- Sections :
- Crime & Public Safety
- Restaurants & Food
- Sports
- More
Categories
THE WOODLANDS, Texas –– Massages might be relaxing, but starting a therapeutic massage business takes hard work.
A new family-owned and run massage franchise in The Woodlands is proof of that, as a father and his daughter are finding out.
Matt Mandalinci, 59, is the brains, if you will, behind the new Elements Massage off Kuykendahl Road. A lifetime of work in the corporate world made the man, who once worked in IT for companies in Thailand and Singapore, look for a change of pace (while still working in business somehow).
That’s where Elements comes in. The Colorado-based company has seen an increase in business of about 24 percent in the last two years, Mandalinci said, not an easy feat in a down economy.
Mandalinci also has a passion for massage from a health standpoint and soon things started to fall into place. Using venues like Salon Post and Woodlands Online, soon the therapists were found. But a piece was missing. Mandalinci interviewed candidates to help run the business but was striking out. Then he thought of someone: his daughter, Sibel.
“The important thing is that someone is the right fit,” he said. “And she was the right fit for the job.
Sibel, 38, had recently moved to Houston from Holland with her husband and two children. She worked, like many in Houston, for an oil and gas company. But the work wasn’t satisfying.
But she didn’t jump into Elements right away.
“I had reservations at first, like any sane person, about working with family, but we sat down and talked about it and the more we did, the more it made sense,” she said. “Even if there are problems, at the end of the day, we’ll make changes, but we’re still a family and we’ll have dinner together.”
The Elements in The Woodlands opened Feb. 4, but feedback has already been positive. The Mandalincis note also that Elements isn’t a simple massage studio.
“Most massages are good and will be relaxing,” Matt said. “But at a lot of places, it’s just relaxing. We try to custom-fit our approach to people who come in and tailor the massages to their needs.”
To wit: Elements has oncology experts, three in all, that work there for those who are cancer survivors and have special needs. They work with expectant mothers on prenatal work. All therapists are licensed and then undergo other training, such as a six-hour course for stone massage given by an instructor at Tomball Lone Star College.
The family also works with local soccer clubs and tried to find different therapists, including those who were working for free at retirement centers or at MD Anderson with cancer patients.
"We wanted to work with the community," Sibel said. "We have children that go to school here, we go to church here and we have almost everything we need in The Woodlands."
If all goes well, they might even open two or three more studios in Montgomery or Harris counties, Matt Mandalinci said.
“We have our own personal mission statement here and that’s: Everyone is one massage away from bliss,” Sibel Mandalinci said. “That’s a pretty good place to be, so let’s take them there.”
A new family-owned and run massage franchise in The Woodlands is proof of that, as a father and his daughter are finding out.
Matt Mandalinci, 59, is the brains, if you will, behind the new Elements Massage off Kuykendahl Road. A lifetime of work in the corporate world made the man, who once worked in IT for companies in Thailand and Singapore, look for a change of pace (while still working in business somehow).
That’s where Elements comes in. The Colorado-based company has seen an increase in business of about 24 percent in the last two years, Mandalinci said, not an easy feat in a down economy.
Mandalinci also has a passion for massage from a health standpoint and soon things started to fall into place. Using venues like Salon Post and Woodlands Online, soon the therapists were found. But a piece was missing. Mandalinci interviewed candidates to help run the business but was striking out. Then he thought of someone: his daughter, Sibel.
“The important thing is that someone is the right fit,” he said. “And she was the right fit for the job.
Sibel, 38, had recently moved to Houston from Holland with her husband and two children. She worked, like many in Houston, for an oil and gas company. But the work wasn’t satisfying.
But she didn’t jump into Elements right away.
“I had reservations at first, like any sane person, about working with family, but we sat down and talked about it and the more we did, the more it made sense,” she said. “Even if there are problems, at the end of the day, we’ll make changes, but we’re still a family and we’ll have dinner together.”
The Elements in The Woodlands opened Feb. 4, but feedback has already been positive. The Mandalincis note also that Elements isn’t a simple massage studio.
“Most massages are good and will be relaxing,” Matt said. “But at a lot of places, it’s just relaxing. We try to custom-fit our approach to people who come in and tailor the massages to their needs.”
To wit: Elements has oncology experts, three in all, that work there for those who are cancer survivors and have special needs. They work with expectant mothers on prenatal work. All therapists are licensed and then undergo other training, such as a six-hour course for stone massage given by an instructor at Tomball Lone Star College.
The family also works with local soccer clubs and tried to find different therapists, including those who were working for free at retirement centers or at MD Anderson with cancer patients.
"We wanted to work with the community," Sibel said. "We have children that go to school here, we go to church here and we have almost everything we need in The Woodlands."
If all goes well, they might even open two or three more studios in Montgomery or Harris counties, Matt Mandalinci said.
“We have our own personal mission statement here and that’s: Everyone is one massage away from bliss,” Sibel Mandalinci said. “That’s a pretty good place to be, so let’s take them there.”
Comments •
Related News: Business
