Happy American Businesswomen's Day!

We’re proud to be a woman-owned business! In celebration of American Business Women’s Day on September 22nd, we sat down with our founder and owner, Veronica Swiatek, to talk about her career, her decision to start her own business, and her vision for the future of the business. 

What was your career like before Massage Studio? What did you learn in that initial part of your career?

Starting in high school and continuing through college, I worked in restaurants to pay for my education. I always say that working in restaurants gives you a defacto “degree in psychology” because you need to be able to truly listen to people, understand what they want and the way they think. This type of work taught me all the skills that are so important in what I do today—customer service, sales and leadership. 

Once I got out of school, I started a career in media sales, where I worked with companies of all sizes in different industries. It was such a great learning experience, which taught me how to develop and nurture relationships, ask questions, accept rejection and not to give up finding solutions that worked; all further developing my own motivation and accountability. I experienced the passion that my clients had for owning their own business, which reinforced my earlier dreams of owning my own business. 

One of my national clients recruited me to come launch the marketing program for one of their new restaurant concepts. This was a great experience to be part of the executive management team in a large corporation that had so much success. Since it was a new concept, I was able to experience building and growing a new brand. I also learned to approach problems from unique angles, and remain persistent in pursuing solutions. 

What prompted you to start Massage Studio? 

Since I was a child, I always wanted to be a “businessman.” During college, with extra money that I was able to save, I bought a small piece of ownership at the restaurant company I was working at. This gave me my first little taste of entrepreneurship…and I loved it!

I’ve always been a goal-oriented person, and set both personal and professional goals for myself each year. While on vacation in Key West, I was working on my upcoming goals and reviewing goals from past years. Looking over old notes, I saw I’d written down the goal to own my business. At that moment, I decided I was ready for a new challenge and it was time to pursue my dreams.

When deciding what I wanted that business to be, I looked at what I’d learned so far. I knew that I loved hospitality, making people happy, and helping people. I had a deep personal interest in wellness and self-care, and had explored massage therapy when I was flying all over the country for new restaurant openings, it helped with my neck and back pain and stress. Massage was my escape, and I genuinely believed in the difference it made in my life. 

Looking at all of this, it was an obvious choice for me to combine passions and my learnings into a business I felt could make a difference. That’s how Massage Studio was born.

Tell us a little bit about the transition to running your own business after working with larger, more established brands.

The biggest transition is all in the mindset. The most exciting part and the biggest challenge of owning a business is that now, it’s all you! You are the key stakeholder and final decision maker. You’re solely responsible for solving problems, and you’re the one that needs to figure things out when you don’t have the resources at your fingertips. When a question needs answering, you’re the one that has to answer it. 

Since I was the only owner and didn’t have any business partners, it sometimes felt like I was on a deserted island, totally isolated from the world and trying to survive on my own. I had to go outside of my circle and find support from other business owners and organizations to further hone my entrepreneurial skills. 

It was demanding, hard work and stressful, but also so exhilarating, fun and fulfilling! It’s a different feeling when you accomplish something that you built yourself.

What has surprised you most while running Massage Studio?

In the spa world, you have to create a soothing and calm, quiet environment—after all, that environment is your product! My entire career, I’d worked in fast paced, high energy environments, and I’m very hands on. The “laid back” vibe was different from anything I’d experienced. It often surprises my team, contractors, friends when I’m up in the attic in heels looking at the AC or on my hands and knees fixing something. But that’s what it takes in every business—the work going on behind the scenes to make that calm environment a reality is always intense, no matter where you go.

The other thing that really surprised me was the impact of massage therapy. I knew that massage had made a difference in my life when I was stressed and exhausted, but each of our guests has a unique reason for visiting. Massage therapy is more complex than most people expect—it brings together art, science, psychology, and hospitality in a very unique way.  Massage therapy helps so many people, in totally unique ways. 

As I got to know our guests, I learned that many of them were leveraging massage therapy for physical and mental relief—going deeper than a day at the spa. It was really cool to realize that we are truly elevating lives. 

What’s next for you and for Massage Studio?

Goals have always been a huge part of my life. It’s a great sense of accomplishment when you achieve goals that you’ve set for yourself. Because of this, I’ve been able to accomplish so many, big and small. 

Professionally, one of my long-term goals was to continue exploring new business opportunities and building my professional portfolio. I’m always seeking out opportunities to grow and expand Massage Studio, as well as other outside opportunities.  In 2016, I partnered with a global airport concessions company and now own 10 specialty retail stores at Tampa International Airport. It’s a really unique intersection of hospitality, quick service, and retail that gives me another outlet to flex my entrepreneurial skills.

I also had the goal to own commercial properties. Last month, I purchased 2 properties in Tampa—the building that Massage Studio currently occupies and the adjacent property. That second property will become our home office and training facility, making it a critical hub as we grow our team and our business.

Personally, I love to travel and experience new adventures. I’ve been to six of the seven continents, and my destination list is still so long! I hope to be able to travel again soon. 

What advice would you have for other businesswomen interested in making the jump to running their own business?

First and foremost, I’m a huge believer in goals. Write them down and review them frequently. Have your vision, make a plan and then GO FOR IT! 

It’s also important to remain determined. Don’t give up, and never stop believing in yourself. Use your passion as your motivation to keep pushing ahead. You’ll have to stretch your limits and think outside the box when you encounter a challenge. Keep pushing to find a solution. If it doesn’t work one way, find another.

There is no formula for how to succeed, especially for entrepreneurs, and even more so for female entrepreneurs. Everything you do contributes to your success, and it’s up to you to set your own goals, measure your progress, and do whatever it takes to keep growing.  

Don’t hesitate to ask for guidance and help from business contacts, friends, and other entrepreneurs. Most people enjoy sharing their experience and expertise, and are happy to give advice when they can. Strong relationships are important in so many ways, and open doors you might not have known about otherwise.