TARA GRODJESK Tara Spa Therapy
TARA GRODJESK Tara Spa Therapy
“ I STUMBLED INTO MASSAGE SCHOOL never having had a massage in my life,” says Tara Grodjesk, founder of TARA Spa Therapy, but what she found there profoundly changed the course of her life.“ I was so impacted by massage therapy’ s body-mind connection,” continues Grodjesk.“ I became fascinated by that as a way to live to our fullest potential.”
Grodjesk first made her mark as an early proponent of ayurvedic medicine and massage in the United States. After studying under renowned ayurvedic physician Dr. Vasant Lad at the College of Natural Medicine, Grodjesk brought ayurvedic therapies to spas— including several JW Marriott properties and the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa— in the early 1990s. Though aspects of ayurveda now permeate nearly every spa menu in the U. S., Grodjesk says that wasn’ t the case at the time.“ No one knew what it was at that time, but they were taken by how profound the treatment experience was.”
Grodjesk ' s experiences led her to found TARA Spa Therapy.“ There are now a good handful of companies founded by practitioners, but at the time there weren’ t that many,” Grodjesk says.“ We weren’ t a company who said
how can we sell into luxury spa, we started in the treatment room— made by a professional for professionals and delivering therapeutic efficacy with the most natural, high integrity formulations.”
Today, some of TARA Spa Therapy’ s first accounts— including the JW Marriott Desert Springs and JW Marriott Scottsdale Camelback— are customers still. What has engendered such staying power?“ I believe it’ s our integrity, our stick-to-it-iveness, that has given our brand its staying power,” Grodjesk says. Through global crises and economic lean times, Grodjesk and TARA Spa Therapy have held fast to the guiding belief that drew her to the spa industry over 40 years ago: Spa should be a holistic, therapeutic experience that enables us to live our fullest lives.
“ What’ s in the bottle,” she adds,“ is what matters.” n
FOUNDER’ S PLAYBOOK l ADVICE FOR YOUR YOUNGER SELF:“ If you hang in there long enough, things circle back around!” l PERSONAL MOTTO:“ Everything in moderation.” l BIGGEST MENTOR:“ Leslie Levy, who served on my advisory board and who is a brilliant businesswoman, always showed me how to look at the many different perspectives of a challenging situation.” l ALTERNATE CAREER:“ Art therapy. I have always loved playing with colors, painting, photography, making jewelry and pottery.”
“ No one knew what [ ayurveda ] was at that time, but they were taken by how profound the treatment experience was.”
Know a company founder in the spa industry whose legacy should be celebrated? Contact ispa @ ispastaff. com to share their story.
MAY 2025 n PULSE 15