Summer Burbank opened the Serenity Day Spa in December 2014. Starting as a massage therapist, she was just trying to pay the rent on the building. Later, she contacted an esthetician friend to work with her and help kick-start the business. She cleaned and redid the entire first building by herself. As a room would open, she would hire someone to fit in that room. Eventually, she ran out of space, and the space across the street, where the spa is currently located, opened for rent.
“When I saw it it just thought ‘Wow’ and I saw everything that was going to happen and it was perfect,” said Burbank.
Serenity offers different massages, facials, airbrush spray tanning, nail services and the new head spa treatment. The head spa treatment is a facial for your scalp, with a cleanse, exfoliation and mask specially picked out for your skin type. There is a hot steam treatment, with a neck shoulder and arm massage and a blowout option.
Burbank at one time wanted to make this a chain business and opened a serenity in Savannah Tennessee. She had it for about two years and realized that she didn’t want to be further away from home which took her away from her family. The reason she wanted to be self-employed was to get more control over her schedule and to spend more time with family and friends.
“When I expanded, it took more time away from [friends and family] and so I sold the place but kept the business name,” said Burbank.
The different services offered at Serenity have given Burbank opportunities to branch out and explore other avenues of spa care. There used to be a full-body waxing treatment available, which then branched into sugar waxing, which is found to be better for the skin. That became so popular that Burbank ended up partnering with another girl and expanded and opened Sugar Works Wax Bar, it’s being rebranded into the Lotus and expanding locations.
“From serenity grew the waxbar, because it was so big in itself and I just expanded over here,” said Burbank.
Because of Burbank’s passion for design and entrepreneurship, she and her husband partnered and opened the Eden Day Spa two years ago closer to their home. She is also looking into the possibility of opening a Japanese-style Head Spa in the Shoals due to the treatment’s surge in popularity.
“Anybody can do what I have done”
She is supportive of those who are in her business and allows for camaraderie in the spa business in the Shoals area. She stresses the importance of support in this field and she wants to help build the confidence of others like her.
