Exhale Spa's Founder Has a New Wellness Mission

Exhale Spa is one of the most prominent spa chains in the country, with 13 locations in nine major cities. Now co-founder Julia Sutton is looking for further ways to help people feel their best. How? Well, the industry vet just took over as chief growth officer for Vitruvia, a non-surgical wellness and recovery performance platform focused on tissue repair for chronic pain and lack of mobility. World-class athletes like Boston Red Sox legend David Ortiz and CEOs utilize it, plus Tony Robbins swears by it. Sutton's goal is to expand Vitruvia (just like she did with Exhale) to bring recovery to all who need it. Here she shares how the platform works and why we should all be focusing on recovery more.

How is recovery different from your typical spa experience?

"Spas do not offer focused recovery for a specific issue. For example, a deep tissue massage will not address your shoulder or knee pain. Instead, spas focus more on overall well-being and relaxation. Recovery with Vitruvia is laser-focused on the specific injury that needs attention. Vitruvia's patented approach will show visualizations of the problem area using ultrasound, followed by a licensed physician's advice for how to take immediate steps to restore mobility and remove discomfort and pain via our in-depth tissue analysis, ScarMap, and breakthrough RELIEF procedure to repair and restore tissue. “

"After the Vitruvia procedure, we also like to promote overall recovery to our guests. Overall recovery tends to be a much more active experience, a process that takes place throughout the entire day. Overall recovery happens while performing most daily tasks vs. a spa experience scheduled for one specific hour. For example, how we get in and out of our cars or taxis daily, how we put our carry on on the plane or how we are working at our computers should all be conscious efforts to realign and restore our bodies."

What knowledge and business characteristics carry over from Exhale to Vitruvia?

"The most important carryover is to have a customer-focused mindset. Both businesses are focused on making everyone the best version of themselves. They are both all about the journey and the results associated with that experience. Instilling this mindset into the individuals working with and treating Vitruvia clients is critical to its success. Hiring a team that is passionate about the results they can deliver to clients that are in need is paramount."

Why is recovery so important?

"When an individual needs recovery often, it is the single area of focus in their daily lives. These individuals can be distracted and depressed that they are in such a state. This will have a detrimental effect on all their interactions, both from a personal and work-life perspective. Recovery helps our bodies to perform at optimal levels. Naturally, our bodies go through a lot of stress throughout our normal daily activities. It's important to respect both our minds and bodies and give them the attention they deserve to keep us happy and engaged."

Who needs recovery?

"Everyone needs recovery at some point in their lives. We are even finding young athletes having to give up their sports from improper training or overuse. The secret to overall recovery is to be in total sync with your body and its rhythms. Once your conscience is trained to tune into your body truly, you will start eating, sleeping and moving better in life. Next, we must retrain the mind to make this a daily priority through reflection and meditation."

Vitruvia is currently available in Miami Beach and will soon launch offices and a van across the U.S.