Growing and glowing by the Lakeshore

Lori Kaye Lodes

Contributor

February 10, 2025

MANITOWOC – Two complementary businesses in downtown Manitowoc referred clientele to each other so often, they decided to merge their businesses together to offer holistic wellness and aesthetic services. 

The result: Real Aesthetics & Wellness Spa at 914 Suite C, S. 8th St.

Real Aesthetics & Wellness Spa brings together several Manitowoc businesses.

Those include Impact Wellness Spa, owned by Becky Goessl; Lush Aesthetic Bar, owned by Dr. Leslie Schweitzer, which provides concierge medical aesthetic services; and the first business the two said they created together, Hello Hydration. 

The duo also said they own a Sheboygan location, which has long offered aspects of the former Impact and Lush in one location that falls under the Real Aesthetics & Wellness Spa brand.

The former Impact, Lush and Hello Hydration merged to become Real Aesthetics & Wellness Spa at the beginning of 2025, Goessl said, which they named for the “real people” who deliver “real results” to “real clients” every day.

“We are very real people, and we want people to walk into our space and feel comfortable and welcomed,” she said. “The acronym for the business is RAW, which we think is fun and relates to us as we are real people.”

Goessl said she has four kids and Schweitzer has three, “so it’s not uncommon to come into the spa on a Saturday morning to see kids.” 

“We are real people running a business and welcoming people into our doors,” she said.

Two become one

Goessl said she started the former Impact in August 2022, and Schweitzer established Lush just a block down and across the street two months later. 

The two said they met at a women’s entrepreneurship group meeting, and while that group “wasn’t the vibe for either of us,” they kept in contact. 

After noticing they’d been referring clients to each other’s businesses, Schweitzer and Goessl said they began discussing other opportunities. 

They said the discussion ultimately led to the establishment of an IV hydration bar – Hello Hydration – in the loft of Goessl’s former space in summer 2023. 

“That’s what led us to become one,” Goessl said.

During the winter of 2023-24, she said they opened Impact Wellness & Aesthetics in Sheboygan, a combination of select services from their respective Manitowoc businesses. 

Though the business was well-received, creating yet another name, Goessl said “muddied the waters” for their brands. 

She said they both sensed that though the businesses were thriving, there was a big opportunity to bring them together under one name and brand.

Goessl said it just made sense because their business offerings are so complementary, as is their approach to business and even their personalities.

“I don’t think it’s a common thing for people to experience two women in business coming together without a feeling of competition,” she said. “We even shared employees, so (after) we talked during a 5:30 a.m. phone conversation in the middle of November, we decided to merge.”

Goessl said that meant moving her offerings and team into Schweitzer’s location and reconfiguring three rooms into five to accommodate the team and services. 

“It’s very cozy right now, but we’re making it work until we find something to purchase or (something) that just screams, ‘This is home,’” she said.

With both aesthetic and wellness services in one spot, Goessl said there is a constant evolution of which services are most popular.

Medical weight loss is definitely among the most-tapped services, she said, especially with the use of GLP1 medications complemented by body contouring or cryoskin slimming and toning.

“Clients are really enjoying having both under one roof – another reason we wanted to be one (business),” she said.

More services

Winter is a hot time of year for laser services, Goessl said, as they’re ideally administered to non-sun-kissed skin. 

Real Aesthetics & Wellness Spa offers a variety of laser options that are growing in popularity, she said, “because they’re very effective and affordable for more people.”

Goessl said she brought the HOCATT™ Infrared Ozone Sauna into the business – becoming one of only a few in the state to do so. 

The sauna delivers ozone, carbonic acid, steam and far infrared rays (FIR) to help detoxify, boost blood flow and support overall health, she said – offering a multilayered treatment to address health concerns regular saunas can’t.

Other popular services, Goessl said, include Botox, dermal fillers, DiamondGlow Facial and hair restoration, but the mix is constantly changing.

Schweitzer said she and Goessl are always assessing new technologies for the medspa but with a mindfulness of what they already own. 

Among their most recent investments, Schweitzer said, is The Glimpse – a skin analysis device that “takes a picture” of your skin by measuring hydration levels, texture, pore size, pigmentation and more. 

She said this analysis guides the team in advising exactly the right skincare regimen.

The right technology is reinforced by ongoing training and certifications, as Goessl is a certified nursing assistant pursuing schooling to become a registered nurse, and Schweitzer is a doctorate-prepared, advanced practice nurse, specializing in anesthesia, called a nurse anesthesiologist (CRNA).

“Our monthly trainings on medical-grade supplements from OrthoMolecular, medical-grade skincare and our treatments ensure we stay fresh, perfect our techniques and deliver a one-of-a-kind medspa experience,” Schweitzer said. “We love to learn and bring forth new services and the best way to do things.”

That curiosity and willingness appeal to their clientele – which Schweitzer said who range in age from 35-65 and are predominantly women but with some men coming in as well. 

Goessl said they’re looking to add more services tailored to men, especially those that are wellness-oriented, because that’s what tends to draw men in.

“It’s not so much the cosmetic (aspect), but to feel good – heal after a sports injury,” she said. “We have many men who come in for a tuneup so they feel great.”

Spreading the word

Goessl and Schweitzer said they have found Facebook to be “the place” to find customers in addition to referrals.

“(It’s) the best, cheapest and most effective marketing you’ll get,” Goessl said.

Social media draws clients from the west side of Appleton or up to two hours away, Schweitzer said – though the majority live in Manitowoc or Sheboygan County. 

However, she said that’s not to say Real Aesthetics & Wellness Spa is a small-scale medspa by any stretch.

“We watch enough medspas from all over the country to see what they’re doing, and we do our research,” Schweitzer said. “Something we pride ourselves on is bringing new things to the area. We like to stay ahead of things and be at the forefront of technology. Manitowoc deserves LA skincare and services.”
To encourage clients to return – though about 80% come in for more than one appointment – Schweitzer and Goessl said Real Aesthetics & Wellness Spa recently rolled out membership tiers.

They haven’t marketed these tiers online beyond adding them to the website and telling clients when they’re in the office, Goessl said, but they created the levels with great intentionality and to pack as much value into having a membership as possible.

“We didn’t want people to have to pay just to come in,” she said. “For example, our top-tier membership is $589, but it includes a treatment worth $850 to make it an irresistible value.”

They said they only just recently added customer referral cards to the mix, so clients can hand them out to friends and family and receive a one-credit service if someone schedules and receives a service. 

One referral makes clients eligible for one of any of the six services listed in a level-one membership, Goessl said. 

Another differentiator for Real Aesthetics & Wellness Spa, she said, is the range of ages working in the spa – which ranges from youth apprentices to employees in their late 50s “and everything in between – we don’t fit a stereotype.”

Goessl said the medspa also offers labs at their cost, recognizing how fundamental a proper assessment of a client’s current state is to helping them.

“We want to truly help people, and this is one of those things we can offer to get them on their journey because it gives us a baseline to start from,” she said.

A warm and welcoming touch is always in order as well, Goessl said, as she conducts client callbacks within 24-48 hours of their first appointment to see if they have questions. 

With the cosmetic and wellness services housed side by side in one location, Schweitzer and Goessl said they are excited about the opportunities to holistically help even more people in a deeper way. 

On any given day, Goessl said seven employees may welcome 25 clients from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. – a new record. 

“That’s more than either of us have ever done in one day, and that’s the growth we’re experiencing,” Schweitzer said. “It’s lovely to have clients along on our journey.”