We were lucky to catch up with Sabree Cotton recently and have shared our conversation below.
Sabree, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today 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?
I didn’t start either business with a perfect plan. I started with a need.
The spa came first. I was already the person people trusted for wellness advice and self-care guidance. Once I realized that trust could turn into a business, I got practical fast. I researched licensing, insurance, pricing, and services. Nothing glamorous—just a lot of late nights figuring out how to legally and responsibly run a wellness business. I started small, focused on quality, and grew slowly by reinvesting and building real client relationships. Eminence Spa & Retreat became a space where people felt cared for, not rushed.
HTX Honeys happened later and completely organically. I was new to Houston and craving real connection. I hosted a small meetup for women—no big plan, just intention. The turnout and response told me everything. Women wanted community, consistency, and safe spaces to connect. From there, I had to learn nonprofit structure, fundraising, and leadership on the fly. Event by event, HTX Honeys grew into a mission-driven organization centered on sisterhood, self-care, and service.
Both launches followed the same path: move with purpose, learn as you go, stay consistent, and build what people actually need—not just what looks good.
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 back background and context?
I’m a Houston-based wellness entrepreneur and community builder, and I’m the owner of Eminence Spa & Retreat and the founder of HTX Honeys, a nonprofit women’s community rooted in wellness, connection, and service.
I started the spa during one of the hardest seasons of my life—after losing my brother, grandfather, and father within a 10-month period. Grief reshaped everything for me. Creating a space where people could feel good again—physically and emotionally—became both my healing and my purpose. From the beginning, Eminence was about more than spa services. It was about advocating for Black and Brown people to prioritize self-care as a form of mental health support, not a luxury.
At Eminence Spa & Retreat, we offer intentional wellness experiences—facials, body treatments, intimate wellness services, cryotherapy, and restorative therapies like yoga—designed to help clients slow down, regulate, and reset. We serve people who are high-functioning but exhausted, and we create space where they don’t have to explain or perform.
HTX Honeys came later, out of a need for genuine community. After moving to Houston, I wanted to create a space where women—especially Black women—could connect, heal, and give back without judgment. What started as small gatherings has grown into a nonprofit that blends joy, wellness, and service, including initiatives that support teen girls in local group homes.
What sets my work apart is intention. I build spaces that are safe, culturally aware, and rooted in care. Whether through the spa or HTX Honeys, my goal is the same: to remind people that rest, community, and self-care are essential—and that mental wellness deserves to be prioritized.
Okay – so how did you figure out the manufacturing part? Did you have prior experience?
Yes, I manufacture my products myself. All of the herbal blends sold at Eminence Spa & Retreat and online at www.shopjuststore.com are homemade, all-natural, and small-batch.
I didn’t start out with any background in product manufacturing. What I did have was a love for cooking. Once I realized that making herbal products is very similar—measuring, blending, understanding how ingredients work together—it clicked. That curiosity led me to education first, not sales.
I began by taking an herbalism course to learn herbal properties, energetics, and how plants support the body. From there, I took two additional courses focused on peristeaming (v-steam). Those courses helped me bridge general herbal knowledge with women’s reproductive and gynecological health. I learned how to intentionally formulate herbal remedies that support issues like cycle health, healing, balance, and overall womb wellness.
Everything I create is rooted in that education and hands-on practice. I didn’t outsource manufacturing or look for a large vendor. I chose to stay close to the process so I could maintain integrity, quality, and intention. Each product is blended with purpose, not mass production in mind.
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that manufacturing isn’t about rushing to scale—it’s about responsibility. When you’re creating products people put on or inside their bodies, especially Black and Brown women who’ve often been overlooked by wellness industries, precision and knowledge matter. I take that seriously.
My products exist to support self-care as healthcare and I want people to know exactly who made them and why.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
One major lesson I had to unlearn was the idea that access should always be open to everyone. When I first introduced membership into HTX Honeys, I let anyone who wanted to join be a member. My heart was in the right place—I wanted inclusivity and openness—but in reality, it wasn’t sustainable.
What I learned very quickly is that community without commitment doesn’t work. When there was little investment, the group wasn’t taken seriously. Members showed up only when it was convenient, avoided volunteering, and didn’t fully engage with the sisterhood. It created misalignment and diluted the mission.
The second time around, I did things differently and much more intentionally. I added an application process, conducted interviews, and required a higher financial investment. That shift wasn’t about exclusion—it was about respect. I wanted to know the women joining, understand their values, and ensure they were genuinely committed to the community. The increased investment helped establish accountability and made it clear that being part of HTX Honeys meant showing up, participating, and giving back.
The lesson was clear: boundaries build better communities. Once I unlearned the need to make everything easily accessible, I was able to create a stronger, more aligned sisterhood rooted in intention, responsibility, and mutual investment.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.eminencespa.com, www.htxhoneys.org
- Instagram: Eminencespa_htx, htxhoneyshappyhour
