Meet Emily Sanders LMT | Licensed Massage Therapist, Owner of Ilaria Salon and Med Spa

We had the good fortune of connecting with Emily Sanders LMT and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Emily, do you have a favorite quote or affirmation?
Throughout the duration of being quarantined during the pandemic in 2020, I had deep life realizations that there were “bucket list” dreams that I wanted to pursue but never did. When you get into your late 40’s, you tend to feel as though some dreams are seemingly unreachable. I decided no matter how unattainable they may seem, I wanted to pursue them. So, I came up with my new favorite quote and affirmation –

“that ship has not yet sailed, especially when you haven’t even launched it”.

What followed in the months and year to come has changed my life. 🙂

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Although I was so excited and eager to start my own massage therapy practice at a salon studios concept in 2013, it was a very intimating and terrifying experience. Having to pay a weekly rental fee without knowing if I would have paying customers was most likely the biggest risk I could have ever taken at the time. My husband (at the time) and I experienced a great deal of financial downfall from the earlier recession from 2009-10. So, convincing him (and myself) to jump in and start my own practice was a hard-sell.

Throughout the years of operations, I was obviously on a strict budget and couldn’t afford to pay a consultant to teach me to market, taxes, keep track of accounting, etc. I did a lot of that research and met with investors over the years to learn how to deal with certain situations. I made a lot of mistakes and bad decisions but, that is what made me learn and maintain a successful business.

As the salon studio concept (sola, solera, phenix are popular studios) provided a great deal of freedom and accessibility to starting my massage practice, there were still quite a few issues that I found to be hindering my overall expansion and the financial opportunities that I thought could be attained by all of the professionals. I found that the weekly rent payments were extremely hard to manage at times and there was no recourse to assist me in attempting to meet all of my financial obligations. The fact that I was a single parent just a year after I opened my practice just weighed more on my financial burden.

Therefore, I decided to start an ever-evolving business plan that outlined the expansion of my massage therapy business as well as include the concept of helping other independent contractors (entrepreneurs) to follow their dreams and start their own practice. I was able to live in the experience of trying to own and operate my own business and to identify the areas wherein I could subsequently help other entrepreneurs later through all of my efforts.

It took me years of perfecting my business plan and meeting with financial investors in so many different industries to really give me the insight of how and where I could open my expansion. I heard variations of “NO” and “this is a great idea but, sorry we’re not interested in helping you about 50 times.

Never giving up this dream, I found a way in 2020 and with the financial help of a non-profit organization called the Colorado Enterprise Fund (CEF) in January 2021 I proudly opened Ilaria Salon and Med Spa. All of the beauty and medical professionals that work within my spa have developed their own concept and work their business as independent contractors. I work closely with each professional to develop their skills in the areas of business management, accounting, marketing and overall operations concerning their professional services. In addition, I have made arrangements with each of them to ensure that the financial aspect of our agreement is beneficial in a way wherein they can work their business without having to supplement their income in other ways or avenues. This is a dream come true and it’s only the “tip of the iceberg”.

As I continue to work as a licensed massage therapist and owner of Ilaria Salon and Med Spa, I am working further to learn the “art of investing” with the CEF, and other financial mentors. I have aspirations to someday intern with a prestigious investments firm called Victress Capital in Boston, MA wherein they assist female entrepreneurs in their endeavors. It takes a village and paying it forward to give the resources to others that have dreams is the way to build future entrepreneurs and successful businesses.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
When I moved to Las Vegas, NV then came back to Denver to visit, I realized that Colorado is the most beautiful state – EVER! Growing up in Colorado, I never appreciated the beauty of the mountains and the desert landscape. I love that we are a very sought-after state wherein the population is exploding!

My all-time favorite place to visit in Colorado is Glenwood Springs. Since I was a baby, my family has visited its gorgeous hot springs pool and hiking at Hanging Lake. To this day, it is my “go to place” for meditation, and relaxation of mind, body and soul.

We also have the best out-door workout and combination concert venue anywhere in the world at Red Rocks Ampetheater. In the daytime you will find people of all ages working out their cardio, yoga and Pilates. In the evening, you will find concerts featuring artists of all genres. There’s nothing like listening to your favorite music on the side of a mountain overlooking all of the city lights of metro Denver.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
As a teenager, I was a competitive dancer enrolled at the most prestigious dance academy in Denver. Lisa Holtz-Odell, the owner of Starstruck Academy of Dance accepted me into her scholarship program, which enabled me to participate in all of the high-level advanced classes for free. In addition, she hired me to teach beginning and intermediate classes within her studio. It was always a dream of mine to audition and become a professional dancer, specifically a Denver Broncos Cheerleader.

After being cut from the Denver Broncos Cheerleading auditions two years in a row, Lisa sat me down and said “I am sending you to Las Vegas, NV to become a showgirl. In October 1995 at the age of 20 I left Colorado and move to Las Vegas, NV. I became a professional dancer and worked in many different shows and events for 9 years. Plus, I worked in a credit card call center and worked my way up to Operations Manager of the Customer Service department which catapulted a love for business and extensive experience in the corporate world.

In 2004 I moved back to Denver, and in the following years I worked in several different management positions in a new call center, became a mother to two beautiful children, a wife, a high school poms coach, went to massage therapy school, got divorced – thereby becoming a new single mother, I am a dance and baseball mom and in 2013 became my own boss and opened my own massage practice.

In 2012 I reconnected with Lisa when I enrolled my daughter Jordyn in dance class at 3 years old. Just being in her presence again sparked a fire inside of me wherein I felt compelled to explore opening my own business, thus prompted the pursuit to open an independent contracting massage therapy business in 2013 in addition to starting a business plan to expand on that practice someday to include a full med spa concept. In the years to follow Lisa continued to spark that entrepreneurial spirit inside of me and I am proud to say that in January 2021 I opened Ilaria Salon and Med Spa and am mentoring other independent contractors to open their own practice, just as I did in 2013.

In every situation of my personal, professional life as well as my dealings with my children, I find that I often without hesitation immediately think of how Lisa would approach the situation. She has been more than just a mentor to me, without her and the ongoing advice and friendship she’s given to me over the past 30 years, I just don’t know who I would be.

When you sit back and look at all of the students that Lisa has taught and the hearts she has touched over the past 40 years, you will find some of the most successful women entrepreneurs you’ve ever met. I am forever grateful to Lisa for all of my success that experienced.

Website: www.ilariasalonspa.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ilariasalonmedspa/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-sanders-lmt-owner-91822621/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/strengthspa/

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/ilaria-salon-and-med-spa-centennial?osq=ilaria

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCshKemQw1LZFj_3FAL5637Q

Other: On June 5, 2021 I competed in the Miss Colorado for America Strong pageant, a division of the Mrs. Colorado/Mrs. America Pageant System (www.mrscolorado.com). I WON! I am the reigning Miss Colorado for America Strong 2021. My story is on the website http://mrscolorado.com/miss-colorado My facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MissCOAmerica My IG: https://www.instagram.com/emilymisscoloradoamerica2021/