When the Renew Laser & Skincare team goes to work each day, they have a clear mission in mind: “We’re here to make people feel good.” Whether they’re administering detoxifying body wraps or a lymphatic massage, Renew consistently aims to have their clients leave happier than when they walked inside. And their customers notice.
Sarah Johns, spa manager, is cheerleader and one of the architects behind the positive vibe that customers feel as soon as they step into Renew. Before she was interested in the medspa space, she attended nursing school to pursue her dream of helping others. A massive course load and impossible schedule left her with low scores, causing her to turn her ambitions towards massage school. It was there where she realized that the beauty and wellness space could be a conduit for achieving her dream of helping others.
“My philosophy is wanting to make people feel good,” says Sarah. “It kind of morphed into making people feel good and look good, because when people feel like they look good, then they feel even better!”
The opportunity to fulfill her dream came sooner than she bargained for. As soon as she graduated from massage school in December 2013, a few of her relatives and owners of a medspa offered to hand over management to her. With almost zero profitability and complete employee turnover, it was an ambitious graduation gift.
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Sarah was up for the challenge. She rallied a few of her connections, an esthetician and a former coworker from a local hair salon, and they breathed new life into the business. Within a year, they tripled the business, and it continued to grow. Now, Renew has three locations in the greater Pittsburgh area.
Looking back, Sarah credits a lot of the success towards the loyal clients they gained along the way and the positive mindset she instills in each of the Renew staff members.
“It's important to make a point with staff that patients are not lucky that we are here,” Sarah explains. “We are lucky that they are coming to see us, because I really do feel that that vibe is different.”
This grateful attitude at Renew translates into a high level of care for each customer, starting with a smile on each staff member’s face and keeping their ears carefully tuned to understand each client’s needs and expectations. Sarah is a firm proponent of “listening to understand, rather than listening to respond.”
“Sometimes what we hear is different from what’s actually being said,” says Sarah. “Instead of just shooting back at the customer what the laser does or what the injection would do to them, it’s really important to wait and actually listen to what the patient is saying and find out where they’re really coming from.”
At the end of the day, Sarah’s journey from nursing school to spa manager, though very different in practice, ended up fulfilling her ultimate goal to help others. Every day, she and her staff get to change people’s lives for the better.
“I love to see the patient that's super hesitant, really self conscious, and really down on themselves walk out feeling so much more confident and feeling better about themselves,” she smiles. “That’s what it’s all about.”
