympia, I found myself in Dallas, TX, and started Avocado Tree up again. It quickly gained traction and one spa became two, and then it caught the interest of an investment group. The group wanted governing control of the assets and financials, which I didn’t mind since I’d had such a mega failure in Olympia. At this point, I’d already gone back to school and became a licensed esthetician, so my main focus at this point was esthetics anyway. The investment group had high hopes to take my sweet Avocado Tree places! BUT FIRST the name had to be changed…. So, a new name, a new brand, and boom! Our customers didn’t recognize us. Even though we were in the same locations and had the same labels on our products, we lost their loyalty. It was crazy! The investment group got scared and decided they wanted a return on their investment straight away. So once again we had to close and liquidate. Failure number two. Time for “Dedication” and “Education.”
I moved back to Washington State, this time to Seattle, and started my own Aesthetics suite called Fresh Face Seattle, which quickly became popular. I had no ambitions to grow, just stayed a one-person show while apprenticing the occasional new aesthetician. I focused on holistic skin care, just as I had with Avocado Tree, but home-mixed only two fresh masks and otherwise relied on pre made skin care products from Australia. Eventually, moving back to Texas, I sold the practice to a former apprentice. “Dedication” “Consistency” “Kindness” “Leadership”
Again in Texas, I now have a wonderful SPA called MISSION Day Spa. Since moving back, I’ve obtained my license to teach Aesthetics as a Master Educator. I’ve also received training for Oncology Aesthetics, which calls for advanced education designed to teach estheticians how to modify spa treatments to ensure a safe outcome for cancer clients. Many cancer patients are looking for comfort and relief from the unpleasant side-effects associated with cancer treatments and therapies, such as dryness, loss of elasticity, and rashes, among other issues.
Oncology esthetics complements medical oncology and falls under the integrative approach. Integrative oncology focuses on the whole person – mind, body, & spirit. Integrative therapies take into consideration the unique needs of each patient/client, their unique circumstances and responses to different forms of cancer and/or cancer treatment. Estheticians trained in oncology esthetics will approach skincare and other spa related treatments with a heightened sensitivity to the condition of those affected by cancer and cancer treatment.
We at MISSION Day Spa strive to offer services that serve your typical Day Spa à la carte menu, yet we also go above and beyond by offering Spa Parties, Sensitive Skin Services such as Oncology Facials & Lymphatic Massage performed by highly trained individuals who radiate empathy and kindness. We also offer continuing education to our practitioners on an ongoing basis, not only for their benefit, but because we strive to be the best.
We choose our products for their efficacy, chirally correct ingredients, no animal testing, dermatologist approved, and PROP 65 Ingredient compliance. This business’ s very foundation is ingredients that are safe, reef friendly, and packaged with minimal waste — part of an amazing spa experience created by well informed and trained staff!
Conversations about M&A are often focused on multibillion dollar transactions – but M&A can be an important part of a small or medium business owner’s journey. We’d love to hear about your experience with selling businesses.
Over the span of my career, I have sold several businesses and helped many others. Some of the lessons I’ve learned along the way we’re these: Do not just walk away because you are the sole provider in a service based business; you CAN still sell. Whether you are a massage therapist, hairstylist, aesthetician or other provider and you are the sole proprietor in a stand alone business, when it’s time to leave, then sell. Don’t just close. There is real value in the business you have built.
My tips:
-Get an apprentice and train them to DO IT ALL just the way you do.
-Price all your equipment and assets, furniture, scissors, tables, down to your tape dispenser and price how much it would cost to replace them ALL. Then reduce that price by 25%: that’s your price.
-Are you in.a lease? That’s value! Negotiate with the landlord about transfering it.
-Client files. The larger the file, the better the start for the next person. If they are your apprentice, EVEN BETTER. Introduce them for a smoother transition.
-Have a contract. No lawyer? Rocket Lawyer or LegalZoom has documents that can also help in your transition.
Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?
For my first business I scraped together $600, did all the labor myself for renovations, asked friends who were furniture makers to display their gorgeous furniture in my shop, and asked if I could also use them to display my products. I was really frugal and resourceful, YOUNG and poor!
As I matured, I’ve obtained traditional loans through banks, and with my most recent venture, I used money from my late mother’s estate and took out a loan with very low interest from a family member.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.missiondayspa.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/missiondayspa/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/missiondayspa/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jesseca-s-766653103/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/mission-day-spa-wimberley
- Other: https://www.google.com/maps/place/MISSION+Day+Spa/@29.9408384,-98.0915909,15z/data=!4m15!1m8!3m7!1s0x865b5f84e60dd62d:0x40e3334569c5da0d!2sMISSION+Day+Spa!8m2!3d29.9408384!4d-98.0915909!10e1!16s%2Fg%2F11t2_6mglf!3m5!1s0x865b5f84e60dd62d:0x40e3334569c5da0d!8m2!3d29.9408384!4d-98.0915909!16s%2Fg%2F11t2_6mglf?entry=ttu