Connect
To Top

Meet Koko Klipper of Massage by Design in University Heights

Avatar photo

Today we’d like to introduce you to Koko Klipper.

Koko, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Working in the world of massage therapy has been inspiring, rewarding, enlightening and yes, frustrating. Very frustrating at times. I’ve definitely seen the good, the bad and the ugly of what this industry represents. At the same time, I’m genuinely optimistic for the evolution of massage therapy and the dedication of the all the ethical, talented and driven therapists I know and work with.

When I graduated from the Arizona School of Massage Therapy in 2005, I had no idea I would be where I am now. I had a dream of running a spa-ha, how original!

But my work and passion took me in a different direction. I started out performing backstage massage. I’ve had the privilege of working on some of the biggest names in the music and entertainment industry: Lady Gaga, Adam Levine and Harry Connick Jr. to name a few. Over the years, my business evolved–from me working in a small, extremely hot, studio in Pacific Beach to a 4-room suite in University Heights. With air conditioning!

I’m on the tail end of performing massage at this point, and will be hanging up my lotion holster in January of 2018. I’ve put in my time and am now focusing on my other business entity, nationwide chair massage services. My goal has always been to run the business and not work in it.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road to success is often full of pot holes. Owning a business is a lot of work. Luckily, I love what I do, and I have the absolute best team in the world. One recent challenge was implementing a new nationwide payment process and massage therapist membership program. We are definitely experiencing growing pains, as we continue to scale and grow our market. It’s amazing how many apps we work in everyday-from Salesforce to Ebsta and Quickbooks to Dotmailer, learning all the platforms and how they work together can be a challenge. The key is staying current with technology. You have to keep up or get out of the way!

Please tell us about Massage by Design.
My primary business is the nationwide chair massage operation. This is where my true passion lies and where I spend the majority of my time and focus. We currently provide services in over 190 cities, and work with over 1500 licensed and insured therapists across the nation. We perform chair massage for all types of events, working closely with wellness program coordinators, HR reps, and directors of company culture. Massage by Design provides services for employee retention, perk and loyalty programs. From office appreciation events and health fairs to trade shows and conventions, our therapists show up and throw down amazing massage…every event, every day.

What sets us apart:

• Certified by Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), SBA registered WOSB, WBE (working with us fulfills Diversified Business Enterprise Requirements).

• Homeland, level one security clearance (VIP Tailgate Parties, Super Bowls 2012, 2015).

• Work with Entertainers & VIPs on all levels: Paramount Pictures, Jared Leto, Britney Spears Nextel Tour, AMC Network, NBC Universal, CBS, Universal Pictures, Seth MacFarlane and High Noonish Productions, Warner Chappell, Live Nation, MSNBC, Horizon Media, SD Comic Con, America’s Got Talent, James Franco-The Pretenders.

• Services for sports entities: NFL, Cleveland Cavaliers Operating Company LLC, Indianapolis Sports Corp-NCAA Final Four, College Football Payoffs-Tampa Academia Institutions of all levels.

• Provide massage for all sizes of events-as few as 2 hours up to 150 hours of massage time.

My secondary business is the local operation where therapists perform over 20, table massage modalities for patrons seeking serious bodywork in San Diego. Something for everyone: from table Thai to Sports massage and neuromuscular therapy. If you’re looking for a specialized, focused and integrated massage…you’ve found the right place. Our therapists specialize in pain relief from chronic holding patterns, repetitive motion, injury, and other structural imbalances.

The Massage by Design corporate office is conveniently located down the hall from the local massage operation, in the Park Professional Bldg. Our nationwide event coordinators, therapist coordinators and innovations team has plenty of space to get creative, silly, and inspired. We laugh (and sometimes grumble), but we always keep our eye on our vision of shaking up the massage industry…one therapist and one event at a time. Our clients understand the importance of investing in their biggest asset-their team. Most companies don’t even know that chair massage is an option for their employees. My goal is to bring an awareness to all organizations in every industry nationwide. Providing exceptional service promotes trust. Gaining and retaining a client’s trust is the single most important aspect to their happiness and creating a long-term relationship. Our clients trust us and I couldn’t be more grateful!

Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
Favorite memory from childhood-such a tough question! My sister and I were very close, we still are. Our family would take the Amtrack from Ogden, UT to Detroit to visit my grandmother. The train ride was several days long. Paula (my sister), and I would play Nancy Drew and conjure up all kinds of mysteries on that train ride. Exploring the entire train, from as close as we could get to the engine to the caboose, Going from car to car all day. Good memories on that old Amtrack.

Pricing:

  • In studio table massage ranges from $65/hr to $159/hr for couples
  • 90 min sessions range from $95/single massage to $220/90 min for couples

Contact Info:

Getting in touch: SDVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.

Related Items

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

More in