Why Multi-Unit Elements Massage Franchisees Steve and Linda Sparks Continue to Grow With the Brand

Elements Massage®, the 249-unit massage franchise under the Wellbiz Brands, Inc. umbrella, offers entrepreneurs the ability to take control of their own futures and invest in a recurring revenue-based business model. Now, as the economy recovers and health and wellness continue to be bigger priorities for consumers following the COVID-19 pandemic, not only are new owners increasingly joining the Elements Massage brand, but established owners are growing as well.

Steve and Linda Sparks, for example, are multi-unit Elements Massage franchisees in the Pacific Northwest. Prior to joining Elements Massage in 2008, Steve was a corporate leader who worked with businesses across several industries. Linda worked mostly in the business and finance world, including her time with a major bank in the area handling credit financing and lending. 

Although the two had successful careers in corporate America, they would soon find themselves following another path — but it wasn’t one they were expecting.

“Our story might be a little bit atypical — we actually weren’t looking to buy a business or a franchise,” said Steve. “I had a bad headache on a cruise ship one time, and I went to get a massage. I was kind of embarrassed and was hesitant, but the massage therapist did a great job and it really legitimized the trade for me. When we went back home, I decided to get a massage at our local Elements Massage location. Calm and peace overcame me. I quizzed the massage therapist about what it was like to work there and came up with the idea of buying a massage business.”

The Elements Massage brand has made a name for itself in the massage segment by focusing exclusively on massage therapy services, as opposed to the ancillary services many other brands offer. This allows Elements Massage locations to offer an optimal experience for every guest through an approach called “The Elements Way®.” Professionally trained massage therapists promote open dialogue to empower clients to request adjustments, and every client can be confident they are being matched with a massage therapist who can meet their specific needs. 

The Sparks were so confident in the Elements Massage brand that they didn’t even look at any other franchise concepts during their discovery process. 

“We didn’t even realize Elements Massage was a franchise until we talked to the development representative,” said Steve. “When we learned it was a franchise, it made us even more excited, because I was very familiar with franchising from my days in business. Franchising offers a tried-and-true model — a business in a box.”

The Sparks decided to learn more through the discovery process and attended the Elements Massage Meet the Team Day, where they were able to meet other franchisees and massage therapists. “We loved that we weren’t pioneers and weren’t doing this on our own,” said Linda. “We didn’t know anything about massage therapy, so when we spoke with the leadership team, we really started to feel that there were resources and processes in place to help us succeed. That included guidelines on how to hire, how to train employees, and how to build a culture. All of that alleviated our concern even more, and we were sold.”

The duo officially signed on with the Elements Massage franchise system  in 2008. Since then, the Sparks’ have continued to open new locations and expand their portfolio. Today, they own five locations across multiple states. 

“It has been a fantastic journey for us — the demand for massage services has been shooting up,” said Steve. “We started with just one location and ended up buying that original studio I visited, as well as additional studios in Washington and Oregon. It has been fun to see this grow. We always thought we’d just have one studio and keep working our corporate jobs, but we’ve far surpassed that, and we haven’t been in the corporate world in many years. We have a phenomenal director of operations, and her goal was always to help us retire. We now consider ourselves ‘semi-retired,’ and we never even thought that’d be possible.”

Looking ahead, the Sparks’ say they are focused on being the best employer possible, and as they continue to grow their team, they are looking for more opportunities for expansion. “We’d love to open more locations, and we already have the infrastructure for it, which will help us as we move into the future.”

Allison Galvan, Sr. Manager of Franchise Development for WellBiz Brands, says the brand has enjoyed watching the Sparks grow and are excited to see what the future holds. “Steve and Linda have continued to scale their portfolio and show no signs of slowing down,” she said. “As we continue to expand the Elements Massage footprint across the country, we are looking for qualified, passionate franchisees like the Sparks who are interested in leveraging the infrastructure of our concept to start a successful business in the booming health and wellness industry.”

With a single-unit investment range between $312,655 and $560,736*, the Elements Massage® franchise system was recently named one of the Top 10 Best Franchises to Buy in the medium-investment category by Forbes®. To learn more, visit https://elementsfranchise.com.

*As stated in the March 30, 2021 Franchise Disclosure Document. 

Elements Therapeutic Massage, LLC. 9780 S. Meridian Blvd, Suite 400 Englewood, CO 80112

This information is not intended as an offer to sell, or the solicitation of an offer to buy, a franchise. It is for information purposes only. Currently, the following states regulate the offer and sale of franchises: California, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin. If you are a resident of one of these states, we will not offer you a franchise unless and until we have complied with applicable pre-sale registration and disclosure requirements in your jurisdiction. MN File No. F-5517. This advertisement is not an offering. An offering can only be made by a prospectus filed first with the Department of Law of the State of New York. Such filing does not constitute approval by the Department of Law. Each Elements Massage® studio is independently owned and operated. Elements Massage® and The Elements Way® are registered trademarks of Elements Therapeutic Massage, LLC