Cut above the rest

When she was a student at IU, Margarete Disque majored in telecommunications, but she always dreamed of something more.\nOn the weekends, Disque attended Alternatives for Health, a school in Columbus, Ind., where she studied massage therapy.\nJust nine months after graduation from both IU and Alternatives for Health, Disque was able to realize her dream of owning her own business.\n"Being my own boss and not having to work for someone was always something I was intrigued by," Disque said.\nLes Champs Elysees Day Spa and Salon has become the manifestation of that dream. She now owns and runs the spa, 509 E. 10th St., along with some members of her family.\nDisque decided to hire her mother, Donna Disque, as general manager, and her grandmother, Mary Ann Baurle, as the receptionist.\nHer mother and grandmother helped Disque come up with the name for the spa.\n"Les Champs Elysees is the name of one of the most famous streets in Paris because of the beautiful buildings and upscale stores," Donna said. "That's the feeling we are going for here."\nMargarete said her mother was part of the inspiration for this venture. \n"I had always watched my mom and traveled with her, and business seemed like a great opportunity, especially for women," she said. "Women don't get recognized enough for their achievements in life, and I thought that this would be a great opportunity for success."\nThe spa opened in October 2004 when construction at 10th Street and College Avenue neared completion.\nAmenities include a full hair salon, manicure and pedicure stations and three back rooms where customers can receive normal spa services such as facials, waxing, body wraps and singles or couples massages. The spa also offers services that are less common such as pregnancy massages, reflexology and stone therapy.\nMargarete employs a full staff of specialists, including hair stylists, aestheticians and massage therapists, who are required to go through training on the hair products.\n"It's a really involved process," said aesthetician Jacqueline Simpson. "We have to have training on new products and how to explain them to customers."\nOne challenge the spa has encountered has been a lack of hair stylists.\n"A lot of them hop around from salon to salon, and many people in high school aren't being told about that vocation," Donna said. "And many times they are being told that they can't make money that way."\nShe said there is a great potential for hairstylists who are qualified.\nDonna said the spa is about making people feel better rather than just providing standard services.\n"It's not like you come in, get your hair cut, and the next person is in line waiting," she said.\nTo ensure the spa's customers don't feel like just another number, the salon offers a free treatment with any treatment the customer purchases. \n"Even if the customer just gets a haircut, we offer a complimentary service like a mini facial or foot soak," she said.\nLes Champs Elysees just experienced a wave of new business because of spring break and the coming of the summer months.\n"Everybody wants their pedicures and highlights to get ready for the summer," Margarete said. "We try to cater to both college students and Bloomington residents."\nBaurle said one difference she has noted in her time with the spa has been the number of men who come to the spa for various treatments.\n"It's really nice that they are finally taking an interest in themselves," she said.\nThe prices for the salon range from $10 to $120, not including the various packages offered.\nOne difference between the spa and others in the Bloomington area is that the spa uses mostly Aveda products, though the spa is not in partnership with the brand.\n"Aveda has the reputation of being very vibrant and on the cutting edge with hair," Margarete said.\nAveda is a hair product company whose trademark is caring for the environment. The company's hair products are 97 percent natural, and Margarete said the products are part of the reason that customers are initially attracted to the spa.\n"We've personally been using the Aveda products for 15 years, and we thought that because the products are 97 percent natural, Aveda and Bloomington would be a good match," Donna said.\nMargarete said the closest Aveda store is in Indianapolis. The store often refers their customers to Les Champs Elysees because it is the only one in the area that specializes in the products.\nMargarete, Donna and Baurle all agree that a mainstay of the business has been the welcoming atmosphere. Margarete said even its color palette was chosen with extra care to make the customers feel comfortable.\n"When people come in," Donna said, "we let them lead the conversation rather than talking about ourselves."\n-- Contact Staff Writer Ronni Moore at ronlmoor@indiana.edu.