Today we’d like to introduce you to Allison Chambers and Michelle Yourek.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Allison and Michelle. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I (Allison) had suffered for many years with debilitating back pain from a herniated disc and degenerative disc disease that lead to chronic sciatica. I had done every alternative therapy known to man with little to no relief from all the efforts. Insurance made everything even more complicated because it was a pre-existing condition so, I was never able to get my back covered, which lead to spending thousands of dollars out of pocket no matter what I tried. I was 3 days away from a very expensive back surgery that we were going to pay cash for when the surgeons had their doubts. I decided not to go through with the surgery. My entire life, each day was dictated by my back ultimately forcing me to quit working as a bartender. I became a stay at home dog mom and thought my fate was sealed.
Meanwhile, my friend Michelle had heard about Whole Body Cryotherapy back in 2011 on an episode of Dr. Oz. Of course, at that time, no cryotherapy facilities existed for the general public to be able to take advantage of. A year later one opened in Dallas, TX. Michelle had done a few sessions and told me I had to try it, for my back, to see if it would help. Some of the reported benefits were relief from chronic pain and reduction in inflammation throughout the whole body so I didn’t have anything to lose at that point. I’d try anything! After my first 3-minute session I signed up for a membership. By the 3rd consecutive day, I was moved to tears because I hadn’t had that much relief in so many years! By the 5th session, I turned to Michelle and said, “I think this is what I need to do with my life!” We immediately got to work. Within a few weeks we had a business plan, started our corporation, found the perfect location, and we opened the first whole-body cryotherapy spa in Fort Worth, TX! Being leaders in this industry was not easy and we faced several hurdles during the whole process, but we had a dream and a mission and we weren’t going to let anything, or anyone, stop us. No one knew what cryotherapy was so we had our work cut out for us!
From the beginning, we’ve set out to offer the best cryotherapy experience available in the country. We pride ourselves on our customer service and have numerous personal touches to accompany the whole process. Our goal is to ensure you feel better when you leave than you felt when you entered the spa. Cryotherapy does not discriminate. Everyone can benefit from the awesome results it provides. We have clients as young as 14 who are competitive athletes, young parents trying to raise a family, attorneys, doctors, and business executives, all the way to 80 years old trying to make the most out of the time they have left. Cryo can bring so much relief for so many different conditions. After almost 5 years of regularly doing cryo I’m running again, playing tennis, and living a pain-free life which is something you can’t put a price tag on. I got my life back and that is something worth sharing with the world!
Next month, we will be celebrating our 4th year here in Fort Worth which is such an awesome milestone! We have been fortunate enough to really have a presence in our community that has helped us build our brand and become a household name in Fort Worth. We’ve been honored by Fort Worth Magazine in 2015 and 2017 in their Best of competition for best Holistic Health and Wellness. On Saturday, November 4th, we’ll be giving away 40 free cryotherapy services to the first 40 customers! We’ll have lots of prizes and give aways to give back to the community that has supported us so enthusiastically since 2013 when we first opened our doors.
Michelle and I are both so very grateful that we have this opportunity to help make other people’s lives more enjoyable. Helping people work through the pain and trials of life has been revealed to us as our calling and we couldn’t be happier to answer to it!
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
This is a good one! No one, I mean no one, knew what cryotherapy was. The magic all comes from the use of liquid Nitrogen, that is converted in the cryosauna, to a gas form which ultimately cools the skin triggering your body to respond by beginning to heal itself from the inside out. Our initial obstacle was the fire department, more specifically, the fire marshal. He just couldn’t wrap his head around the idea of cryo and we fought tooth and nail to get him to understand so we could get our CO and get this party started! I eventually was able to get him to understand what we were trying to do, for everything to be approved, but it wasn’t easy. He actually created a permit that now exists for everyone with liquid Nitrogen on their premises (which is way more businesses than you would think) to have and pay for each year. I get a good laugh about it now, but at the time it was not very funny at all. Every year, when I get the permit renewal in the mail I giggle a little to myself.
Other than that, we were really fortunate and everything fell into place so beautifully! It was meant to be!
Once we opened, the challenge became getting the word out there and getting people to try it, love it, and decide they needed cryo to be a regular part of their lives. Fortunately for us, cryo is seriously amazing and we now have a huge database of clients and members who wouldn’t want to live without it, so that’s great!
The Cryo Spa – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
The Cryo Spa focuses primarily on Whole Body Cryotherapy. We use liquid Nitrogen in a gas form to cool the skin. The subzero temperatures trigger an internal systemic response which helps accelerate healing from the inside out in a short 3-minute session. A few of the benefits include reduction of inflammation and chronic pain throughout the body, immunity boost, calorie burn, increased serotonin and collagen production, helps with autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, migraines, skin conditions, and more. Cryotherapy caters to each individual’s body so the benefits are seemingly endless!
Along with whole body cryo, we offer Cryofacials and Local Cryotherapy. The Cryofacials are 10 minutes. We focus on the scalp, face, neck, and chest. It helps decrease fine lines and wrinkles, the appearance and severity of blemishes, any inflammation from allergies or headaches. They leave your skin fresh and glowing. They are truly wonderful!
The Locals are where we target a specific area that is injured or needing additional attention. The locals can last anywhere from 3 -8 minutes and are equivalent to about 8 hours of icing and really help accelerate the healing process by reducing inflammation and swelling at the site of application.
We also have an O2 Aromatherapy Bar that we have infused with various essential oils to provide the benefit of aromatherapy along with the Oxygen. The O2 Bar helps with allergies, migraines, focus and concentration, and relaxation.
Our merchandise that we offer range from tank tops and t-shirts, essential oils, face and skin care, hemp bath bombs, chlorophyll water, and beautiful hand-crafted wine glasses. We have a little bit of everything!
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
For me, personally, success is being able to lay down at night with a smile on my face knowing I did my best and helped other people live their best lives. I’m not a very materialistic person so I don’t define success monetarily. I know money makes the world go round, but for me, that’s not what it’s all about. The freedom that comes with owning and running your own business is incredibly rewarding. Taking our young staff under our wings and teaching them about responsibility, dedication, and being fearless has been another really awesome aspect of the whole adventure. Life is much too short to be anything other than happy and grateful. If I can make one person look at life a little brighter each day, I’m good with that. We spread love, light, and wellness and to me, that’s what success looks like!
Contact Info:
- Address: 1011 Foch Street
Fort Worth, TX 76107 - Website: www.ilovecryo.com
- Phone: 817-332-CRYO (2796)
- Email: thecryospa@yahoo.com
- Instagram: @TheCryoSpaFTW
- Facebook: TheCryoSpa
- Twitter: @TheCryoSpa
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-cryo-spa-fort-worth
- Other: Google+ The Cryo Spa Inc.
Image Credit:
TradeMarek Photography
Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
