Looking good, feeling better

Rogers Business

With hundreds of five-star reviews, Daniela Hofmann and her team at Freedom Medi-Spa help customers gain confidence with personalized treatments.

Collage of Freedom Medi-Spa

From facial peels to laser hair removal, the team at Freedom Medi-Spa in Vaughan, Ontario, oversees transformations every single day. But their favourite comes when once-shy clients trade reluctance for radiance after seeing their results. With nearly three decades in the industry, founder Daniela Hofmann knows how impactful her work can be and it’s not uncommon to receive heartfelt gratitude, hugs and even tears. As the spa marks 10 years at their Pine Valley Drive location, the team continues to innovate with new devices and treatments while maintaining their warm and welcoming approach.

Rogers Business: How did you first get started?

Daniela: I started out working at an acne clinic, and I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life. But I really fell in love with seeing the improvement in peoples’ attitudes and confidence levels after noticing changes in their skin. We treated teens and adults and sometimes people would come in and they couldn’t even look me in the eye. As their skin improved, I could see them open up and start to chat and even joke with me. That’s when I knew I wanted to help people feel good about themselves. At the time, there weren’t any medi-spas around, and I saw a need for a bridge between a dermatologist office and a day spa. I opened my first location in 1994.

Rogers Business: How do customers hear about your business?

Daniela: Word-of-mouth is our best referral. But we also receive many new calls from our Google reviews and Instagram page.

Rogers Business: You have a great online presence and tons of five-star reviews. How do you consistently generate positive feedback?

Daniela: It all comes down to client care. It’s part of our culture. We truly care about each and every person who comes through the door. We want to make customers feel as comfortable as possible from the minute they arrive.

It can be a very personal and difficult thing for someone to come in and discuss their skincare concerns. We’ve had people in tears. This is why we do what we do. Our goal is to make sure they feel heard and understood.

We also spend a lot of time sharing our services and philosophies on our social media and website. Any feedback or reviews we receive is a testament to the care we take with every client. By providing great care and great results, we are consistently delivering excellent client care and it’s shown in our online reviews.

Rogers Business: How do you keep staff engaged and excited about the business?

Daniela: Staffing in the industry is very difficult. You need to find people aligned with your culture or it won’t work. Our team members are motivated by the ability to use gold standard equipment and delivering great results and they love working with people. We try to get together at least once per month to connect and review challenges or discuss anything new. We often share success stories, positive reviews, and feedback to motivate the team. We’re serious about work but we laugh a lot and joke with each other, too.

Rogers Business: If you could go back in time, what would you tell your younger self when you were just starting out?

Daniela: I’ve been in the industry for 29 years. I dove right in! I loved it; it was my path. If I had to give myself advice, I would tell myself to work for someone else first. I wasted a lot of time learning things the hard way. But, looking back, I likely wouldn’t have listened to my own advice anyhow! I was too excited to jump right in! Remember: things like, accounting, inventory or working with suppliers are all important skills to learn. I always had the passion to do medical esthetics and help people, but I didn’t often consider all the other things involved.