Wanda Bynum, Grandmont Rosedale resident and owner of Spa A Peel at 19025 Grand River, offers a wide variety of services that encourage self-care. If you just need to stop in for a manicure, or if you plan to spend the day getting a mani-pedi, massage, facial, and several other services, Spa A Peel offers not just skilled hands, but a calm, relaxing atmosphere as well. The holistic quality of this experience is one of Wanda’s many specialties. Everything about Spa A Peel, the offered hot apple cider, the décor, the dim lights and music, the fireplaces, even the smell all say “Slow down, take care of yourself, take some time out.”

While Spa A Peel encourages mindfulness and calm, this oasis Wanda has created involved a lot of hard and patient work. Wanda had been working as a licensed manicurist out of a building across Grand River. In the summer of 2016 Wanda distributed flyers around the neighborhood. She stopped by a lawyer’s office on Grand River across from the salon. Wanda introduced herself and talked with the lawyer and owner of the building about her business. Wanda soon learned that the lawyer had plans to sell his building and move to Texas. “I’d like to buy the building,” Wanda told him. She surprised herself as much as the lawyer. She hadn’t set out that day to look at buildings to buy, but Wanda thought the building and location would be perfect for her business, and for the additional services she could offer. Wanda waited to hear from the lawyer through the rest of that summer. Finally, at the end of September, Wanda got the call that the building was hers. She closed in February of 2017 but she couldn’t do much renovating in the dead of winter, so instead she planned and, as she says, “visualized what kind of flooring I wanted, the color scheme, all of it.” Once the weather warmed up in April, Wanda got to work.

RENOVATIONS TO CREATE AN ATMOSPHERE OF CALM

With the help of GRDC’s former Grand River WorkPlace Manager Larissa Carr, Wanda was able to apply for and receive an NEIdeas and TechTown grant to add a drop ceiling and decorative crown molding, a new roof, and beautiful foot baths and a bench for pedicures. Spa A Peel has been painted throughout, with fireplaces added. Wanda collaborated with the barber next door at Big D Barbershop and Salon to resurface the back parking lot using recycled tires. Next on the list is an updated kitchenette.

Since she opened in her new, bigger space, Wanda has the space and flexibility to create the space of comfort she envisioned, and to offer a wide variety of services that includes not just what you would expect at a spa, but also couples massage, makeup application, waxing, and even handmade jewelry and handbags. Wanda offers the use of Spa A Peel for bridal parties, birthday parties, or even just for a group of women who’d like to treat themselves to a spa day. Wanda also has workshops and talks at her shop that focus on women’s health issues. “As women,” according to Wanda, “we need to talk about health issues, sex, dating, children – these are all important issues.” Spa A Peel is a wonderful, welcoming place to have open discussions about issues important for women’s physical and mental health. This is at the heart of what Wanda aims for with her business. Wanda has a wealth of experience in a variety of fields. Whether she was working in the small business banking department of a major bank, or as a flight attendant, Wanda’s focus has always been on developing customer service skills and her extensive knowledge “about the products available.”

CARING FOR OTHERS

Excellent customer service coupled with knowledge of products available makes Spa A Peel an ideal spot not just to get a manicure or massage, but the place to become a regular customer. “For me it’s about the relationships that I form with my customers,” Wanda says. She truly cares for and takes care of the people who walk through her doors who are looking to do something good, something healthy for themselves. And Wanda practices what she preaches. Toward the end of a busy day, one customer had to cancel her massage, so Wanda told the masseuse who was scheduled that she’d take the appointment, “Oh, I’ll take that appointment! I could use a good massage!” she said smiling.

To schedule your appointment to take care of yourself, contact Wanda at 313.272.7335, or visit the Spa A Peel website: http://spa-a-peelstudio.com/ to read about all the services she offers.