We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Lara Levine. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Lara below.
Lara, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Coming up with the idea is so exciting, but then comes the hard part – executing. Too often the media ignores the execution part and goes from idea to success, skipping over the nitty, gritty details of executing in the early days. We think that’s a disservice both to the entrepreneurs who built something amazing as well as the public who isn’t getting a realistic picture of what it takes to succeed. So, we’d really appreciate if you could open up about your execution story – how did you go from idea to execution?
At the end of 2019 as I was about to complete Yoga Teacher training, I literally woke up with the crazy thought that I needed to open a Salt Cave where I could offer a space for people to relax, rejuvenate, and restore their bodies and minds. I had only been to one other salt cave (in another state) and knew zero about starting this kind of business! Halotherapy or salt therapy is a growing holistic treatment that is starting to be more popular as a way to boost respiratory health and immunity, and is also great for skin, relaxation, and calming the nervous system. And I knew from experience how amazing my first session in that other cave had felt. Still, I truly thought I was losing my mind! With nearly nearly 30 years as a sales and marketing professional, I knew a lot about promotion, but building a business from the ground up was a whole new concept. I even wondered if I had a brain tumor that was making me want to quit everything else I had known and start this brand new thing! But deep down I was being pulled to do it. It really felt like my calling.
I decided to give myself a generous timeframe of one year to develop a business plan. Then the pandemic hit and I suddenly had much more time on my hands, so I dove in head first. Fortuitously, I also found a unique group business class that catered to women interested in starting soulful wellness businesses. It truly felt like divine timing and that everything was aligning for me! With their guidance and support, I continued envisioning my new future. Also integral to my journey was the help I received from the Small Business Development Center (SBDC). Most cities offer this service free to the community through the local university, and it is an invaluable resource! They assisted with everything from a business plan template, to pulling marketing demographics, to creating 3-year revenue projections. My initial idea was to find a small business loan and this data is critical to the process. I also dedicated hours to researching the building of the salt cave, salt therapy, and the equipment necessary. I interviewed three possible builders, and chose one that seemed to have the most experience and passion about what they did. I joined the Salt Therapy Association and completed a certification in offering halotherapy (salt therapy) as a holistic treatment. They proved to offer terrific marketing support and training.
Even though the world felt like it was at a standstill, time flew by and I added more and more content to my plan. By August of that year, I had completed the plan and was shopping banks! It all felt surreal. As travel restrictions lightened up, it was time to hit the road for a few scouting trips, and I visited salt caves near Baltimore, Maryland, Southwest Kentucky, and Nashville, Tennessee. Pun intended when I say the business owners I met were the salt of the earth! I was received and welcomed with enthusiasm. They were willing to share their own stories, and even sent me tips and ideas from what they learned to help my business thrive. Finally the time came to secure funds and sign a lease. I chose a home equity line instead of a business loan as at that time it made the most sense financially. The rates had dropped significantly, and although it was a big risk, I felt confident. I scouted local areas that I felt were the best fit, but couldn’t find a space in the block I really wanted. I was ready to settle for another location, when the most perfect space was brought to my attention in exactly the area I was looking for. It was a sublease, so I wavered initially, but the minute I walked in, I knew it would be home to my new venture. I signed the lease in November of 2020 and began construction in March of 2021. In between I gathered furnishings, decor, and had a website built. I started a mailing list, and began marketing on social media to stir up excitement.
When my sign was hung above the door, it felt like I was in a dream! It was so fulfilling to welcome in that first group of customers on opening day in April 2021. That was nearly 5 years ago and I don’t regret one thing about following this path. I worked my other job for the first two years, then was able to make the break and focus 100% on my business. The most rewarding part is the reaction we get daily from happy customers. Establishing and running a business is one of the most difficult things I’ve ever done, but I wouldn’t change a thing!
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
My name is Lara Levine, the Owner & Founder of Lexington Salt Cave & Welkness. I’m a Registered Yoga Teacher, and Certified Yoga Nidra Meditation Teacher. I love nature, the sea, and traveling to new places, am a mom of two, avid animal lover, yoga and meditation practitioner, and passionate advocate for holistic health. The mission of Lexington Salt Cave & Wellness is: To offer a healing space for all people to relax, restore, and rejuvenate, by improving overall mental, physical, and spiritual health. I completed my 200 hour yoga teacher training in 2019 at The Essence of Yoga in Richmond, Kentucky, and also earned a certification in trauma-informed teaching and yoga nidra meditation, have been attuned in Reiki I & II, and hold a certification in Halotherapy from the Salt Therapy Association.
In January 2025, I expanded the business to offer a yoga studio, massage, infrared sauna, acupuncture, and more! Lexington Salt Cave & Wellness offers holistic health practices to the community and supports physical and mental health, providing services such as: Halotherapy (dry salt therapy in the Salt Cave), Ionic Detox Soaks, Infrared Sauna, Massage & Bodywork, Yoga, Sound Healing, Guided Meditation, Reiki, Workshops, and more. We love to host unique gatherings in our soulful space. I also offer a free guided yoga nidra meditation for the community in the salt cave quarterly and enjoy publishing free meditations on the Insight Timer meditation app. Our collaborators are some of the most talented and experienced practitioners in Kentucky, offering a variety of therapies, classes, coaching, and events. I am super proud of the team we have in place in our little oasis!.
How did you build your audience on social media?
Initially, social media was our main method of reaching the community, so growing our local followers was key. One thing that really worked well for our business in the beginning was inviting local influencers to visit and experience a complimentary session in exchange for promotion. We grew our audience in small leaps and bounds with those opportunities. Another successful venture was collaborating on giveaways or offering gift certificates in exchange for promotion with other trusted local businesses. Asking people to follow and share your pages in order to be entered in a drawing, or to receive a coupon, can really help build up and audience. We also had some limited success with a few paid ads on Facebook, and it was really important to set up parameters that hit ideal clients in our region. We also encourage customers to tag us and share photos (taken before or after their sessions of course!) of their experience. Just like word-of-mouth, this kind of exposure can really help extend your reach.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
I had to unlearn the idea that once I set things up, I couldn’t change them. I really worried way too much in the beginning about fiddling with our hours of operations, or offering things on a trial basis to see if they would be well received. Because I was the sole employee, front desk person, manager, marketing pro, and everything else, I had a hard time letting go of the idea that I need to keep things perfectly stable in the beginning. Once I learned to be flexible and honor not only what customers needed, but also my own needs (time off, hours I could manage, etc.), things flowed so much better. Once I added employees, they validated me by suggesting changes in certain offerings, or hours, that worked better and helped us grow! One word of advice I can offer is to always remember if it doesn’t work, you can change it; you are the boss!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.lexsaltcave.com
- Instagram: @lexsaltcave
- Facebook: @lexsaltcave
- Twitter: @lexsaltcave
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/lexington-salt-cave-and-wellness-lexington
- Other: TIkTok: @LexSaltCave
