Faulkner Lifestyle October 2019 Issue

2019
WOMEN in
BUSINESS
R. Michelle Christen
BBA, MMT, CMLDT
The Spa‘ah, LLC & Body Wellness Massage Academy, LLC
2019
WOMEN in
BUSINESS
Laine Berry
Laine Berry Inc., which runs Inverness Bridal, Curiouser & Curiouser
and Laine Berry Bride. Also The Royal We from 2008-August 2019.
Where did you grow up and get your education? Conway native. I
received a Bachelor is Business Administration – Marketing. In 2014 I studied
and graduated from massage school. After passing the national certification test
for Arkansas licensure I started THE SPA’AH. Subsequently, I have 300+ hours
of additional continuing education including national certification in Manual
Lymphatic Drainage.
What brought you to Faulkner County? Conway is my hometown, and
it was my intent to bring increased awareness of massage and it’s benefits even
to those who are attempting to manage chronic pain syndromes. In doing so, I
built THE SPA’AH with hydrotherapies and offered a variety of soothing massage
modalities. Fast forward five years, I have now opened Body Wellness Massage
Academy in Conway..
How did you get your idea or concept for your business? I studied
several models across the region and decided that Conway was the right fit for
a wellness spa environment. Faulkner County didn’t have a business model
here that allowed for the many offerings that I wanted patrons to have access
to for wellness. My desire was to create a spa full of options for relaxation and
bodywork, and a place the community could call its local destination for kinetic
wellness and relaxation.
As a spa owner it became apparent the growth of massage in Faulkner County
could once again embrace a massage school and that education in the field could
be enhanced. I joined with Ms. Donna McGriff of Little Rock, to bring Body
Wellness Massage Academy to Conway this year. The school provides a technical
vocation for those interested in healthcare as a career. Additionally, the economics
of school clinicals may provide services to a great number in the community who
wouldn’t ordinarily seek massage with regularity.
To what do you attribute your success? Dedication, building relationships,
and continuing education. It takes hard work to thrive as a small business owner in
today’s economic environment. I have had the honor of building relationships with
some great employees who continue to strive alongside me to promote the benefits
of massage to Faulkner County, and we have built many client and business to
business relationships. Striving to continually educate myself and my staff so that
we can make positive impacts on people’s lives though our services.
Do you have hobbies you want to share? I enjoy bass fishing with my
husband and find the outdoors to have a grounding effect. My husband and I
recently have found a love for scuba diving. I enjoy spending time with my family.
If you don’t find me working or on the water from time to time it’s a safe bet that
I am with my grandson and husband.
Tell us about your family. I have been married to Todd Christen for almost 12
years. Our daughter, Rhiannon Thompson, is a graduate of UCA and now lives with
her spouse in Longview Texas, which shares many attributes of Conway. My son,
Kendall, works as a Leadman for my husband’s business TMC Framing Inc, also a
Faulkner County business. My grandson Kye is the apple of my eye, and we share a
very strong bond. The remainder of my immediate family are all Conway residents
and work locally. I have recently hired my oldest niece Nicole Sanders as my
Executive Coordinator of the business, and my cousin by marriage Carley Rountree
as Receptionist for Body Wellness Massage Academy. My mother and brother assist
with some of our marketing and printing through their business.
Where did you grow up and get your education? Conway
Arkansas; I loved being a Wampus Cat and a UCA Bear!
What brought you to Faulkner County to open a business/
work? I was raised here and love this city and what it has to
offer. When I was a teenager the downtown was a lively area
with so much to offer. In the decade after I graduated we saw a
slump in the small “mom and pop” stores that keep a downtown
thriving, and once able, I wanted to be part of the revitalization
of our historic downtown. The downtown area of any city really
creates the vibrancy around which all the rest of the city thrives.
We are very fortunate to have such an engaging city center, and I’m
proud to be part of that.
How did you get your idea or concept for your business?
Small business is extremely difficult to maintain, even in a
strong economy. I opened my first boutique, The Royal We,
in 2008 during the worst economic downturn in 30 years. I
knew that if I was going to be able to keep my doors open,
I needed to not only create a shopping experience like no
other in Arkansas, but also needed to focus on an industry
that is fairly recession proof. I started with formalwear,
moved into bridal, added bridal design and wholesale that
distributes my designs to retailers nationwide, and have
recently added a unique gift shop to the mix. With each
of my boutiques I have tried to create unique experiences
that don’t exist elsewhere in our community or even our
state. I want each trip into one of the Laine Berry Inc
shops to be an adventure and a joy!
What do you love most about working/living in
Faulkner County? I love the people of Faulkner County.
Due to the nature of the bridal design and wholesale
aspect of my business I’ve had the chance to travel the
world to meet and work with people everywhere. I can
honestly say there is no place like home when it comes to
the warmth and support the community shows its small
business owners!
To what do you attribute your success? Hard work
is crucial, understanding that being self employed is
a 24/7 venture, being unafraid to take huge risks, and
having at least a little bit of good foresight.
LAINE BERRY
I ncorporated