Army Veteran Couple Open First Hand & Stone Location in Waco, TX

Heath Balmos, a Texas-native and his wife Heather met while both serving in the Army. After serving, Heath joined the corporate world and worked at Frito-Lay/PepsiCo for 16 years. Heather on the other hand had other aspirations. Heather attempted a path toward business but felt she had a passion she couldn’t give up. Heather loved giving and receiving massages. Making people feel better made Heather feel like she was giving back. After having their third and youngest son, Heather decided she wanted a career path that had flexibility and fulfilled her and her family. She was able to take care of her children while doing what she loved, which was giving massages. Heather has now been a licensed massage therapist for over 2 years. Seeing the passion that Heather had ignited in Heath and the two decided to open the very first Hand & Stone location in their new hometown of Waco, TX.

Could you tell me a little bit about your background?

I grew up in San Antonio, Texas and attended college at The Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina. I joined the Army when I was 22 years old and served for  6 ½ years. That is where I met my wife Heather.

After serving in the military, I worked for Frito-Lay/ PepsiCo for 16 years as a Site Director. Heather and I have 3 boys (Case 19, Gabe 16, and Eli 8). Heather grew up in Greensboro, North Carolina and also served in the military. She is now a Licensed Massage Therapist and loves helping her clients feel better and make them more relaxed. Heather has always loved receiving massages. In 2011/2012 Heather was attending college working on her associate degree in business.  2011 was also the year our youngest son was born and Heather wanted to do something with her career that made her feel better and also make her feel fulfilled in her life and career. That was becoming a massage therapist. Heather decided to change her course and become a licensed massage therapist. With the change in career paths, Heather was given a career option that was more flexible and was able to take care of our children. This path fulfilled her and our family. Heather has now been a licensed massage therapist for a little over 3 years now.

Where are you from?

Heath: Grew up in San Antonio Texas

Heather: Grew up in Greensboro, North Carolina

Where do you currently live?

Waco, TX

Education?

Attended college at The Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina

Family?

Served in the Army where I met my wife Heather. Have 3 boys at home (Case 19, Gabe 16, and Eli 8).

Career?

I joined the Army when I was 22 years old and served for6 ½ years. After serving in the military, I worked for Frito-Lay/ PepsiCo for 16 years as a Site Director. Heather is a Licensed Massage Therapist. Heather is the lead massage therapist at our Hand & Stone Waco location and helps with the on-boarding of other massage therapists. We did however just recently promote an experienced massage therapist as the lead and Heather is now able to go back to receiving her massages. Heather is still involved in the business but only in the parts she wants to be. She doesn’t have much of an interest in the business factors but more in the customer relationships. Heather loves hearing our clients say how much better they feel once they experience our Hand & Stone.

How did you learn about Hand & Stone?

Heather was at massage school up in Pacific Northwest south of Oregon. Her instructor had worked at Hand & Stone. They often had people from H&S come talk to the students and some students ended up working for H&S after. Heather found out before that because she was frequenting at a competitor and switched to H&S and ended going to work for H&S after school.

Why did you choose to become a franchisee with Hand & Stone? What was it that appealed to you?

I personally liked how it made my wife feel as an employee. She enjoyed working for H&S. I also talked to other business owners and they enjoyed what they did with H&S. It’s an environment where people are happy and it has a really positive atmosphere and culture. It’s different than other businesses.

We looked at different franchises that aren’t as healthy and  impactful for clients like a tanning bed salon, fast food etc. We really wanted to be a part of something we were proud of. We were aiming to build a positive business environment for our clients and help make a positive impact in theirlives.

What makes Waco the perfect market for Hand & Stone?

As I was leaving corporate America, we were looking into different areas we would like to make our long-term home. I love Texas, I grew up in San Antonio but it is too big of a city for me now. While doing some research, Waco came up and it seemed like the perfect place. Waco has beautiful weather, lakes nearby, great family environment and a great place to raise a family.

There also was no Hand & Stone in Waco which was a great business opportunity for us to bring one to the community and provide services. We were very happy and surprised that our first pick of a location was available for us. Exciting to open the first location in Waco.

What were the most unexpected challenges of opening your franchise?

We hoped to open our location in February, but our process with permitting and getting a lease took much longer than expected and we had to push out our opening until June 3rd.

Do you provide any interesting services or work with any other local businesses, organizations, or prominent individuals in the community?

Yes, we give a membership discount to nurses, emergency service professionals, veterans and active duty military, and educators.