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J Scott's Skin Care & Day Spa
The slogan says it all - “Because spoiled rotten feels so good.” So expect to be pampered when you visit J. Scott's Skin Care & Day Spanestled in Historic Downtown Leesburg at the corner of 3rd and Main streets.
J. Scott’s team of qualified, educated and friendly professionals offers an affordable collection of treatments for the purpose of health, relaxation, stress reduction and beauty at the day spa including advance skin care, facials, body treatments, manicures and pedicures, makeup services, Just for Men services, and other services.
Since opening in 2005, J. Scott’s has earned a national reputation. And founder J. Scott Berry also enjoys widespread recognition.
“J. Scott is an incredible esthetician as well as a motivated and enthusiastic educator,” states Lydia Sarfati, founder of Repechage, one of this country’s top skincare companies. “I have personally been to his spa in Florida and it is one of the most progressive spas in the country.”
Recently, J. Scott was added to a special national symposium made up of scientists, manufacturers and the top 10 estheticians in the country. This is just the latest accolade to be added to many others that both J. Scott and his Day Spa have won in the past five years. Other awards include being named Best Day Spa in Lake County, Best Skin Care & Best Facial in Lake County, and Best Spa Package in Central Florida.
Last year J. Scott was named the Rising Star Award, an international award from Repechage skin care, an award given to a spa owner who offers outstanding service in their spa as well as raising the bar for the skin care industry overall.
Berry recently rejoined his day spa team after over two years of traveling the world teaching advanced skin care/makeup classes.
“I love teaching,” Berry said. “It keeps me on the cutting edge and updated. I have a talented team here and I can leave and know that the clients are taken care of. I’ve been fortunate to work alongside some of the biggest names and most influential people in my industry, which equips me to be able to offer cutting-edge facial services to our customers.”
He began his career in the Beauty Industry as a hobby when, as a 19-year-old student at Lake Sumter Community College, he became interested in makeup for the stage while designing his first makeup design for a children’s theatre production.
He continued to follow the makeup industry and moved to Jacksonville, where he worked at salons and spas. It was in Jacksonville that J. Scott began teaching workshops, Master Classes and seminars in Makeup and Skin Care. He moved back to Leesburg in 2001 and worked full-time as an esthetician and makeup artist. He opened his day spa four years later.
The talented team at J. Scott’s includes esthetician, makeup artists and nail technicians specializing in the most luxurious and advanced spa services. Clients return again and again to experience the magical touch of J. Scott’s world class facials and body treatments.
In addition to the usual spa services, J. Scott’s Skin Care & Day Spa offers specialized services such as Couple’s Treatments, Spa Parties, Makeup Design, and Express Services. They also are known for their wide variety of the best anti-aging and healthy skin treatments using advanced technology including Light Therapy, Microdermabrasion and Peptide Facials.
When J. Scott Berry opened J. Scott’s Day Spa he made a commitment to excellence for his customers but also a commitment to his community. Since 2004, J. Scott has served the Leesburg and Lake County community in a variety of ways. He has raised thousands of dollars for local charity organizations including The Leesburg Partnership, Leesburg Center for the Arts, Lake Sumter Community College, Boy’s & Girl’s Clubs and the Lake County Educational Foundation.
“Our customers live, work and are part of our local community.” Berry said, “It is our honor and responsibility to give back to our community, they support us, we support them.” This commitment to community service was demonstrated recently when J. Scott ran for Leesburg Mardi Gras King, raising over $27,000 that all goes back into the local community via The Leesburg Partnerhip.
Scheduling your appointment at J. Scott’s Skin Care & Day Spa is highly recommended. J. Scott's Skin Care & Day Spa is located at 214 W. Main Street Leesburg, Florida 34748. It is open Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. Call (352) 287-SPAA (7722). Or learn more online at www.jscottsdayspa.com.
Star Bikes
While Star Bikes Bicycle Shop co-owners Elijah and Danielle Houser have master’s degree in business, Elijah also has the equivalent in bicycle cycling and mechanical experience.
After testing the market with a mobile bike service, the Housers opened their bicycle shop in historic downtown Leesburg last summer, adding to the list of interesting establishments in the city’s business district with the bike shop
Elijah Houser brought with him a wealth of bicycling sales and service knowledge, most of which couldn’t be learned in a classroom.
He’s been fixing bikes more than half his life. And now he’s got his wife of a year and a half is into biking, both in business and recreation.
“Elijah has been riding and working in bike shops since he was 13 years old,” said wife Danielle, herself a relative newbie when it comes to cycling. “I started riding when I met him. We both ride, road and mountain. When Elijah was younger he was a competitive mountain biker.”
He still rides competitively – when he finds the time.
The Housers met while both were working on their MBAs while attending the University of North Florida, where Elijah obtained his BA with a dual major in Business Management and Transportation and Logistics.
While his academic transcript is impressive, it pales in comparison to his bicycle experience resume.
Elijah began working in 1996 at a high end bicycle shop in Palm Coast. His love for both bicycles and the business grew from there. Two years later he attended the Barnett Bicycle Institute sharpening in his skills and gaining the credibility of a certified mechanic.
In 2000 he went to the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs to the USAC Mechanics Program to become a Certified USA Cycling (UCI USCF) Race Mechanic.
A crowning achievement came the following year when he became head mechanic for Ultra Endurance Legend Rob Kish. His “on-the-job” experience included working Race Across America (RAAM) and the UMCA 24 Hour Championships in Iowa.
“That was one way I honed my mechanic skills,” Elijah said. “You do things on the fly. It was a really cool background to get.”
How did Danielle and Elijah settle on downtown Leesburg?
“We opened a mobile bicycle shop as a kind of market research,” Danielle said.
It’s a service they still offer in Leesburg for a nominal surcharge.
They got service calls from Kissimmee to Ocala. But the majority of customers were in the Leesburg area. It was a business arrangement made in heaven.
“We found that Leesburg not only did not have a bicycle shop but needed one,” she added. “We came downtown to walk around and fell in love with the area. We actually stumbled on this spot, called the owner and took it that day.”
They spent considerable time and care turning the space into an inviting bicycle shop. And their website, www.starbikesfl.com, managed by Danielle, is equally inviting and easy to navigate.
“People love bicycles,” said Danielle. “They’re usually associated with really nice childhood memories.”
While today’s bikes still have two wheels, a seat and handlebars, things are also different.
“They’re pretty much machines now,” said Danielle. “There’s a lot of technology and it’s ever changing.”
Elijah agrees.
“Right now it’s all about carbon, that’s the buzzword in the industry,” he said. “It dampens the ride.”
Bikes range in price from $199 to $3,000.
Whether you’re a beginner or just want to get back into cycling, don’t be intimated.
“We talk to the customer find out what type of riding want to do,” said Danielle. “It depends what you want to do, from casual riding to healing from an injury or getting in shape.
“One of the defining factors of our shop is matching what the customer wants with the perfect bicycle. We cater to people who want to ride around neighborhood, to avid rider. We cater to any riding people want to do.”
Star Bikes offers many different types of bicycles from road bikes, mountain bikes, hybrids, comfort bikes, and cruisers. The main line is Cannondale.
The shop is located at 119 South 4th Street. The business phone is (352) 323-1336.
“When people leave here it’s usually with a smile on their face,” said Danielle.