| After some restructuring, Spa Floridian & Salon was born in October 2003. Josie has assembled a highly qualified staff that provides a wide range of spa services to its growing customer base. Josie notes that Spa Floridian strives to create an environment for balancing the body, mind, and spirit by offering relaxation and a sense of well-being. Though Josie’s vision made Spa Floridian possible, “my excellent staff and an outstanding board of directors deserve all the credit,” she says.
Josie is already planning the next steps of her journey. Spa Floridian was founded as a first step toward achieving a lifelong goal to establish a foundation that will provide educational assistance to poor Filipino children. Josie’s plan is to eventually sell the Spa and use proceeds to start her foundation, which will be augmented with contributions from other Balikbatan (Filipino citizens who are residents of the US and other countries). She hopes to raise several million dollars annually to build schools, hire teachers, and provide books and other necessities to needy children.
“If you help one child at a time from birth to college, that child will, in turn, be a leader who will share his or her talents to help others in need,” Josie explains.
When the December 2004 tsunami devastated portions of South Asia, Josie went to Sri Lanka to deliver donations that will help displaced families and a local church. She also spent several days at a refugee camp helping children learn English and distributing school supplies.
Now back in Florida, Josie continues working toward her many dreams. In recent months, she has visited SCORE seeking advice on how to value her business when she puts it up for sale. Along with discussing alternative valuation methodologies, SCORE also provided information on pursuing government and non-profit grants. Baldrate has also helped Josie generate publicity for Spa Floridian, including a recent article in the Daytona Beach News-Journal.
“Everything they did for me is working great,” she says. “I’m very thankful that SCORE is here in Flagler County. I always encourage friends and clients to take advantage of their business expertise, and share the same blessings I’ve been fortunate to receive.”
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