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Name: Maika Endo
Job: Wellness Entrepreneur and Co-Founder of Kocoon spa in Beijing
Hi Maika! Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you came to Beijing.
I studied International Business in Paris in 2000 and came with a group of classmates studying Chinese, through a university exchange with UIBE in Beijing. I immediately fell in love with the city and its culture.
I dived into calligraphy, taichi, and even Chinese pop music!
What was your inspiration behind Kocoon Spa? Was the process of opening a spa a challenging one?
I was deeply touched by the spas in Thailand, especially the grace and professionalism of the spa therapists there, and the hospitality. During that first trip, I realised my calling for the wellness industry and wanted to set up a retreat in Beijing that would be as relaxing as the ones in Thailand. I went back to Thailand for marketing purposes with my mother, in order to have a feel of the venue, the design, and look at their spa menus. Each one made us feel truly welcomed, with a nice refreshment, cold and fragrant towel, and truly made us want to come back for a treatment.
It is really a service oriented country and they do spas very well!!
Due to my French and Japanese background, I wanted to make a retreat that would feel like a Japanese home, like somewhere you would visit a friend for tea. The French side is reflected in our management- our Spa Manager is French too, so we often speak French at Kocoon, offer facials using French protocols and products. The process of opening a spa was challenging- actually it was the hardest part of setting up and running a company. It was full of hurdles and circumstances were working against us. Example: It took us 8 months to get a business license due to the Olympics and politics, and the space we signed (Nali Patio) was way behind their planned opening date, but still charging us full rent!
What is your vision for the spa and wellness hub? Any exciting projects coming up?
I would like Kocoon spa to be a platform for not only local practitioners but also international experts who would like to visit Beijing and share their knowledge.
We also promote art of living and crafts from ancient rituals and traditions: We have our Persian Wellness Week Sept. 22- 27 (attached flyer), where we are partnering with Zamani, to present and exhibit hand made carpets from Persia, Turkey, Afghanistan, and Kashmir. We will turn Kocoon into a beautiful tea lounge, and customers will be able to enjoy an exclusive Spa Package designed around this theme, greeted with tea and Lokums. Princess Lokum will present a selection of traditional tea and coffee gifts sets from Turkey.
October 18 and 20, we are hosting Gyan Amin, an Israelian Thai Yoga Massage therapist and teacher. He will be offering Thai Yoga Massage session: 90 min – 1050 RMB, 1250 min – 1250 RMB. It is a once in a lifetime experience that you should not miss!
What are some challenges you face being a foreign entrepreneur in Beijing? Why do you think Kocoon works well in a city like Beijing?
People trying to make money from you, by taking advantage of your ignorance, but I guess it’s not Beijing specific!
Wherever you find stressed people, you need a place to retreat, relax and recharge your batteries. Beijing’s environment is quite harsh- dusty, dry and polluted, that’s another reason to visit a spa and have a facial!
What are some of the things you incorporate into your daily or weekly routine to stay calm and relaxed when dealing with stress?
The goal of my health routine is to prevent stress: Make time to plan the day, to day dream, to write, to create, to draw out ideas, with a cup of coffee in the morning.
In the evening, I try to keep a relaxing ritual to prepare myself for a good night sleep: A cup of herbal tea (chamomile, verbena or linden tea), a bath with essential oils, self massage with oils, a relaxing book (I’m reading a book about Dream Yoga right now, nothing stressful!).
I have in my calendar reminder to do a mind mapping session once a month, to help keep the bigger picture fresh. This bigger picture is then used as a road map, when I have my daily cup of coffee and plan my day. My goal is not to work only 4 hours a week but I like Tim Ferris’ (the 4 hour work week) suggestion, to write down 5 things to do for the day on a piece of paper. If I work too intensely and forget my rituals, I will start to feel my pre-migraine symptoms- stiff neck, heavy head, back ache…I will immediately stop and get a massage! Drink more water, rest, and play.
In a diverse market like China with differing consumer preferences, how do you market or brand your products and services?
At Kocoon, we do things that we personally need or enjoy, we also listen to our customers, and we work with people that we personally know and trust.
Whenever we have something new, we communicate through our social media channels.
Example: I had migraine attacks before, and thought some of our customers may suffer from the same symptoms. So we invited a special Chinese medicine teacher to train our therapists to perform an anti-migraine head scraping. I researched the blend for this treatment, so that the essential oils used can relieve the migraine symptoms, and then we started offering this treatment in our spa menu.
Any last words of advice for jobseekers or graduates out there?
Meet as many people as you can in the industry that you target, to learn from them and nourish your spirit. Go to events, trade fairs, exhibitions, and don’t hesitate to invite someone for a coffee when you feel that there is a connection. You create your own opportunity!
The more you will learn, the more expertise you will gain. The more expertise, the more confidence.
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