E45: Redefining Med Spa Culture: It's Not What You Think

Ever wondered what happens behind the elegant doors of a med spa? Turns out, it's not just about luxury treatments for the elite—it's a wellness journey accessible to everyone, including your neighbors.

Mark Koepsell, owner of Xanadu Med Spa, reveals the surprising breadth of modern med spa offerings that extend far beyond what most people imagine. With over 150 services spanning traditional day spa treatments, medical aesthetic procedures, and body contouring, Xanadu represents a comprehensive approach to wellness where science meets self-care.

What makes Mark's story particularly compelling is his unexpected path to spa ownership. After spending 260+ nights a year in hotel beds as a nonprofit management CEO, he sought a dramatic lifestyle change. Ten years later, he's still passionate about the business, continuously educating himself on the science, medicine, and physics behind effective treatments. This dedication to knowledge translates directly to better client outcomes.

Perhaps the most valuable takeaway from our conversation is Mark's candid assessment of treatment reality: "A treatment might be 25% of the process, but 75% is what you're doing at home." This honest approach demystifies the journey to wellness and beauty, emphasizing that real results require partnership between provider and client. As Mark puts it, "The med spa client is your neighbor and the neighbor next to them"—everyday people seeking to look and feel their best.

Want to learn more about what a med spa can offer you? Visit https://www.xanadumedspa.com/ or call 970-482-1889 for a complimentary, no-obligation consultation with Mark's team of 24 dedicated professionals who care "about the client at the deepest core of who they are."

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place
where local businesses andneighbors come together.
Here's your host, Nick George.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
Welcome to the Good Neighbor Podcast.
Are you in need of a med spathat combines five-star elegance
with warm, down-to-earth vibes,where every guest feels like a
VIP among friends?
One might be closer than youthink.
Today I have the pleasure ofintroducing your good neighbor,
mark Kepsel, with Xanadu Med Spa.
Mark, how are you doing?

Speaker 3 (00:32):
I'm doing great.
Thanks so much for having me.

Speaker 2 (00:36):
No problem, we're excited to learn all about you
and your business.
Tell us about your practice.

Speaker 3 (00:42):
Well, I'm going to try to expedite this because I
could go on and on, but, inshort, xanadu Med Spa.
We've got a fully functioningday spa, so think massage,
facials, hydrafacials, bodywraps a fully functioning med
spa, so things like Botox,fillers, lasers and things like

(01:06):
that.
And then we've got a bodycontouring center where we
literally can sculpt and contouryour body, so all three come
together under one roof.
We've got over 150 services.
We've got 24 staff, a medicaldirector, everything from nurses
to estheticians, massagetherapists, and that's it in a

(01:29):
nutshell.

Speaker 2 (01:30):
How did you get into this business?

Speaker 3 (01:34):
I kind of just fell into it.
To be very honest, I came outof a whole life in higher
education and nonprofitmanagement and I was the CEO of
a nonprofit management company.
We had 18 differentorganizations, I was working
with 18 different boards and Iwas on the road across North

(01:55):
America nonstop.
That last year I slept in ahotel bed more than 260 nights
of the year and I thought I'vegot to change this.
And what sounds better than aspa, right?
So when I saw Xanadu for sale,it came to me, via a friend
actually, who said you shouldthink about this.

(02:17):
I thought, okay, that soundsgreat.
How hard could it be?
I may have been a little naive,but that was, you know, a
little more than 10 years ago.
And the rest is history.
And here we are.

Speaker 2 (02:31):
What are some myths or misconceptions in your
industry?

Speaker 3 (02:36):
I think a big misconception is that you can
come in, you can get a treatmentand it's going to fix
everything overnight.
The reality is the treatmentprotocol process it's a journey,
it's a path, and so it worksbest if you start proactively

(03:00):
and then keep up with it.
But even if you haven't, wecertainly can catch up with you.
But it's not all just going tohappen overnight.
And even more than that, Ithink you have to understand
that a treatment might be 25% ofthe process, but 75% is what
you're doing at home, and thetwo come together and you know,

(03:22):
it's kind of like people that goto Weight Watchers but then
they go to McDonald's.
It doesn't work so well.
The same thing might be truehere.

