Small Business Spotlight: East Village Spa

Since opening in 2008, Cassie Sampson, owner of East Village Spa in Downtown Des Moines (DSM), strives for customers to feel welcome and at home.

With a team of more than 30 people, the Spa includes 6,000 square feet of space with 15 treatment rooms including three rooms for couples' massage. The Spa is also home to unique and specialty massage therapy: Four of the Spa’s therapists offer Thai-style assisted stretching massage. And Ashiatsu is available, a technique where therapists use their bare feet for very firm pressure for deep tissue massaging.

Their space is primarily dedicated to personalized treatments for their clients’ wellness. The Spa’s goal is to provide service to as many customers as they can; meaning, you won’t find spa parties, sauna rooms or robed people lounging around a whirlpool here.

Although massage is the bulk of their service offerings, East Village Spa also provides natural healthy nail care and skin care as well. The Spa is one of the only Dazzle Dry nail salons in Iowa, with bragging rights as the cleanest professional nail lacquer on the market. It is certified oncology safe, meaning it is an ideal choice for people experiencing cancer or with a history of cancer and is viewed as a great alternative to gel nail polish. “This brand has a big following, people come just for this. It dries fast, lasts well, looks great, can be removed without acetone and doesn’t have an odor. Also, it is a woman-founded health and beauty company, which is a rare find in this industry,” says Sampson.

Customized Care, Inclusive Services

Another unique aspect? Both Sampson and the Spa’s director are massage therapists themselves. Although it’s rare that they see clients, offering licensed therapists as the spa’s leadership team means they have a good understanding of what guests need. They’re able to consult with customers to answer specific questions and provide support and guidance for the care team. This is invaluable for their customers as they can provide suggestions to address health concerns, stay in-the-know on industry trends, and also recommend how to best solve the puzzle for people that have previously had a hard time finding the right care.

The East Village Spa’s motto: Every. Body. Welcome.

Sampson is proud of the space she and her team have created to support people with unique body needs. They offer wider massage tables, which expand six inches beyond the standard table size. As a popular spot for aging parents and people with mobility concerns, the Spa’s staff can help with customers in need of wheelchair transport. For example, with guests that have had a joint replacement or are coming to the Spa for pain relief, staff can help customers into the building from the parking lot and navigate up the elevator. Sampson adds, “Our online intake form gives our customers the chance to let us know how we can be inclusive and best support their needs before they even arrive.”

Additionally, the Spa team continues to grow upon their services to best support customer needs. They’re currently building an oncology menu of services, ranging from skin, nails and massage treatments specifically geared towards people with cancer or with a history of cancer.

“There is so much education that we provide to our therapist team to in-turn share with our customers. For example, in dealing with customers with cancer of fibromyalgia, we train our team about the condition, what does research say can help with side effects, what is most effective for pain relief,” says Sampson. “LED red light therapy is relatively new for pain relief. We’re able to educate on what kind of LED therapy is helpful, how it is used, how to explain the therapy to the client and what conditions it will help. We want to be able to provide honest answers and serve as the subject matter experts.”

Small Business Strategy: Putting People First

Caring for the Community

Sampson’s heart for caring for others also extends beyond client care. She is a dedicated supporter of community-based organizations with purposeful missions, and she emphatically infuses this into the fabric of her small business.

East Village Spa partners with Beacon of Life and the Harvest Academy to serve people with a history of addiction, incarceration or homelessness. Through unique events, the Spa is able to provide care through positive touch and wellness for individuals who may not otherwise get a chance to experience massage therapy. At a recent event (shown below), 13 women from Beacon of Life received breakfast, a bag of goodies from spa vendor Farmhouse Fresh and free services from East Village Spa therapists. “Additionally, this event is a great chance for our attendees to learn about massage therapy as a career — which our staff is passionate about!” adds Sampson.

Another recent event provided support for men engaged with the Harvest Academy in Indianola, which grants jobs for individuals to work in a moving company. "We help them learn to manage pain and teach self-care exercises, as their jobs are physically demanding. Our team is passionate about pain research. We can be part of the solution with pain relief, to find positive and alternative ways to manage pain other than medications,” says Sampson.

Coming up in October, East Village Spa is hosting its annual Spalloween fundraiser in support of animal rescue organizations including Bailing Out Benji. "This is a great time for people to try us out or try out a new service like the Thai massage or barefoot massage. You also get to meet almost all the employees and shop to benefit a great cause!” says Sampson. The event includes a silent auction with 45+ packages up or grabs, including items like spa services, spa packages and luxury purses. Purchase tickets for the event taking place on Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024 from 5-7:30 p.m.

“These events keep my employees excited and engaged. It reminds us why we do this,” she adds.

A People-Centric Employer

Something else that sets East Village Spa apart: They have an tangible focus on caring for employees. “Our employee support helps us with recruitment and retaining incredible talent. We want [our employees] to stay for a long time. And lots of our employees have been with us a long time! I’m proud of that," Sampson adds. The Spa team is pictured below, participating in the Capital City Pride Parade.

Sampson works closely with the Central Iowa Center for Independent Living (CICIL), and she even keeps a few positions open at the spa to purposefully fill those jobs with people that have unique job challenges — such as disabilities or barriers to employment. Sampson says she wants to create a diverse workforce and bring in great people to help with all the things the Spa needs, including housekeeping and laundry: “So important in the spa, even though it is behind the scenes!” she adds. This is also a great opportunity to teach skills like disability etiquette for the spa team, as well.

Lifting Up Fellow Small Businesses

Sampson is also intentional about supporting other small businesses in the area as part of her business model. The Spa features artwork by local artists including Laura Palmer and Chris Vance. In the retail area, they carry Morphew Designs jewelry by local maker Heather Morphew and other Iowa manufactured products, like by Iowa Beard Company.

Businesses supporting businesses is truly a deep culture here. “We collaborate with other salons and spas in the area behind the scenes. The COVID-19 pandemic made it much more apparent how much we needed to work together to deal with unique challenges. For example, if we misorder something and desperately need a specific product, we can source it from another local business and return the favor later. Recently, a nearby salon had some special equipment backorder and was able to borrow from us in order to fulfill a special event. Without that equipment, they would have had to cancel,” says Sampson.

“Others may see competition, but it is truly supportive and collaborative here. This is a nice community where owners and leaders work together,” she adds. Below is a photo of Sampson with Tricia Rivas, owner of Trixie’s Salon and Spa, filling Tricia’s vehicle with supplies and furnishings from East Village Spa to support another spa owner whose space sustained major flood damage in northern Iowa.

Why Downtown Des Moines

Sampson shared about first opening as a private massage practice in the Historic East Village back in 2008. At the time, several other small businesses were entering the scene as well, including Ephemera and Raygun to join existing entities like Gong Fu Tea and Eden.

“As businesses, we kind of grew up here together. Over the years, I stay here because I feel loyal. The landscape has changed quite a bit, yet there is plenty of parking! It’s accessible. There are new meters that are accessible, and a parking ramp right nearby the Spa. Plus even more accessible parking access is behind our building for my customers,” she says.

“We love Downtown Des Moines. It’s the only neighborhood I wanted to open a business in. And I’m committed to staying here,” says Sampson.

About East Village Spa

Location
300 E. Locust St., Ste. 313
Des Moines, Iowa 50309

Hours
M - Thu: 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. 
F: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. 
Saturday: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Sunday: Closed 

Learn More
Website: evdayspa.com
Facebook: facebook.com/eastvillagespa
Instagram: instagram.com/evdayspa

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