Hi Karen, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I have been calling the Tampa Bay area home for over 45 years. I am a divorced mother of two sons, ages 20 and 22. Having been an allergy/asthma sufferer my entire life, I was looking for an all-natural therapy to alleviate my symptoms. I stumbled upon halo (salt) therapy and gave it a try with very positive results. The problem was that there was not a dry salt therapy facility in our immediate area. So after much research and consideration, I decided to open one of my own. The process of design, build-out and opening was an arduous one. Then the pandemic hit, and I almost gave up until I learned that salt therapy was providing relief to patients who overcame COVID but were suffering from residual respiratory effects. I felt I had to see Salt Essentials Wellness to fruition to provide this very necessary service to members of our community. After two years in the making, we are proud to say we are now servicing clients in our brand new, CDC compliant facility providing not only salt therapy but infra-red sauna, massage, halo massage, Magnesphere sessions and halo yoga. You can learn more about all our services by visiting our website at SaltEssentialsWellness.com.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
No. I try not to look back on the difficulties. There were many. The biggest thing I have had to overcome is dealing with economic shut-down. We were in the middle of our build-out and not open for business yet when COVID hit. There was no economic relief for us since we had not been an established business yet. Delays caused quite a bit of financial and emotional stress, but we are going full speed ahead. There’s no looking back now.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I have made a complete shift in my professional life. I worked my way through college in retail. I then had a successful career as a court reporter. After my oldest son was born, I became a stay-at-home mom to my two boys. When they got older, I had a great desire to go back to work but didn’t want to get back into the legal field. I guess small business ownership is in my blood, starting with my grandfather who had an Esso station outside of Pittsburgh, my father who owned a sprinkler system company in Pasco County, one uncle who owned newspapers throughout the country and another uncle who has a printing and trophy business in LaBelle, Florida, not to mention countless cousins with businesses of their own. I was searching franchises and stumbled upon salt therapy. That’s where the concept of opening my own business culminated. The idea of having clients come in feeling one way and leave feeling better is the biggest attraction.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
Referrals are always the best support. We love to collaborate with other businesses as well. We can be very creative with collaboration efforts. Nothing is off the table.
Contact Info:
- Address: Town Center Plaza 1600 N. Missouri Ave., Suite 160 Largo, FL
- Email: info@saltesssentialswellness.com
- Phone number: 727.275.SALT (7258)
- Website: SaltEssentialsWellness.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saltessentialswellness/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaltEssentialsWellness
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/SaltEssentials
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/salt-essentials-wellness-largo
- Other: https://www.salttherapyassociation.org/
Image Credits
Jon Cancelino
