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Pampering with a Purpose
26Health Spa Helps People Feel Good While Doing Good
BY DIANE SEARS
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Photography by Julie Fletcher
As a laser tech and medical electrologist, Brandi Concolino was handling hair removal for clients — a job she says breeds the same type of confidante relationships that people form with their hairstylists. One of her clients confided she was going through a gender transition with the emotional support of her psychologist at 26Health, a nonprofit that helps LGBTQ+ patients and their allies with wellness of the mind, body and spirit.
The client said Concolino would be a good fit at 26Health and recommended her, knowing the company was planning to expand from mental health to medical services and would soon be hiring a manager for its new medical spa.
That was nearly seven years ago. “They brought me in for an interview, and I was hired on the spot,” Concolino says. “I was so impressed with their vision, passion and cause that I thought, ‘This is it.’ I didn't have to think twice about taking the job.”
Concolino started setting up the spa at 26Health’s headquarters, a four-story office building on Magnolia Street in downtown Orlando. In the evenings, she went to school to become a licensed aesthetician. Under her direction, the spa has expanded its services to offer cosmetic procedures that make skin look healthier and more youthful. These include:
• Facials, a set of treatments that exfoliate the skin, removing impurities, acne breakouts and dead cells. • Chemical peels, which apply a solution that helps remove the top layer of skin to get to the layer under it, which is smoother and less wrinkled. • Microneedling, which involves pricking the skin with tiny sterilized needles, creating wounds that force the body to make more collagen and elastin that heal skin cells. • Dermaplaning, which uses a scalpel to exfoliate skin and remove dirt and
“peach fuzz” or light hair.
The spa plans to add microblading, which uses a needle to insert pigment under the skin to create semi-permanent natural-looking eyebrows. The spa is also bringing in a nurse practitioner to handle injectables and fillers, which involve elements like Botox to eliminate wrinkles brought on by aging and sun exposure. A massage therapist and a dietitian will round out the team, Concolino says.
Today, the spa is an important part of
— Brandi Concolino
Aesthetician Brandi Concolino
Aesthetician Brandi Concolino decorated the office herself, choosing white cabinets and countertops that convey the look of a clean, airy medical environment but adding pops of color and what she calls “glitter” to make it feel more like a boutique. “When you walk in, it's very warm and inviting but also elegant,” she says. “The colors and the decor were purposely chosen not to be clinical, except for the chair where I do my work.”
the full suite of care under the 26Health umbrella. Most of its services are considered cosmetic and self-pay instead of covered by insurance — as opposed to the mental and physical medical care 26Health offers to patients regardless of their insurance status or ability to pay.
“The nice thing is that the profits from the spa help to fund the other side of the business, which is awesome,” Concolino says. “So when you take care of yourself at the spa, people who might not necessarily be able to afford medical or mental health services can then have an opportunity to receive them.”
The spa’s clients range in age from 15 to 70. “I see all age ranges and skin types,” Concolino says. “Your gender orientation, your skin color, your ethnicity — none of that matters here. You're going to get the same treatment no matter what. You're going to leave here feeling good no matter who you are.”
She emphasizes that the spa sees patients who are part of the LGBTQ+ community and patients who are not. “We're inclusive. We want everybody to feel welcome to come in and be pampered and receive the same treatment they should receive anywhere, but know they're going to get here. I want them to look and feel their very best. Beauty begins the moment you decide to be yourself, that's my motto.”
The company has launched a marketing campaign that includes wedding shows, small business expos and other events where 26Health can showcase the spa’s services. Concolino also uses her personal enthusiasm to generate one-on-one marketing opportunities.
“A lot of my clients are repeat customers, and a lot of my clients are referrals,” she says. “But I’m always looking for more. Every time I go out, I carry pamphlets and brochures, or little palm cards. I always talk to people and look for opportunities to let them know I can help them. If l see a teenager with acne, or a person trying to cover facial hair with makeup, chances are they don’t know that there are services available to them. I don't come out and say, ‘Hey, I can help you with that.’ But I might strike up a conversation and mention what I do for work. Inevitably, people say, ‘You know, I could use your services.’ I give them a card with a coupon on the back for 10% off.”
In her office, Concolino greets every person who comes through the door with a sit-down consultation at her desk. “I really care about them as a person,” she says. “I might remember this person's child's birthday is coming up, or that this other person was dreading going home for Thanksgiving. I want to talk to each person as an individual, not just get them in and out. You’re not a number when you come here. You're a human being.”
One advantage is that being in an office building offers clients more privacy than they would get if they were spotted walking in and out of a retail storefront, she says. “It's a little more private for the clients who don't want people knowing they're coming in for hair removal.”
The spa sees about 65 to 70 people a month, and that number is expected to increase this year as the list of services expands.
Concolino is continuing to grow professionally as well. She had little left to learn in her former job, but this one challenges her daily to be better and do better while she helps clients do the same. “I knew I was destined to do something bigger,” she says. “This was the perfect opportunity.”
