Advice: Haven Breeze Spa Salon owner says focus on experience, community and ‘believe what you do’

SAUK RAPIDS — Jaimee Kath once thought she’d be a nurse, until her true calling, cosmetology, became a reality.

Kath, 25, of Sartell, grew up in Sauk Rapids, where she opened Haven Breeze Spa Salon in the fall of 2025 with her parents, Julee and Kevin Kopka.

The salon and spa mainly focuses on head massages, and also offers facials, waxing, brow and lash services, blowouts and more. Kath said she plans to add more services in the future.

Since opening Haven Breeze Spa Salon, Kath said the business has been laser-focused on creating an experience. That includes providing a welcoming environment with warm, neutral tones, calming music, waterfall sounds and comforting smells, Kath said, adding that it “helps people feel immediately relaxed before the service.”

“People aren’t booking just for a service; they book because of how you make them feel,” Kath said. “From day one, I focused on creating an experience that helps people slow down, breathe and relax, so they get an overall good experience — not just a service.”

As a young entrepreneur, Kath said she didn’t have all the answers. Her business wasn’t perfect on “day one,” she admits, but that’s part of the fun, she said.

“Give yourself the space to grow and just learn as you go, is like, probably the most important part of being successful,” Kath said. “You’re not going to know everything … there’s a lot of stuff that goes into a business, owning a business, running it, and that’s going to come with time.”

It’s that experience that has strengthened her skills, she said.

“Being in it is easier to learn from than just trying to research and things before you start,” Kath said. “A lot of it is actually doing it.”

Before Haven Breeze Spa Salon opened in November, the business had a soft opening throughout October, offering free services. That not only got Haven Breeze Spa Salon’s publicity but it was reflective of the community Kath wants to attract.

“We really wanted to get the advice from the community so that we could learn what we needed to give them the best,” Kath said.

She said such representation is a cornerstone to her business — and any other small business.

“Partnering with other local businesses in the community has mattered more than any big marketing push that we’ve tried,” Kath said. “We’ve done the radio, we’ve done a lot of stuff, but really it has come down to the community and word-of-mouth and things like that that have really traveled far.”

Some of those partnerships include The Nutrition Spot and participating in the Downtown Sauk Rapids Jingle and Mingle.

“That was a big thing, too; we try to (partner) with smaller businesses, because we all want to help each other out,” Kath added.

Kath offered an additional piece of advice for anyone young looking to start a business.

“Build something that you genuinely believe in, stay connected to your community, and don’t be afraid to evolve, I should say, because progress matters more than perfection, and if you don’t believe in it, it’s not going to work out,” she said. “You need to really believe in yourself and believe in the business.”

What: Haven Breeze Spa Salon
Where: 823 N. Benton Drive, Sauk Rapids
When: 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Monday-Thursday; 11 a.m.-8 p.m., Friday; 11 a.m.-7 p.m., Saturday; closed Sunday.
Online:

thehavenbreeze.glossgenius.com