By Lacey Steffes, Owner of Spa Serenity

Where do you even begin when reflecting on 20 years in business?

I have spent months thinking about how to put two decades of Spa Serenity into words. The wins. The growing pains. The moments that felt magical, and the ones that felt like flat-out failures. And somehow, all of it together has become one of the greatest accomplishments of my life.

I often say, I didn’t exactly plan this. Owning a small business and falling in love with a community was not some perfectly mapped-out dream I had as a young woman. I simply followed my heart, trusted my gut, and in later years… thankfully brought my brain along too.

For the last 20 years, I have shown up and done my best to make thoughtful decisions for our team, our guests, and our community. Some days I nailed it. Some days I learned the hard way. That is small business. That is leadership. And that is life.

Start Small, Dream Big: What Brings You Joy?

Why Spa Serenity Began

The heart behind Spa Serenity was always simple.

I wanted to bring the art of massage therapy and positive human touch to the Baraboo community through spa services. Back in the early 2000s, spa treatments were often viewed as a luxury. A splurge. A “nice if you can get it” kind of thing.

But I believed then, and I still believe now, that positive human touch is a powerful part of healing. Not just for the body, but for the spirit too. Rest, connection, care, and calm are not frivolous. They matter. They always have.

April 12, 2006: The Beginning

Spa Serenity officially opened on April 12, 2006.

I was full of excitement, enthusiasm, and just enough blind confidence to make it all happen. I was eager to establish myself in the Baraboo community and, if I’m being honest, also very interested in figuring out how to become friends with the cool girls at Bekah Kate.

I jumped in with both feet to all things Downtown Baraboo, and looking back, that decision changed everything.

The relationships I built with other downtown merchants became a lifeline in those early years. Having a group of like-minded business owners all trying to build something meaningful at the same time was incredibly powerful. We leaned on each other, learned from each other, celebrated the wins, and survived the hard stuff together.

That sense of community played a huge role in Spa Serenity becoming what it is today.

The Early Years: Building, Learning, Growing

The early years of Spa Serenity were full of constant change.

Small renovations. Bigger ideas. Learning how to run a business more efficiently. Building a team. Creating a culture. Figuring out who we were and who we wanted to become. And somewhere in there, I was also learning how to become a leader. And yes, somewhere in those first few years, you can also insert: husband and two kids.

About six months into owning Spa Serenity, I decided I desperately needed a dinner date and a small reminder that I had a life outside of work. So I did something fairly bold for 2006 and went online. That is where I met Steve, who at the time simply seemed like a very solid dinner-date candidate. Turns out, he became my forever date and my business partner.

Twenty years later, that relationship has been one of the greatest and most fulfilling parts of my life.

Motherhood and Business Ownership

In years two and five of Spa Serenity, I became a mom. Other female business owners often ask me how I have managed motherhood and business ownership at the same time. My answer is usually pretty simple: I was a business owner before I was a mom or a wife.

My family has only ever known a life where holidays, celebrations, and special moments sometimes start after I have finished what needed to be done at the spa. That has simply been part of our rhythm.

And while small business ownership asks a lot of you, it has also given me so much. It gave me the ability to take a day off for a school field trip. To be there for drop-off and pickup more often than not. To work hard and still be present. And, perhaps most importantly, it has given me a truly endless supply of bubble wrap, which any parent knows is basically a bonus perk.

More than anything, I hope my kids have seen what it looks like to love your work, care deeply for people, show up when things are hard, and still make room for joy.

The Expansion That Changed Everything

It did not take long before I started dreaming about what the next version of Spa Serenity could look like.

By 2014, after a few years of exploring possibilities, we had the opportunity to purchase the building next door and expand. We took the leap, and Spa Serenity as many people know it today began to take shape.

We purchased the building in July of 2014 and got to work quickly.

Our team was so excited, they literally jumped in with us. We demoed together, dreamed together, and patiently waited while the space came back to life. In October of 2014, we officially celebrated the grand opening of the expanded Spa Serenity.

That expansion changed everything.

Over the years, that growth also opened the door to new ideas. We launched a full-service salon, and later, as the industry and our vision evolved, that space transformed into Pause Facial Bar in 2021.

That season taught me something important: growth does not always mean doing more. Sometimes it means getting clearer on what fits and what does not.

What Spa Serenity 2026

Over the last 20 years, Spa Serenity has become so much more than a place to get a massage or a facial. It has become a place to reconnect.

• With your girlfriends.
• With your significant other.
• And maybe most importantly, with yourself.

One of my favorite quiet moments is walking past the lounge and seeing a woman curled up with a cup of tea, a book, or a magazine, simply being still.

There are not many places left in the world that are intentionally designed for people to slow down, breathe deeper, and take an extra moment for themselves. Spa Serenity is one of those places and that means everything to me.

The Hard Days Were Part of the Story Too

Twenty years in business is not just a highlight reel. There have been hard seasons. Missteps. Stress. Exhaustion. Decisions I wish I could revisit. Days when I questioned everything. Days when I had to learn a lesson I absolutely did not order. But I can say this with full honesty: the hard days almost always led to something valuable.

A new perspective.
A stronger boundary.
A better decision.
A lesson I clearly needed, whether I wanted it or not.

Most storms really do show up to clear a path.

And while I would never say every season was easy, I can say with confidence that I would not trade the last 20 years. The people, the lessons, the growth, and the version of myself that this journey shaped all matter deeply to me.

One of the Greatest Joys: Watching Others Grow

One of the most rewarding parts of owning Spa Serenity has been the opportunity to mentor team members and, in some cases, help them branch out and create something of their own. Of course, it is never easy to watch good people leave. But I also know that growth is a beautiful thing.

Spa Serenity has been a home, a starting point, and a stepping stone for many talented people over the years, and I am incredibly proud of that. I have always believed that when someone’s passion starts pulling them toward a new dream, the right thing to do is support them.

If Spa Serenity helps people become more fully who they are, whether that is a guest or a team member, then we are doing something right.

So… Here’s to the Next 20

The last 20 years have been amazing, fulfilling, meaningful… and yes, hard.

Some of the hard things have changed over the years. Some of them are somehow still exactly the same. But I would not change any of it.

The lessons I learned the hard way turned out to be the most valuable ones. They gave me the grit, wisdom, and perspective to keep going and to feel genuinely excited about what is still ahead.

And after 20 years of being my own boss, I am fairly certain I am no longer employable in a traditional setting, so really, onward we go.

Here’s to the next 20 years of Spa Serenity.
To the guests who trusted us.
To the team members who helped shape us.
To the community that believed in us.
And to whatever beautiful, unpredictable, meaningful adventure comes next.

With gratitude,
Lacey Steffes