Meet Piran Zarifian | CEO

We had the good fortune of connecting with Piran Zarifian and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Piran, what is the most important factor behind your success?
It might be a cliché answer but I can say without a doubt that my team is the most important factor in our business succeeding. I think every business is looking to hire the best candidates for the job, but a lot goes into finding and painting the best teams possible. For me it started with my family. While there are MANY reasons one should not start a business with a family member, there certainly are many upsides to working with someone you’ve known your whole life. There is a certain trust and respect that is already built into that relationship, not to mention knowledge of what the other person’s strength and weaknesses are. When it comes to structuring your business and dividing the roles of each partner, it helps to know what each person is capable of, it makes it easier when you have known the other person your whole life. There have been many ups and downs since we started our business 10 years ago but the bond between my parents and I definitely played a huge role in us sticking with the business and seeing it through. In addition to the founding members of the business, as a service based business, we needed to hire incredible massage therapists to provide the services. To this date, the most challenging aspect of our business has been hiring quality therapists to provide the absolute best experience for clients. Finding and hiring the right people who can represent us and our brand is our number one focus. It is really important for all of us that our clients leave our spa feeling relaxed and rejuvenated. It is what we have done for a decade and what we are known for. It doesn’t stop there. We are ever so expanding our business and to do so, we have been hiring managers and front desk staff to assist us in our day to day operation and I am very happy to say that we have found a number of talented people who understand our values and goals and provide the best level of customer service for many people who visit our spas on daily basis. It is important to say that ever since our reopening, our staff have been working tirelessly to ensure the safety of our team, our clients and our community. I am even more proud of all of them for being the best team I could every ask for. This October we are celebrating our 10th year anniversary and I can tell you without a doubt that we would not be able to do so without the hard work and sacrifices that my team has made over the years.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I am the owner and operator of BAO Foot Spa with two locations in Beverly Hills and Santa Monica. Foot spas are the equivalent of fast foods of the massage world. They are quick and affordable. They have been around for many years in the Los Angeles area, however, they have been lacking quality and management for years. They are usually run by people with little to no experience in business or customer service. Our goal was to take that concept and create a business where people feel welcomed and know they will receive the highest level of customer service. Starting our first location in Beverly Hills, only blocks from the famous Rodeo Drive, we knew our clients would be expecting the absolute best, so we created a space where they could come in, relax, rejuvenate and continue with their day. I think the main reason for us being so popular is that we provide the best service and product to our clients and the word gets around quickly. We have clients who have been coming to us for a decade now, it is really incredible. I am proud to have created a business that is frequented by celebrities and athletes who expect a great service and know they will receive it at our spas. They are not alone though, at BAO Foot Spa, everyone is treated like a celebrity. It definitely has not been easy to get to where we are. Since we started our business in 2010, we have seen so many business come and go. We have worked tirelessly day and night to ensure the same level of excellence that we set out to offer our clients when we first opened our doors 10 years ago. Consistency is very important in our industry. You are only as good as your last service. In addition to ensuring the same level of quality, we are always looking to expand and improve our services. We are one of the only foot spas that offer memberships to our clients and keep a record of their sessions and progress in our computerized system. Moreover, we are the only foot spa that offer CBD products as add-on to our services. They have been very popular among our clients and very beneficial for relaxation and pain-management. I think the biggest challenge that we have encountered has been the pandemic. Being a personal care industry, our first goal is the health of our community. It has been a monumental task for us to keep our business open and finally reopen our doors and provide services outside of our spa for our clients. While we were closed we spend a great amount of resources to modify our spas and make them safer and we are ready for a full reopening inside our spas as soon as the government official deem it safe. Our story is one of survival and commitment to providing the absolute best for our community.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I am definitely a foodie. I love LA and everything it has to offer and it has a lot to offer everyone. The itinerary is a little different now with the pandemic. I am a season ticket holder for the Rams, I would have definitely taken them to a Rams game. I spend a lot of time and Eataly over at Westfield. I love browsing and shopping their selection of different ingredients and wine. I would take them to the beach, a hike at the Runyon Canyon and a stroll through Downtown Los Angeles and the Grand Central Market.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My family who are partners with me have been part of the reason for the success of our business. I have to give a huge shoutout to my beautiful wife as well for being there through tick and thin and being a source of encouragement and support throughout the years. Before I started my business, I worked in a number of retail stores with a variety of managers and throughout the years I learned many things from each and every one of them. However the one that taught me the most was Tommy Dews who is now the district team leader at American Eagle Outfitters. When it came to managing a business and its employees, Tommy ran a tight ship and delivered results. He was a great mentor to me and definitely influenced me in the way I run my business and manager my employees.

Website: www.baofootspa.com
Instagram: @baofootspa
Twitter: @baofootspa
Facebook: www.facebook.com/baofootspa