May 17, 2017

Meet Christina Hartmann of Bare Necessities Spa & Boutique in Montrose

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Christina Hartmann.

Christina, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I went to college and hated it! I realized it just was not for me. I started working as a waitress and that’s where I found my true passion for customer service. After a long talk with my mom, I decided I wanted to go to esthetics school. I fell in love on the first day of class! It was meant to be. I gained experience in 2 of Houston’s top spas and from there I realized I wanted to open a spa of my own. After 2 years of saving money, I opened a place where employees and customer service are the main focus. Now my passion for customer service and employee appreciation is the driving force behind Bare Necessities. When I am not working the things that are most important to me is spending quality time with my husband, family and friends.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Throughout the 6 years we have been open, we have experienced many hardships, family deaths, layoffs, bad tax advice, and unhappy employees that tried to slander our name. There have been many ups and downs and lots of growth along the way. After completing the Goldman and Sacs 10,000 small business program in 2015 my business partner and I began to separate, I grew and learned so much from the program but she did not have the desire to follow. I began to realize the best practices for our business and that I did not want to be just a small business owner, but a leader in our industry. I confronted my business partner about these ideas and the ways to grow and we did not see eye to eye. Now we are in the midst of a buyout battle. As hard and frustrating, and even sad as this time maybe it is teaching me the value of proper and open communication and how important it is. Even through these trying times I have learned to stay positive and remembered that skincare is my one true passion.

Please tell us about Bare Necessities Spa & Boutique.
Bare Necessities is a skin care focused spa that opened in June 2011 with the purpose of creating a work environment where the employees are respected and honored and customer service is a top priority. We are an employee-focused business. We started with 2 employees and have now grown to 11. Our belief is that if you give your employees the right work environment and create a positive and nurturing culture it will shine through to your customers. Happy employee’s equal happy customers. Our skin care specialists have a true desire and passion for skincare. We not only provide our clients with an amazing experience but we also teach them how to take the best care of their skin. We have a 5-star rating on Yelp and have been voted best spa in the Houston Press for 2015 and 2016.

Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
My favorite memory as a child is playing outdoors.

Pricing:

Organic Facials start at $95
Monthly membership style pricing for Brazilian Waxing without the formal membership ($57 if you come every 4 weeks)
Air Brushed Organic Spray Tanning for $35

Contact Info: