The Great Franchisees: Heather & Mark Mize, Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa, Houston

Mark Mize has spent much of his career building and selling companies, so he knows a lucrative model when he sees one. Now, Mark and his wife Heather are set to become the newest franchisee team with Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa, the 475-plus-unit spa franchise that is rapidly expanding throughout North America. The Mizes have signed on to bring five Hand & Stone spas to the Houston area, the first of which is scheduled to open in March 2021.

The Mizes arrive at Hand & Stone after diverse entrepreneurial careers in a range of industries. Starting in public accounting, Heather and Mark's resumes boast stints in software, oil and gas and even party rentals. Throughout their careers, the Mizes say they have learned firsthand how businesses can impact their communities, and they are adamant about using their new Hand & Stone franchises to connect and uplift their respective communities.

1851 Franchise: Tell us your story — what did you do before franchising?

Heather: We did not go to the same college, but we were both accounting majors and presidents of our respective college accounting chapters. During an accounting chapters trip to Disney World — where dreams come true — I met Mark. However, the timing of our budding relationship wasn’t right. Mark planned to stay in Houston, but I sought opportunities elsewhere. About a year later, I eventually landed in Houston, where I needed to take a CPA exam. Mark happened to be taking the same exam on the same day. We reconnected at the CPA exam and later got married.

Mark: Both Heather and I are CPAs and began our careers with public accounting firms. For several years I worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers with oil and gas clients while Heather worked at Arthur Andersen, primarily with technology clients. Before Heather stepped into a stay-at-home-mom role, she worked as controller and vice president of finance for a few start-up technology companies. I later left public accounting to build my career in the energy space, becoming the CFO of a major oil and gas company in Houston. Building and selling companies has provided me with valuable experience.

Before we had kids, Heather and I started a party rental business. We rented everything from moonwalks to margarita machines, and everything in between for kids’ birthday parties, showers, family gatherings and corporate events. We grew that business fairly quickly — over 750 customers in just two short years — and sold it a few weeks before our first son was born. We have always had an entrepreneurial spirit about us and enjoy building companies that provide a service to our community.

1851: How did you initially find out about franchising? 

Heather: Franchising was something we were always interested in and talked about for a long time. This spring, we received a call from a franchise broker with FranChoice about the opportunity to franchise, and we became interested. We explored the idea with them and went through a process of selecting the best brand to sign that fits with us. That’s how we landed on Hand & Stone. 

1851: What are your dreams for the business? What does the future look like?

Mark: Both Heather and I have been members of Hand & Stone for over six years and knew the concept as consumers. We liked the idea of a membership model, and we enjoyed the ambiance and feel. That’s why we started talking with the brand’s franchise development team. 

Heather: We see ourselves participating in local community efforts through Hand & Stone and giving back to the community. We look forward to providing jobs and stimulating the economy plus giving residents an escape from stress. Since people are not traveling much now, they can escape and treat themselves. 

1851: What advice would you have for others looking at buying a franchise?

Heather: Do it! Do your due diligence and find an industry that gets you excited, one you see yourself being a part of. Engaging a franchise broker was also extremely helpful.

Mark: Find something with a business model you can understand and get comfortable with. Meet face-to-face with the corporate management team. Even in a pandemic, we chose to fly to Philadelphia and meet with the Hand & Stone team. It’s not just buying a brand — it’s buying a whole team. We are investing in the support from the management team and feeling confident in their ability to help. When it comes to signing during the pandemic, it’s been nice to hear from other Hand & Stone franchise owners who have managed well through the crisis. Opening in a pandemic is a little scary, but we hope to be able to provide our customers with a sense of normalcy and an escape. 

1851: What do you do in your personal time?

Heather: We have two boys: Grant, 16, and Ben, 14. Both are high school students at Houston Christian High School. In our personal time, we enjoy spending time out in nature at our ranch in Texas with family and friends. Our family enjoys hunting, fishing and all things outdoors. Also, all four of us are certified scuba divers and love traveling to neat destinations to explore the ocean world.