Today we’d like to introduce you to Olivia Hageman
Hi Olivia , we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Menari Body Works started off as my private practice over 10 years ago now. We slowly grew into the establishment that we are today with our biggest jumps happening after COVID.
I came to Minnesota from California where I was part of an amazing day spa there that was a hidden gem filled with light and plants. But it wasn’t just a beautiful place, they really aimed at providing treatments that were effective. It was my dream job, but my husband got an offer to come back home to Minnesota to fulfill his dream of being a cheese maker. After living my dream, I knew I couldn’t let an opportunity pass to let him feel the same joy in life, so we came to Mankato and started a family.
I had all intentions of being a stay at home mom, but to be honest, that just wasn’t who I was. When my first born was about 6 months old, I began Menari, just as a little side job to keep my brain and body happy. I remember those first few years of only seeing a hand full of clients each week! I didn’t mind, I was just happy to be out of the house and doing what I loved.
After my second son was born, Menari moved into a room within an acupuncture clinic, and it was just the help I needed to get full books! When we moved out of the clinic to our first solo location, I had a waitlist of 10-15 people each week and was booked 6 weeks out. I knew that I could hire some help and fill their books too, and I was lucky enough to get another practitioner to join me in our little 500 sq foot shop front in downtown Mankato.
This was right before COVID, and so we had to shut down in March 2020. It was very scary as I didn’t know if the business would survive, or if we would even ever be allowed to open again. When we could reopen, we didn’t have the right HVAC, we actually didn’t have any HVAC at all , so I started looking for another location. When I was out walking with my now 3 kids and doggo, I saw the perfect space on Belgrade Ave, right next to our very first location. It was recently emptied, and it wasn’t even up for rent yet. We raced home and google helped me find who the realtor was, and I jumped on it as fast as I could! It was a leap of faith, I remember my family advising me not to do it, but a friend of mine who was very successful businesswoman had the best advice, I’ll never forget it. She said, if you have a financial runway, go for it. So we did! And it was a huge success! We had gone from one room to two, and expanded our team to 4 .
A couple of years later, the building owner remembered a bit of sassiness; that was probably caffeine fueled; that I had said when signing the 5 year lease for the Belgrade location. I had said, “you just wait and see, in 5 years, you’ll have to build me a new building”. Well he remembered that. Only 2 years into the lease he started coming around each morning before we opened trying to convince me to move into our current location. I said no, probably 10 times, but he was persistent and saw something in me that I didn’t at the time. He had faith that I could make the jump again to a larger space. After months of discussion and negotiations we settled on a deal that was too good for me to pass up, so I made the leap of faith again, making sure that I had my runway. My family thought I was crazy, but had seen me do it once, and backed me up this time.
It was one of the hardest things I have ever done, and I am still learning lessons every day in how to manage and lead a team of 15 now, but I am so grateful every day for that push. Here we are, on Cherry Street, with our own corner building, 9,000 sq feet, 6 treatment rooms, and two studios in the lower level for yoga and events. We have gone beyond massage and now offer facials, yoga, Reiki, sound therapy and wellness events and workshops. I couldn’t be prouder of what our team has built and how we have been able to create a space here in Mankato that was much needed, a place for our community to relax and rejuvenate.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Every business has it’s struggles for sure. Each time you make a leap and grow bigger, it is hard. One of the biggest struggles came when the price of construction magically doubled overnight. I am again, grateful for all the wonderful people that have been put on my path, as we were able to receive part of the Main Street Revitalization Grant. Without that, I don’t know if we would be where we are today.
I want to share too something that I think is a very common struggle with business owners- imposter syndrome. We know we have vison, but when you start walking down that road of actuality, when things get hard, you often find yourself saying “why did I think I could do this?”. I know so many other business owners who feel the same. But you know what makes success happen? It’s having that thought, and pushing past it, and just giving your best each and every day. Learning along the way everything that you can and having that mindset of maybe I can do it, if I just try.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
What makes Menari different is the level of education that we give to our clients as well as our holistic approach. We want everyone to feel good each and every day, not just after their treatment. In order to do that we help to teach them how to care for their skin and bodies. Every suggestion is customized based on what we observed in the session, how they are using their body, how their skin feels and reacts, so that we can guide our clients to a place where they feel better every day.
A facial at Menari is an experience not to be missed! So often we hear that it is more deeply relaxing than a massage and our product lines are formulated to support, not damage the skin, so that it can heal and rejuvenate naturally. We combine ancient techniques such as Gua Sha and Cupping, Lymphatic Drainage, with modern technology such as LED and micro channeling so that you get the best of both worlds. Right now, our esthetic team is in training to go further than the skin, to deeply understand how the relationship between our body’s microbiome to common skin conditions and how to address them holistically. I am so excited to break though common misconceptions that exist within the skincare industry and show how amazing your results can be when you focus on healing not harming your skin.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
This may sound silly, but I have a list of quirky questions to ask others at networking events, things that are off the wall a little bit. I love humor, and networking events are hard for me. It’s helpful to walk in the door knowing that you have a few things in your back pocket to help break the ice in an interesting way. People don’t always remember what you say, but they remember how you make them feel. I focus on that. Plus, if I make them laugh or feel important, then they will remember me. Maybe not my name, but hopefully my company and how it made them feel good to interact with me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.menaribodyworks.com
- Instagram: @menaribodyworks
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=menaribodyworks
