Dear Friends of Kua Body,
Thank you to all of our loyal clients and supportive community who have been part of our journey as massage entrepreneurs since 2014. These last four years have truly been a labor of love and passion.
I can’t believe how many amazing milestones we have reached – opening and expanding two locations, adding more massage therapists to our team, having the support of a versatile and talented Operations Team which has grown our social media presence, being featured on several media outlets, launching a woman’s business group and most importantly our clientele base has grown exponentially.
Please join me and my colleagues as Kua Body celebrates four years of business and providing world class massage therapy in Pleasanton and Los Altos. We are excited about what the future has in store and hope you will continue to partner with us.
Cheers! ~Upuia
Q: What made you think it’s time to leave Google and become an Entrepreneur?
Google offered amazing opportunities and perks with so many cool memories! It was hard to leave after 10 years but the desire to hone my leadership skills and the need for a creative outlet had a stronger calling. As a visionary, I wanted a place to grow and be challenged, Google helped me refine my leaderships skills and was a springboard to becoming a full-fledged Entrepreneur! If I could make it at Google, I could make it beyond!
Q: How has Kua Body grown since you started in 2014?
UA: I opened both the Los Altos and Pleasanton offices in August and September 2014 respectively. In 2016, both studios underwent an expansion. Our clientele base has grown exponentially. We added more therapists to our team, hosted wellness workshops and developed a Mentor Program for new massage therapists. Nearly 4 years ago when we opened our doors, Kua Body was an unknown in both communities but now we are becoming a household neighborhood name. In addition, Kua Body is instrumental in leading and inspiring local community engagement, and in 2016 I founded Women Entrepreneurs of Los Altos (WE Los Altos), a grass-roots local business group with nearly 70 members and growing www.WELosAltos.com.
Q: What inspired you to become a massage therapist?
As a 4 year old, when I visited my grandmother Upuia Tuialuuluu who migrated from American Samoa (Gogo / Tau Manu’a Tele) to San Bruno, Ca., I observed her use of native Samoan plants and massage techniques to help people with ailments including myself. She was considered a Taulasea Samoan village healer and our family’s matriarch. My grandmother will be 102 years old this August, has 14 children and I’m the first grandchild to proudly carry her name. My hope is to make her and my family proud and live out her legacy as the founder, owner and practitioner of Kua Body.
Q: What is a Massage Studio Incubator and what gave you the idea for it?
Entering the workforce as a new massage therapist, I was shocked by the lack of industry compensation and business preparation. I quickly realized in order to make a living, I would need multiple jobs to even match my previous salary. I designed the Kua Body Incubator to solve this issue, and give talented massage therapists an opportunity to succeed financially and professionally.
The Kua Body “incubator” model is that we build-out turnkey high-end massage studios in the most desirable communities. Seasoned massage professionals can build and run their own practice without the needed startup capital or lack of desire to own and run their own facility. Our facilities are not spas but sophisticated and stylish venues. In addition, we provide ongoing professional, business, and financial mentoring for all of our team members. Our clients can expect consistent high quality service and the opportunity to work with their own personal therapist.
Q: How did you choose the name Kua Body?
UA: In 2002, while I was a new massage student, we had an assignment to envision our massage practice and business. I used the initials of my first, middle and last names – KUA. I also learned in Samoan Kua means backbone or vertebrae. It was destiny! And, in 2014 the word BODY came to me while laying on a mat in my yoga class.
Read the full interview with Upuia here
A Look Back at the Past Four Years
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