We were lucky to catch up with Leia Nicole recently and have shared our conversation below.
Leia, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Taking care of customers isn’t just good business – it is often one of the main reasons folks went into business in the first place. So, we’d love to get a conversation going around how to best help clients feel appreciated – maybe you can share something you’ve done or seen someone do that’s been really effective at helping a customer feel valued?
I love to give gifts. So for my first time massage clients, I send them home with a sample salt scrub. They love taking a little piece of the spa experience home with them. For my new personal training clients, I send them a cute little gift box with a succulent plant, a candle and a little card that says “You Grow Girl!” It’s inspiring and motivating to have someone cheering you on, and they are always so surprised to receive it. I usually get a text expressing so much gratitude. Knowing that their trainer is celebrating every little win right along with them and is truly invested in their success is a big motivator.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I first became a massage therapist when I was 22. I did this because I love helping people. My mother suffers from Fibromyaligia (a painful muscle condition) and I wanted to be able to help her, and people like her. After a few years of doing massage, I realized that people need more than a little pain relief once a month…. they needed to be taught how to take care of their bodies on a daily basis, so that they weren’t in so much chronic pain! So I became a personal trainer and health coach, so that I could help people lose weight, create healthier habits, feel stronger, have more energy, improve their mood, fix or manage aches and pains, and live more fulfilling lives.
I think this sets me apart from other massage therapists or personal trainers. Since I am trained in both, I am able to offer my clients a wider range of services, being able to help them with things like nutrition, stretching, injuries, weight loss, stress management and more.
I think what I am most proud of, is the thousands of people I have been able to help over the last 15 years in business. If I can make even one persons life better, it’s worth it. I am not here to just give you a massage once a month and send you home, or put you through a 30min workout once a week and that’s it. I am with you, on your journey towards your best self, every step of the way.
What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?
Asking for people to share your info with their friends and leave reviews! If you don’t ask, most people won’t think about it. But my businesses have seen the most growth from just word of mouth and being found online. I am always asking my clients to leave Google and Facebook reviews, and offering incentives for referrals. On social media, I ask people to share my content, or allow me to share their progress as my client. These personal stories of their experience with me seems to be better than any advertising I could do.
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.
I sold my day spa when I moved from Wisconsin to Texas. First things first… get a lawyer! I tried to do it myself, and let me tell you… people are shady. Just because you’re honest and upfront, doesn’t mean the potential buyers will be. Do your research, know what your business is worth, have it clearly mapped out and be willing to negotiate. But don’t sell yourself short. Get a lawyer who does this regularly and have them walk through the entire process with you. It’s easy to be tempted to sell to the first person offering to buy…. but don’t say yes unless you’re getting what you believe you deserve.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.leianicolefitness.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leianicolefitness/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dreamcatchermassage
- Other: https://www.leaguecitymassage.com/