Dr. Tommy Shavers, CEO & Founder NESTRE Health & Performance Julius Thomas Co-Founder Calvin Johnson Jr. Investor
High-Tech Training
NESTRE Focuses on Mental and Cognitive Fitness for Elite Athletes and ‘Everyday Performers’
BY GEORGE DIAZ
Dr. Tommy Shavers’ career path begins in a fog.
He suffered somewhere between six and seven concussions while playing football as a defensive back at the University of Central Florida from 1998 to 2000. The collateral damage was significant. He started experiencing mental and cognitive impairment and decline. The prognosis from doctors was not exactly satisfying: “Just give it a little bit. It'll get better and wear off.”
“That didn't happen,” Shavers said. Distraught, he even began writing a memoir at the time titled “Remember Me” for his young son. He then realized that by writing it, he was accepting his own cruel fate.
Instead, Shavers built a new life out of that foggy haze. Today, NESTRE Health & Performance Inc. stands as a testimonial to his perseverance. Founded in September 2018, the Lake Nona-based company is focused on improving and strengthening mental and cognitive fitness.
Patient No. 1: Dr. Tommy Shavers.
“That was my motivation: my wife and my child,” he said. “I started with the premise that if the brain can be injured, it serves to reason that it functions like a muscle. And if it functions like a muscle, it serves to reason that it could be rehabbed and strengthened.
“So I created a cognitive conversion model for self-recovery and recovered my own mental and cognitive capacity. That’s when I discovered the science of neuroplasticity that I didn't know existed, and I had a chance to share about my recovery and my vision.”
Neuroplasticity is the ability of the brain to form and reorganize synaptic connections, especially in response to learning or experience, or following injury — and it’s the cornerstone of the NESTRE business model.
The key is to use artificial intelligence (AI)/machine learning to improve cognitive functions in individuals through brain health training and exercise routines. Hence, Nestre, meaning neuro-strength.
The business pitch worked when NESTRE Health & Performance was one of six companies accepted in 2020 into the leAD Lake Nona Sports & Health Tech Accelerator, the first program of its kind opened in the U.S. by Berlin-based leAD Sports. Named after Adidas founder Adi Dassler, the international program was started by his grandchildren. I started with the premise that if the brain can be injured, it serves to reason that it functions like a muscle. And if it functions like a muscle, it serves to reason that it could be rehabbed and strengthened.
— Dr. Tommy Shavers
Lake Nona Performance Club - home of NESTRE Neurostrength Training Rooms
A number of former NFL players have invested in the NESTRE concept, including Hall of Fame wide receiver Calvin Johnson Jr. and his Detroit Lions teammate Rob Sims. NESTRE recently raised $1.6 million in advance of its next round of funding.
That has paved the way for in-person neuro-strength training, the NESTRE Mindset Profile, and virtual work through the app, scheduled to be released this year.
Just like in football, Shavers has teammates who have his back. Meet Julius Thomas, a former two-time NFL Pro Bowl tight end who is the co-founder and NESTRE’s chief innovative health and performance officer. Thomas played for the Denver Broncos, Jacksonville Jaguars and Miami Dolphins.
He, too, sought a greater purpose than football. He retired from the sport in 2018 to study psychology and earned a doctorate with a focus on mental health and neuroscience. He wrote an article in The Players’ Tribune, delving beyond psychology and into cognitive issues experienced by players.
That prompted a call from Shavers.
“And then we start talking about the need to provide services for people we both care about,” Thomas said. “And for us, that’s athletes. These are people who want to have high performance.”
To be clear, NESTRE is all-inclusive. The company serves everyone from elite athletes to weekend warriors to highly competitive individuals looking to improve mental health and performance — those Shavers refers to as “everyday performers.”
“Elite athletes are a personal passion of ours, and we're uniquely suited to impact that demographic. But also, we look at changing the stigma around mental health and performance by bringing the two worlds together, by breaking the silos. And saying, ‘We want the everyday person to be able to train like the elite individuals train in the same capacity with the same technologies.’”
To circle back to the world of exercise and sports, the concept is similar to going to a gym and getting in your “reps” on the bench press or the squat machine. Repetition and consistency are key, as is establishing what works best for every individual.
“Strength training is neuroplasticity. And learning is neuroplasticity,” Shavers said. “When strength training was first introduced, they’d offer the same workout for everybody. Today, from a physical standpoint, you go in and they're personalizing it to your makeup, to your strength level, to your goals. That’s the same way we look at it from a mental and cognitive perspective: Everyone’s mental makeup or framework is unique.
“So if we can begin to personalize and customize their training based on their mental makeup, which is what we've developed with our Mindset Profile, then we're able to truly give someone a personalized strength training experience in both digital and live formats.”
Shavers and Thomas are teammates, but their sport is much more impactful than the score from any given Sunday. It’s a 24-7, year-round effort, driven by a goal to improve the body and mind for their circle of clients.
Sounds like a winning game plan.
