Spa Star: Barbara Findler's Many Hats

Barbara Findler wears many hats. She is a mom, a massage therapist and, for the last seven years, the co-owner of Fallbrook Wellness Spa, which she founded in Fallbrook, California, in San Diego County.

Her passion for massage therapy has led Findler to study at 13 massage schools and accumulate 2,700 hours’ training during her 22 years as a full-time massage therapist. A 1982 graduate of Heartwood Institute in Garberville, California, Findler has studied body therapies and macrobiotics at schools throughout the United States and Canada. She has been a massage therapist at hospitals, physical-therapy clinics, resorts and spas. She is also an aesthetician licensed by the state of California. In 1999 she completed three months of intensive residential studies in shiatsu, tai chi and an Oriental approach to nutrition at Heartwood.

Findler continues to take classes to track the latest developments in the field of massage - and as a spa owner, her management style reflects the diversity of her extensive training. At the Fallbrook Wellness Spa, visitors will find a full slate of specialty services and classes, including tai chi and yoga.

She also invests time providing in-house training once or twice a month for massage therapists, most of whom she finds “only have training in basic massage.” “There is a big lack,” she says of therapists trained for spas. Meanwhile, she notes, the massage clientele is becoming more educated.

“When I started 22 years ago, I had to tell people the benefits of massage. Now, they call in and ask about treatments and tell you names of muscles. I am glad we can provide for an educated clientele,” she says.

When the spa started, Findler recalls, “It was way more than a full-time job. There were four of us on the staff. We did everything.” Now that the staff has grown to a very capable team of 20, Findler has more time to be reflective.

Based on her own experience, Findler encourages massage therapists to consider working at a spa. “A spa is a great way to start. You gain confidence. You [massage] many bodies and have the opportunity to trade with other experienced bodyworkers.

“When I got out of massage school, I was really shy,” she continues. “Working at the spa gave me the courage to get me out on my own.”

The demands of maintaining a successful on-site massage practice were what originally inspired Findler to make a change. “<An on-site> practice can take twice as long per client to set up because there are so many steps involved: drive to their home, carry all your equipment and the table, find a place to set up, give them an hour massage. And since it tends to be more intimate than a spa setting, I tended to spend more time at the home. I did that for 17 years.

“There are advantages to both types of work,” adds Findler. “But I think that too many people think spas are not the way to go, especially monetarily. They say, ‘Why should I make that amount when I can make more on my own?’ But the ease of booking and having back-to-back massages can make it worthwhile financially.”

Findler notes some of the positive and negative aspects of being a spa owner: “I had a great co-founder of the spa,” she says of partner Craig Lozzi, also a massage therapist. “As massage therapists, we had no idea what we were getting into,” she admits. “We were tired of being on the road. We visited spas, did research. It took us years to find a building. We did a lot of work. The biggest negative is all the paperwork.”

All of her hard work has been worthwhile, though, Findler says. “I love the spa. It turned out beautifully … I am very proud the spa is truly is organic and holistic. I am proud of our committed staff.”

With a grown daughter, Findler, 49, says her personal goals are “wanting to find balance, focus on me and my personal growth and travel.”