Massage Envy Spa: An experience to remember

QUOTE: “We want to create a $100 value for only $39. You can get two massages at Massage Envy for the price of one somewhere else.”

Relieve pain, heal injuries, reduce stress, ease anxiety and depression, aid general wellness — sounds like too much to ask from one service, doesn’t it? But it’s not. Ancient civilizations dating back 3,000 years discovered the healing benefits of massage therapy. Today, massage therapy has gone from seeming an unaffordable luxury to being recognized as a holistic method of healing.

“Massage therapy is part of wellness alongside everything else,” said Danny Vaqueiro, 49, owner of Massage Envy in El Dorado Hills. “It helps you relax, releases toxins, improves circulation and can help get rid of chronic pain. In some cases, it’s even being used to treat medical conditions such as fibromyalgia and diabetes.”

Vaqueiro and his wife, Laurie, believe so strongly in the benefits of massage therapy that when they discovered Massage Envy in 2006, they decided they wanted to join in. Massage Envy is a national franchise dedicated to providing affordable therapeutic massage and spa services to consumers at convenient times and locations. Based in Scottsdale, Ariz., the company operates nearly 800 locations nationwide. Danny and Laurie’s is the first and, so far, only clinic in El Dorado County.

“We saw what a great concept it was, did some research and it just blossomed from there,” said Laurie, 52. “At that time, the closest Massage Envy was in East Roseville. We wanted to bring affordable massage therapy closer to home.

A variety of services

Massage Envy Spa offers many different types of massage, including trigger point, Swedish, deep tissue, sports, reflexology, cranial sacral, prenatal and geriatric therapies. Clients can choose from one-hour, 90-minute and two-hour sessions and a variety of upgrades, such as AromaTherapy and Hot Stone Envy. The clinic also offers four different kinds of facials, which feature products by Murad. All therapists and estheticians are fully licensed and insured.

“We recruit based on experience and technical skills, but we also look at things like attitude,” said Laurie. “We believe success is based not only on offering a great product but also on getting the right people to create a good culture and atmosphere. We put our employees first because if your employees aren’t happy, it’s going to show with your customers.”

In order to better understand the needs of both her therapists and her customers, Laurie attended massage therapy school and is now a fully licensed massage therapist herself. While she doesn’t currently practice, she says the knowledge she gained has been invaluable in helping her to make better business decisions. “We really believe in the importance of education. We even partner with massage schools because they really want to support them.”

An experience to remember

Upon entering Massage Envy Spa in El Dorado Hills, clients are greeted with smiles from front office staff and ushered into darkly-lit, quiet rooms where therapists help them melt their stress away. The clinic contains single person rooms, a couple’s room and a dual-service room for clients who want both a massage and a facial. During a client’s first visit and subsequent visits, therapists take a medical history and listen to customers’ concerns so that they can ensure that their needs are met.

“We want to create a $100 value for only $39. You can get two massages at Massage Envy for the price of one somewhere else,” said Laurie. “Another huge premise to Massage Envy is convenience. If you work late, we’re open late. And if you travel, you can use Massage Envy clinics all across the country.”

A caring environment

Massage Envy Spa in El Dorado Hills offers special promotions every month, but above all else, clients and staff alike get the sense that Laurie and Danny really care.

“We don’t look at this as a business. We treat our customers and staff as friends,” said Danny. “Without our employees we don’t exist, so we make sure they have fun. Life is short. Their families come first, but we want to be their second family.”

Danny and Laurie pay for their employees to have a massage each month. In this way their staff are able to give good, honest recommendations to customers.

“When you get a massage, it calms you down,” said Deon Franklin, 22, of Cameron Park who works at the front desk. “It’s really nice to have an hour to yourself.”

“This company has a very unique culture,” said Jessica Sneve, 29, administrator of the El Dorado Hills Massage Envy Spa. “The true culture at this location is that we’re a family. We’re a very close-knit, cohesive team. That’s nice. It’s hard to find a job that you’re glad to come to. When you come to work here, it’s like greeting friends.”