A pioneering entrepreneur focuses on women's health and breast cancer awareness

November 2, 11:36 AMLA Successful Women Entrepreneurs ExaminerSusan Pascal

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Shannah Tenner, owner of In Touch Massage & Day Spa
Shannah Tenner

Shannah Tenner, owner of the luxurious In Touch Massage & Day Spa in Thousand Oaks, is taking an active role in raising awareness of breast cancer.

On November 14th, the spa will host its first annual Crop for the Cure, a twelve- hour scrapbooking crop-a-thon to honor those affected by the disease. “Many women I love have suffered from breast cancer, and I think it’s important that we learn as much as we can about this disease so women can get the medical support they need preemptively.”,” she says.

This one-day event includes 12 hours of scrapbooking, brunch, dinner, snacks, drinks, dessert, prizes, gifts, and around the clock table and chair massages from licensed and trained therapists. The cost of the event is $50 per person with a donation goal for each individual to raise $200 for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation through pledges. Space is limited to 20 participants.

Tenner is somewhat of a pioneer in the healing arts herself. After graduating from massage school in the early ‘80’s, she went into private practice. Two of her earliest clients were Frank and Barbara Sinatra. She established her first massage center at the Long Beach L.A. Fitness Health Club in 1987 and literally exploded her business from there. “I went from one location to seven in a two year period,” she recalls.

When L.A. Fitness was looking to open a flagship massage center in Phoenix, Arizona, Tenner was brought in to oversee that expansion and became the spa director. “I created a model operating system as well as hired and trained people for the spas,” she says.

It was in Laughlin, Nevada, in the early ‘90’s, where she truly made her mark. “I was the area, and stayed at the local Harrahs. When I inquired about spa facilities, I was surprised to learn that they didn’t have any. In fact, none of the hotels in the area had spas or massage therapies,” she states. “I approached the Harrahs general manager, and it turns out, they were in the planning stages of building a fitness center. They loved the idea of adding spa treatments, and I was brought in to help with the design.”

When it came time to hire staff, Tenner was shocked to discover there were no licensed therapists in Laughlin. A licensed instructor, she oversaw the education and hiring of all massage employees at the facility. She became so renowned for her work in the area, that the Flamingo Hilton hired her to develop and expand their facilities. For years, Tenner commuted from her home in Long Beach to Nevada.

Eventually, she left Laughlin to focus her attention to her California locations. “Then my husband and I relocated to Los Angeles and we had a child. I realized that commuting was too much, so I sold all but one business,” she says.

Tenner now runs In Touch Massage & Day Spa in Thousand Oaks, offering such high end services as massages, body treatments, even her own specially developed waxing system called Poetic Waxing. “It is the most expensive wax you can buy, formulated by a woman who owned and operated Bliss Spas in New York,” Tenner explains. She developed this hard wax that shrink wraps so hair does not stick to skin making waxing less painful.” In Touch is the only spa in Conejo Valley to offer poetic waxing to which she has exclusive rights.

To book an appointment or to reserve your seat at the crop-a-thon, call (805) 778-1771.