Today we’d like to introduce you to Sonya Harris-Oguzor.
Hi Sonya, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
When I was 15 years old, I dreamed of being a massage therapist after seeing the Queen Latifah film, “Last Holiday”. I was inspired by a dying person’s last wish to be pampered and wanted to be the one to pamper them. After high school graduation, I headed straight to Irene’s Myomassology Institute (my massage school) to fulfill my dreams. I graduated Irene’s Myomassology Institute in Sept 2011 and created Detroit’s Confident Natural’s Spa Retreat that same month. I specialized in Sports massage then and spa treatments. Over the years, I began to tire of sports massage and became interested in Doula work and Prenatal massage. I had taken prenatal massage electives and side-lying massage in school so I had a good idea about it. I changed my spa to focus on prenatal massage and Swedish for the most part. I originally worked out of my home until I began getting a flux of strangers referred to me. I decided it would be better to go to them versus them come to me. My spa became mobile and has been since 2012. In 2018, I got married and changed the spa name to Spa Oguzor because I wanted the name to be easier to memorize and be more family-oriented. I rebranded and now Spa Oguzor offers doula services as well as prenatal massage and spa treatments. We’re planning to expand to a brick-and-mortar business eventually to create the environment more comfortable than home for my clients.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It was smooth in the beginning when I was in school because I got a lot of massage volunteers who later became my full-time clients. I also worked from home and so the setup was always perfect versus now having to create the environment each session. Throughout the years, my prices have increased and I have lost clientele. I also stopped massaging for three years as I raised my kids full-time. In 2020, I decided to get my spa back up and running then the pandemic hit. Most of the year, we were closed and opening up in the fall seemed complicated but we did it. It’s a struggle getting new clients with so much competition but it’s doable. Also, finding help is difficult as clientele fluctuates and being mobile is not ideal for some workers. I think every spa has the same issues though so I am not too worried.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Spa Oguzor LLC?
Spa Oguzor is a maternity spa & doula service that is inspired by Igbo culture. We provide massage therapy, spa treatments, and doula services. It specializes in prenatal and Swedish massage. It’s known for being a Black women-owned maternity spa. It is a family ran spa with Nigerian Igbo influences. I want readers to know that there is a place for expecting moms and women who need an oasis just for them and it’s at Spa Oguzor.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
For people looking for mentors, the internet helps. There are several organizations dedicated to helping small businesses in the county, state, and nationally. I called around to organizations for women, women of color, minorities, small businesses, businesses created by moms and every other description of myself to find resources. With the pandemic happening, a lot of places were closed or had long waits but eventually, the call paid off. For people 18 to 29, there is a program called Skys The Limit that mentors new small businesses. Meetup.com has a lot of business groups and Facebook can help with that as well. Even going on YouTube can help with virtual mentorship.
Contact Info:
- Email: SpaOguzor@gmail.com
- Website: SpaOguzor.com
- Instagram: spaoguzor
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SpaOguzor/
