“Do what you love and love what you do, the success will follow.”
This is the guiding principle of Kimberley Knapp, the inspiring leader and founder of Skin Apeel Day Spa. Located in Boca Raton, Florida, Skin Apeel Day Spa has become a sanctuary for those seeking holistic skincare and wellness treatments. With a career spanning over three decades, Kimberley’s journey is a testament to dedication, innovation, and an unwavering commitment to her clients and team.
Kimberley Knapp’s story is one of passion turned into a thriving business. As the founder and skin specialist of Skin Apeel Day Spa, Kimberley has successfully created a holistic wellness retreat that offers restorative facials, body massages, and natural nail care. Her commitment to providing the best in holistic treatments has not only set her apart in the skincare industry but has also earned her national recognition.
Interview with Kimberley Knapp, Founder and Skin Specialist at Skin Apeel Day Spa
How It All Began
Kimberley's journey began with a desire to offer more to her clients. Prior to founding Skin Apeel Day Spa, she worked as a skin specialist in various salons and boutiques. However, she found herself yearning for a space that matched her vision of holistic wellness and relaxation.
"I am the founder! Our location was born due to the desire to want 'more' for my facial clients. Prior to opening, I was working as a skin specialist with a loyal clientele in a variety of salons and boutiques... I couldn't find what I wanted for myself and my clients. My mission was to offer the best holistic treatments within an environment that was conducive to relaxation and provided a start-to-finish escape from reality. In the early '90s, there were no day spas in Boca Raton, and definitely not a location that matched my mindset. I opened in 1992, expanded twice, and have always remained true to my philosophy."
Milestones and Achievements
Throughout her career, Kimberley has reached several significant milestones. From learning to manage employees without formal management training to building a cohesive team, her journey has been marked by perseverance and growth.
"The first milestone was learning how to hire and manage employees as I had no formal management background. I learned how to be an employer and run a business the hard way while working 12-hour days in a closed-door treatment room doing back-to-back facials. I learned by jumping in and by many mistakes. The goal became how do I organize and cultivate a cohesive team? 32 years later, I am proud to share that our team of 37 is unified and long-standing. One aspect our clients appreciate is the fact that the majority of our team have been part of our spa family for 15-25 years! Winning two consecutive Top Female Business Entrepreneur awards, among other achievements, was a sign that my personal vision became reality."
Building Trust and Maintaining Quality
Kimberley emphasizes the importance of trust and quality in achieving long-term success. Her commitment to holistic, clean care principles and hiring like-minded team members has been instrumental in building consumer trust.
"Staying true to our mission and culture, hiring like-minded team members, and growing the company with holistic clean care principles as first and foremost are key. Our client trust is important to us as a whole, and our team, as a community, devotes countless hours each month to ensuring we continue to meet and earn client trust on many levels. Ingredients and choices of technology are areas of focus where we can ensure our no-harm principles remain as our guiding force. We also schedule team bonding/building exercises and outings. When we play well together, we work better together!"
Education and Personal Growth
Kimberley's lifestyle and continuous pursuit of wellness and education have been crucial to her success. She believes in the power of healthy living, continuous learning, and the importance of balance.
"My lifestyle as a young adult was and still is based on healthy choices for myself and others. Continued awareness, following reputable resources, and continued education for wellness and beauty aligned drive my success. I am a fan of yoga, which is my best time to think and plan our next business move. I am also guilty of being a beauty junkie as my bathrooms have always looked like my spa or the cosmetic counters I worked at prior to my career path as a skin specialist. My nutrition is of utmost importance, which makes me more effective in my work. We hire and attract the same mindset with clients and team, which helps us all reach our goals!"
Effective Strategies for Growth
Kimberley has found gift card promotions, email campaigns, and social media to be effective strategies for growing her audience and bringing awareness to her services.
"Gift card promotions offered at strategic times during the year grow our audience as our business is built 99% on word of mouth, making personal referrals essential for our survival. The most effective channels would be email and Instagram-aligned campaigns. Our website is informative with spa offerings and current specials. Generally, a prospect finds us first via our 5-star reviews reputation, lands on our homepage for exploration, and typically follows our insider track via IG or FB. Our site is: skinapeel.com. IG page: @skinapeelspa."
Overcoming Challenges
Kimberley has faced numerous challenges, including learning to manage a business and navigating the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Her resilience and dedication to her team and clients have been key to overcoming these obstacles.
"The first five years of becoming a business owner gave me my greatest challenges in trying to learn management, people skills, and how to be an effective employer, all while working as a skin specialist behind closed doors. The next challenge was COVID closure and what followed. I felt this strong obligation to my team to do all I could to financially keep them afloat until we could resume our normal operation (which took many months). Needless to say, we survived both challenges, as I learn from my mistakes and love my team. My motto is my primary role as owner is to make my team heard, valued, and happy; so they in turn can pass along the same love to our loyal clients."
Future Plans and Vision
Kimberley’s future plans involve continuous growth and innovation. She and her team are always looking for ways to improve and stay ahead in the skincare industry.
"More of the same as our clients and team know we never stop growing or looking to improve. We refresh ourselves often with educational events and personal growth tools. Skincare is an industry that doesn't sleep; it is on the fast track. We have to be ready to make changes to hold both ours and our client's next interest. We're so passionate as a team for beauty through wellness that we love R & D and actually carve out calendar time as individuals and as a team to pursue what's next on the horizon. We're currently exploring a new type of technology to reverse sun damage, which is so much needed, living in South Florida."
Advice for Aspiring Professionals
Kimberley’s advice for those looking to succeed in the skincare industry is to follow their passion.
"Best industry ever!! Sustainable, exciting, and the perfect path for everyone who loves self-care and is people passionate. The advice is to do what you love and love what you do; the success will follow."
Giving Back to the Community
Kimberley and her team are deeply involved in giving back to the community, especially supporting local animal shelters and charitable endeavors.
"As an established business and a neighbor of our local community, we're involved in our client's charitable endeavors. We rarely turn down a request to donate spa gift cards, event swag, or do hands-on volunteering. Since animals are close to heart, we find our company attracted to the support of local shelters, their goals, and helping in any way we can. More than likely, if you ask us to back your cause, we'll be there!"
Conclusion
Kimberley Knapp's dedication to holistic wellness, her team, and her community has made Skin Apeel Day Spa a beacon of excellence in the skincare industry. Her journey is a powerful reminder that passion, perseverance, and staying true to one's values are the keys to long-term success. As she looks to the future, Kimberley remains committed to innovation and growth, ensuring that Skin Apeel Day Spa continues to thrive and inspire.
For more about Kimberley Knapp and Skin Apeel Day Spa, visit their website or follow them on Instagram @skinapeelspa.
Phone: +1 561-852-8081
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