Since the inception of Colorado’s recreational cannabis industry, the market has grown significantly. Apart from growers, processors, and retailers, the industry has created opportunities for all types of niche businesses. One such business is Primal Wellness, the world’s first day spa offering cannabis-infused products and related services, located in Englewood, Colorado. The spa offers a variety of massages, manicures, pedicures, yoga classes, and other services to tourists and local residents who want to experience the physical (non-psychoactive) benefits of cannabis products.
Recently, Ganjapreneur interviewed Danielli Martel, founder of Primal Wellness, as part of a series of entrepreneur and investor profiles featuring pioneers in different sectors of the rapidly growing marijuana industry. In the interview, Martel discusses her career before she founded Primal Wellness, what she thinks the future of the cosmetics industry looks like given the likelihood of new cannabis- and hemp-based products, as well as some of the obstacles that she faced while growing the business.
Coming from a background of sales, marketing, and real estate, Martel has grown Primal Wellness into a successful operation in just a few years. “We currently have contracts with almost 20 therapists and yoga instructors,” Martel says. “Additionally, in keeping with the idea of mentoring, my partner and I have recruited three up and coming young women who are passionate about health, wellness, and business, and have given them an ownership opportunity. While they will be responsible for the daily operations of the Spa and Studio, we will be supporting them through our roles as CEO and CFO and as mentors.”
Martel estimates that a large percentage of Primal Wellness’s customer base is derived from tourism. “We’ve had people visit from Boston, San Diego, San Antonio, Kansas City, Vegas, and even a few other countries. While the initial boost has been tourists, we are starting to see more activity from the local community. The yoga studio membership is quickly growing and as the members learn about the benefit of infused treatments, we are starting to see crossover. Additionally, we have partnered with several medical care providers, both MMJ on non-MMJ related, who are starting to refer patients for care.”
Primal Wellness’s road to success, however, was not without its twists and turns. While creating the business, Martel says the most difficult obstacle she faced was finding a suitable location. “It was challenging to find something centrally located, friendly toward the business model, in a community that would allow it, and with parking. We got lucky and found a location that is only 15 minutes from the center of Denver, located near shopping and dining, right off the RTD line, we have ample parking, and we are just enough off the beaten path to provide privacy and serenity.”
The full interview is available on Ganjapreneur’s website. In addition to interviews with prominent “ganjapreneurs,” the website also offers an open-source marijuana slang dictionary, a B2B service provider directory for marijuana businesses, a marijuana job feed which aggregates listings from around the web, as well as a Freelancer’s Network to help cannabis-friendly professionals find work. The site has released an app on the Google Play marketplace, and has announced that it will be available via the Apple App Store in the near future.