Member Spotlight: Squeeze
Integral to The Scout Guide Phoenix & Scottsdale’s mission is telling the stories behind the small businesses Scouted in each Volume. The story begins in print and continues online, after all. As you peruse Volume 2, we are thrilled to continue our story-telling mission with Member Spotlights.
Photography by Juliana Lay Photography.
After decades of climbing the corporate ladder, Sam Lewis and Andrew Nicoll knew that it was time for a change. Enter Squeeze, a much-needed re-imagination of massage experiences from founders of the beloved blowout brand (with several, locally owned locations, no less) DryBar. And while the pair never expected to go from finance to the fine art of massage, they jumped at the opportunity to bring the franchise to Scottsdale.
At Squeeze, everything is simple and in-app. It’s the ideal indulgent atmosphere for offering guests complete control over all aspects of their experience, from pressure to payment.
Recently, we chatted with one half of the entrepreneurial duo about the key to cultivating a great company culture, their fresh approach to massage therapy, and the curated experience guests can expect from Squeeze.
The Scout Guide Phoenix & Scottsdale: Thanks for sitting down with us Sam! First things first, can you tell us a bit about yourself and your journey to teaming up with Andrew as the owners of a Squeeze franchise in Scottsdale?
Sam Lewis: We actually met about ten years ago while working in the finance world when Andrew was interning for me. After becoming friends, and eventually neighbors, we recognized a shared dream of starting our own business. From there, we explored a multitude of options to make that dream a reality. Having never started our own company, we were attracted to the established business model and support that comes along with franchising. During our search, we heard Brittany Driscoll, Squeeze co-founder & CEO, on an episode of the Franchise Euphoria podcast and her passion for creating a positive company culture really caught our attention.
Being in the corporate world, we had seen our fair share of bad work cultures in which people felt stuck and didn’t enjoy their work. Our goal was to create a work environment where employees felt like they were heard and treated well. When Brittany spoke about the brand’s values and culture, it really intrigued us. From that moment, it was “love at first listen,” and the rest is history.
The Scout Guide Phoenix & Scottsdale: That’s quite the shift. What was it about entrepreneurship that appealed to you?
Sam Lewis: Andrew and I each have had our share of corporate experience and seen the highs and lows of different management styles. What really excited us about entrepreneurship, and Squeeze in particular, was the opportunity to be a part of something that was impacting lives for the better. Massage therapists have dedicated their careers to that notion, so it’s important that they have a work environment that allows them to receive the same support in return. One of our core values is to “do what you love and let it love you back,” which is something we come back to on a daily basis.
The Scout Guide Phoenix & Scottsdale: That’s amazing! Squeeze has a unique correlation with one of our other members, DryBar. Can you touch on the shared background?
Sam Lewis: Squeeze was started by the founders of DryBar, of which there are several locally-owned, very successful franchises in the Valley. While the two companies aren’t affiliated, our leadership team took many of the things they learned while building DryBar and applied them to the beautiful experience we now have at Squeeze.
The Scout Guide Phoenix & Scottsdale: What inspired the creation of Squeeze?
Sam Lewis: Like all good ideas, Squeeze was built out of personal necessity. Our founders always loved getting massages (who doesn’t!?), but found themselves frustrated with the options out there — either mediocre discount establishments or overpriced spas. Not to mention hard-to-book appointments, awkward checkout counters, and massages that were never the right pressure. So, they built the brand and massage experience they longed for!
Photography by Juliana Lay Photography.
The Scout Guide Phoenix & Scottsdale: And what about the name? It’s darling! Where did the idea for that come from?
Sam Lewis: If you look at other names in the industry, they’re all so expected and similar to each other. We really wanted to come up with something different that would make people smile. Squeeze is a fun, lighthearted name that offers up tons of marketing opportunities and plays on words (e.g. Main Squeeze, Squeeze the Ones You Love, etc…)
The Scout Guide Phoenix & Scottsdale: Your tagline is “A Way Better Massage Experience.” How would you say Squeeze is different from other massage experiences?
Sam Lewis: Well first of all, booking is absolutely stress-free. Guests can book, pay, set personalized preferences, tip, rate, and review all on our app. So after your massage, you can just float on out. We also don’t charge for extras. Each massage includes the guests choice of deep tissue, heat therapy, percussion therapy, and aromatherapy at no additional cost. The app also allows our therapists to save your massage preferences to your profile so your therapist knows exactly what you want, each and every time.
The Scout Guide Phoenix & Scottsdale: Relaxation from start to finish is what we’re hearing. Speaking of clients, you have a unique name for them at Squeeze. What is it, and why?
Sam Lewis: Guests! We want that feeling of family that our employees share to permeate through our hallways and naturally extend to those entering our doors to enjoy our relaxing and rejuvenating services. Our verbiage influences our thoughts and actions. Our guests feel that difference every time they visit.
Photography by Juliana Lay Photography.
The Scout Guide Phoenix & Scottsdale: Now let’s talk specifics. So what exactly do you offer clients?
Sam Lewis: Our service options are intentionally very simple. We offer two membership options based on time; our Mid Squeeze membership is a monthly 50-min massage and our Main Squeeze membership is a monthly 8-min massage. Our membership are month-to-month so you can pause or cancel at any time and come with many additional perks. Unused credits rollover and never expire and you can even gift them to friends or loved ones. Plus, for every membership sold Squeeze provides a day of canine support to a person with a disability through our partnership with Canine Companions.
