Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Mary Holstein. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Mary, thanks for joining us today. Are you happier as a business owner? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job?

I’m incredibly happy being a business owner and I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. I consider myself a leader and a problem solver. In the past, I have thought what it would be like to work a regular job again. I’ve worked cubicle jobs before and was bored out of my mind! To be honest it was a fear of failure and trying to play it safe. This was something I had to overcome and tell myself to never give up. Don’t get me wrong there was lots of challenges, obstacles, learning situations in my business. I’m constantly learning new things, I’m evolving, and that’s how you know you’re running a business. My business Balance Mobile Spa I get to work in a variety of places, hotels, yachts, corporate events, and residential areas. I love it! It’s never a dull moment in my world. My team loves it too!

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?

My name is Mary Holstein, and I’ve been a licensed massage therapist for 19 years now. I was born in Clearwater, Florida and I grew up in Alpharetta, Georgia. I graduated from the Academy of Somatic Healing Arts in Norcross, Georgia. I instantly fell in love with massage and worked my first job at Spa Sydell in Alpharetta for five years.

After working at Massage Envy for about a year, I wanted a change. I accepted a job in Hawaii for Norwegian Cruise Line in 2009. In 2011, I returned to Georgia to work for the Intercontinental Hotel in Atlanta. This hotel had a luxury spa, and I gained a lot on experience of how to run a spa.

In 2014, I loved everything about Savannah, Georgia and moved here. With Savannah’s lifestyle I fit right in. This city is full of characters and go getters. Right away I noticed Savannah didn’t really have mobile massage businesses. This realization led me to create my own mobile massage business here.
In 2016, Balance Mobile Massage was created! The person I can thank for getting my business known is Marianne Ganem. When I began to network, I was introduced to Marianne. She knew everyone and helped me with my business ribbon cutting event. It’s so important to network, let people know who you are and what you provide. Now my business has evolved to an On-Demand Mobile Spa.

Balance Mobile Spa offers mobile massages, facials, body treatments, and nails. We work in Savannah, St. Simons, Hilton Head, Bluffton, and Charleston areas. You can have mobile spa parties, corporate events, couple’s massages, spa packages, or treat yourself to a spa day! Balance has a product line coming out in December! The products will be body scrubs, body lotion, shower steamers, relaxing tea, and candles Stay tuned! I’m super excited about this!

We’ve partnered with boutique hotels and became vendors for the film industry, we are busier than ever. Watching your business evolve is an incredible experience. I’m proud of my hard-working team, myself, and everyone who believed in me. I want to continue to add more mobile services and make this business very unique.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

The best source for new clients is tourists. I’ve partnered up with hotels that highly recommend my business. Google has been a huge help too! I’ve joined the Chamber of Commerce and Buy Local in Savannah. Put yourself out there, mingle, and you can lead to great connections. When you own a business, you need to let people know who you are and what you offer. Otherwise, people don’t know who you are or what you offer? Post on Facebook and Instagram weekly. Social Media is a big part of owning a business.

How do you keep your team’s morale high?

When you run a business, you can’t be everyone’s friend. You must be professional because this is your business. If you don’t communicate or stand up for your business, people can walk all over you. There is no walking on eggshells, they need a leader. I feel it’s best to do videos and monthly meetings to keep everyone updated. Stand strong, be positive, be optimistic, and pay your employees well. Never let greed get in the way of your business. I’ve seen companies get greedy and it bites them in the ass every time. Listen to your employees and hear their concerns. Communication is so important, and your employees will respect you for that.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.balancemobilespa.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/balancemobilespa_/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/balancemobilesavannah
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-holstein-971049a9

Image Credits
Gray Armstrong,  Laughing Tansy,  Salacia Salts,  Alchinmecandleco