Today we’d like to introduce you to Catherine Bak.
Catherine, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Growing up, I would go to Korean spas (better known as jimjilbang in Korean) with my sisters, mom, grandma, aunts, etc., because it was a part of our culture. It is definitely not the same as going to western spas where people go to usually pamper themselves and have a quiet, blissful “me” time; you go to the Korean spa to get clean, sweat it out, sometimes eat, and bond with your family.
Before taking over Hugh spa in March of 2017, my mother and I ran another Korean spa in San Diego while my sister ran another spa in San Francisco. We sold both businesses back in 2015 before taking over this women-only spa in Los Angeles. Everyone would think I’m insane for working with family and yes sometimes it does get crazy, but working with my sisters have brought us even closer together, despite all the blood, sweat, and tears.
Although Korean spas have been popularized throughout the years, I knew I wanted Hugh Spa to be different where it still holds the traditional ‘jimjilbang’ aspect but mixed with a boutique yet homier feel. When I see women coming into my spa not only to relax and detox but forming friendships with other women, I know that I’ve achieved just that.
Has it been a smooth road?
Starting a business is definitely not the easiest thing to do, but starting a business with your sisters comes with a whole different challenge of its own. I think when you have multiple people with all different creative minds, it becomes difficult to come down to one final decision.
We had our fair share of miscommunication and disagreements on almost everything from interior decor to website design, but once we put our pride aside, something magical happens.
My advice for other women, especially those thinking about working with family is to set some ground rules to still be professional and treat it as a workplace rather than family.
We’d love to hear more about Hugh Spa.
We’re a women-only Korean spa that specializes in traditional Korean style scrubs, massages, and v-steams. We also have saunas, heated rooms, and even a mini Korean restaurant. I like to call ourselves a detox sanctuary where women can come in to sweat it out in all of our different themed rooms such as the charcoal mud clay room, Himalayan salt room, jade steam sauna, near infrared magnet room, oxygen room, and ice room.
A lot of women come to our spa because we make them feel at home rather than just another day spa. A lot of our die-hard regulars choose us over other Korean spas because we make them feel like they are part of our own family. For example, my mom never lets anyone leave the spa hungry. She put a lot of thought into curating the menu, including many dishes she grew up with that, were passed down to her from her mom. So if you plan on visiting Hugh spa, be prepared to be relaxed and fed.
What’s the most important piece of advice you could give to a young woman just starting her career?
My advice to young women is to not beat yourself up if you’re not a rock star from day one. No one is great at something from the start. To get amazing at something, it takes hard work and experience, and it definitely takes making mistakes for you to learn from them. Do not get disheartened if you fail at first. It’s going to be hard, but that’s all part of the process.
Contact Info:
- Address: 1101 S. Vermont Ave. #206
- Website: www.hughspa.com
- Phone: (213) 365-1268
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hughspa/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Hugh-Spa-247108655301975/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/hugh_spa
Image Credit:
Peter Tran, Gianelli Ann
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