Guests who aren’t ready to become members can also “Pay-Per-Squeeze” for a Mid Squeeze (50-min massage) or Main Squeeze (80-min massage)
The Scout Guide Phoenix & Scottsdale: We know that customer experience is very important to Squeeze. What can a new customer expect from their first session?
Sam Lewis: Every part of our experience was built with the guest in mind. We know that getting out for a massage is likely the best part of someone’s day, so we take that to heart and make sure we can live up to it. From the moment you walk through the door you’re greeting by our Maitre D who will check you in and show you to our lounge where we have a beautiful space to relax, enjoy refreshments and choose an aromatherapy scent to accompany your massage. Once inside your massage suite your massage therapist will review your personalized preferences and show you how to choose from our 6 different playlists. Everything else is done within the app so after their massage, a guest can figuratively float out!
The Scout Guide Phoenix & Scottsdale: When a Guest leaves your spa, how do you want them to feel?
Sam Lewis: A massage is a relaxing, stress-free experience. We want to make sure that they can stay in that zen for as long as possible which is why we removed all of the other clunkiness you find at other massage experiences. Since payment is saved in our app, they don’t need to wait in line to check-out or be upsold on a membership. They can walk out and hold on to all of the amazing feel-good benefits that come along with a massage.
The Scout Guide Phoenix & Scottsdale: It’s the small things that make the experience. What unique features do you implement at Squeeze to make the customer service experience all the more enjoyable?
Sam Lewis: One of our core values is “Little Things Are Big Things” so you are right! We have many of these little things throughout the experience but the main one is our app which allows guests to book, set personalized preference, pay, tip, rate and review all at their fingertips. This really puts the experience in the guests hands allows them to customize their massage to their liking. We save your personalized preferences to your accounts and review them before your massage so we know exactly what a guest wants, each and every time. Beyond the app, one of our most beloved and unique features in the shop is our “ready button.” This is a small button at the bottom of the massage table that a guest can press once they’re undressed, on the table and ready for their massage therapist to re-enter. The button turns on a light outside the massage suite letting the massage therapist know that the guest is ready. Goodbye awkward exchanges!
The Scout Guide Phoenix & Scottsdale: It sounds like you have thought of everything at Squeeze! And of course you have a fabulous team as a part of the equation. How do you hire and train your massage therapists?
Sam Lewis: Andrew and I aren’t massage therapists ourselves, and we would never kid ourselves that we have the expertise to train our therapists on the technical side of things. Squeeze has an extensive training program built by massage therapists, and our Scottsdale location has two amazing Lead Therapists with decades of experience who support our team on a daily basis and conduct interviews. We strongly believe that there is no single way to give a massage. We see our therapists as the experts and allow them the freedom to make each massage their own, and we offer in-house education and CE stipends to encourage everyone on our team to keep learning and finding new inspiration in their massage practice.
The Scout Guide Phoenix & Scottsdale: Before we slightly switch gears, what aspect of owning the Squeeze in Scottsdale do you find most fulfilling?
Sam Lewis: Since opening our doors, we’re continually hearing from guests that Squeeze is “so much better than where I used to get a massage” and that is what keeps us going. We truly believe that Squeeze is a way better massage experience and it is beyond fulfilling to know that that is resonating with the community.
We’re also excited about the environment that we’ve been able to create for our team members. During our hiring process we love the reactions we get from candidates when we explain all of the amazing benefits that Squeeze offers. The fact that we don’t charge extra for amenities like deep tissue and aromatherapy means that our Massage Therapists aren’t required to upsell or meet any quotas which they’re always so pleased to hear. Knowing that we’re doing something different for both our guests and team members is a really special experience to be a part of.
The Scout Guide Phoenix & Scottsdale: It is clear that community is important to you. Are you involved in any local organizations that give back to the community?
Sam Lewis: At Squeeze we’ve partnered with Canine Companions, a non-profit dedicated to enhancing the lives of people with disabilities by providing expertly trained service dogs at no charge to the recipient. For every membership sold at Squeeze we donate a day of canine support to a person with a disability.
Photography by Juliana Lay Photography.
The Scout Guide Phoenix & Scottsdale: That must make what you do all the more meaningful. And as for Scottsdale, what do you love most about living in the Valley?
Sam Lewis: I absolutely love food and golf and I can’t think of a better place to enjoy both! I can literally go from golfing at Papago Golf Club to eating at Cibo Pizzeria in a matter of minutes. Also as a father of three, I can say this is an amazing place to raise a family.
The Scout Guide Phoenix & Scottsdale: Finally, we’d love to know a few of your favorite local spots and experiences distinctive to the Valley:
Sam Lewis: When it comes to food, FnB is by far my favorite. Some of the best meals of my life have been at FNB. And when it comes to shopping, I have to mention Old Town Candy & Toys. My kids are always begging me to take them there! And when I’m not at Squeeze or spending time with my family, you can most likely find me golfing on any of the amazing courses we have in the area. But if I had to choose a local event that I look forward to, it would be Devour Phoenix. It’s the best place to see and try the amazing restaurants here in town.
Oh and I can’t forget to mention Cutino Hot Sauce. It’s an incredible local brand and I always recommend any of the flavors for gifting. And of course it’s absolutely delicious!
Look out for Sam Lewis and Andrew Nicoll of Squeeze in Volume 3 of The Scout Guide Phoenix & Scottsdale. And if you’re interested in discovering the many benefits of massage, download the Squeeze app or head to their website to explore the many possibilities for rest and relaxation at Squeeze! And when you book, don’t forget to tell them Scout sent you!