Speaker 2 (03:34):
A lot of people think that they know who the average
customer for an anesthetician isor an esthetician.
But who are your targetcustomers today and how do you
attract them?

Speaker 3 (03:45):
Yeah, I think in reality, our target clients are
people between the ages of 30and 65.
And 65.
In reality, it's primarilywomen, although the male market

(04:06):
is growing exponentially yearover year.
And how do we attract them?
I do a lot of work within thelocal networks and really the
best advertising are your ownclients, and so if you can get
your own clients to talk aboutthe fabulous experience that

(04:27):
they had, that's the bestmarketing you can get.

Speaker 2 (04:31):
Have you ever thought about doing your own podcast
with your own clients?

Speaker 3 (04:36):
I have not, but maybe I should.

Speaker 2 (04:40):
Outside of work.
What do you do for fun?

Speaker 3 (04:43):
Well, I love to travel, but here in town, maybe
not staying in hotel rooms 260nights of the year, but I love
to travel.
But I spend a lot of time in mygarden in the summertime.
Um, it's kind of the place tostart the morning and the place
to end the evening.

(05:04):
Um, it's more of like, um, asurrounding flower garden.
I've turned the entire backyardinto a garden, so that's just
the place that gives me peaceand a little tranquility.

Speaker 2 (05:21):
Yeah, more of that inner work wisdom that you're
giving us tips on that leads togood outer visibility.
Right exactly, let's switchgears.
Can you name or describe ahardship or life challenge that
you overcame and how it made youstronger?
What comes to mind?

Speaker 3 (05:39):
Oh wow, I think well shoot.

Speaker 2 (05:53):
You may have already answered that question taking
over this business?
Was there something else thatwas more challenging, that
resulted in Okay, that's a goodway to say it.

Speaker 3 (06:02):
Yes, so you come in and you can understand how to
run a business.
Okay, but every business has awidget, and so getting to know
and understand your widget is abig part of the process, and
this one certainly has a lot ofnuances, especially when you've

(06:26):
got the broad spectrum that thatwe use and provide within the
service, and so I thinkcertainly just being able to
talk the talk, walk the walk,understand there's a lot of
science involved, there's a lotof medicine involved, there's a

(06:48):
lot of physics involved, and sothe learning curve was probably
a little higher than Ioriginally anticipated.
But I'll go back to mybackground in higher education.
That's when you dive in and youjust do a lot of education, and
whether that's going toconferences, conventions,

(07:09):
getting certifications.
I love everything that we haveavailable to us online through
like YouTube, but I bet you I'mregistering for two and three
Zoom education seminars weekly.

Speaker 2 (07:26):
Wow, Mark.
Please tell our listeners onething they should absolutely
remember about Xanadu Med Spa.

Speaker 3 (07:34):
I think one thing to remember is the staff cares
about the client at the deepestcore of who they are.
Every single staff memberreally does and they care about
that journey.
I think a lot of people thatwhen they think about med spas,
they think it's a place like forglam and they put it into this

(07:59):
like box and really box, andreally it's for every person,
every average person, because weall have those things we want
to work on, right, maybe it's alaser hair removal, maybe it's a
tattoo.
We got that.
We regret that.
The list goes on and on.
But the biggest mistake peoplemake is that they have this

(08:23):
perception of what a med spaclient is and in reality, if you
were to sit in our lobby, you'dsee the med spa client is your
neighbor and the neighbor nextto them and everybody who looks
just like them.

Speaker 2 (08:38):
Mark, how can our listeners learn more about
Xanadu Med Spa listeners learnmore about Xanadu.

Speaker 3 (08:42):
Med Spa Yep.
Our website is full ofinformation.
That's wwwxanadumedspacom.
And certainly consultationshere are always free.
So if there's just somethingyou're interested in and want to
learn more, just call us up at970-482-1889.
Us up at 970-482-1889.

(09:05):
And we'd love to get you set upwith a complimentary
consultation no obligation, justto learn more.

Speaker 2 (09:16):
Well, Mark, I really appreciate you being on the show
and we wish you and yourpractice the best moving forward
.

Speaker 3 (09:19):
Well, I appreciate it .
Thanks so much for theopportunity.