Today we’d like to introduce you to Lindsey Hoggard.
Hi Lindsey, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I started with Oak Haven Massage in 2011 at the front desk. I was planning for it to be a temporary job while I searched for a long term career where I could utilize my business degree. However, within a few months, I was promoted to bookkeeper, which meant I worked out of our founder, Dr. Steven Shuel’s, office. Because of that, I naturally became someone employees would come to with questions, concerns, or things they needed help navigating. Little by little, I just started stepping in, solving problems, and taking on more responsibility wherever it was needed.
That organically led me into management, eventually becoming a General Manager. As Oak Haven continued to grow and add locations, my role grew along with it, and I ultimately became Regional Manager.
I always say I got here through a combination of hard work and a little bit of luck. Being in the right place at the right time and blessed with a family who saw potential in me. But I also think a big part of my story has been being willing to step up before I had the title, learn as I went, and genuinely care about the people and the business. Fifteen years later, I’m incredibly proud of how much Oak Haven has grown and grateful that I’ve had the opportunity to grow right along with it.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It definitely hasn’t always been a smooth road. Over the years, there have been seasons where balancing my personal life with the responsibility I felt toward Oak Haven was incredibly challenging. When I became a mom in 2013, I had to learn how to balance being present for my son while continuing to grow in my career. Then, in 2016, I went through breast cancer, followed by a divorce in 2017. Those were some of the most difficult years of my personal life, and I was incredibly fortunate to have the support of the Oak Haven family throughout them.
From a business standpoint, COVID was probably the greatest challenge we’ve ever faced. Having to completely shut down a business we had spent years building was scary, and there were so many unknowns about what reopening would look like. Once we were able to reopen, I poured myself into helping rebuild the business, and the years that followed required an incredible amount of work, adaptability, and persistence as we fought to restore the business back to profitability.
Looking back, those challenges shaped so much of the leader I am today. They taught me how to adapt, how to keep moving forward when there isn’t a clear roadmap, and, most importantly, how valuable it is to have people around you who genuinely support one another through both the successes and the difficult seasons.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Oak Haven Massage is a locally owned and operated therapeutic massage company that has been serving the San Antonio & Austin communities for more than two decades. While we offer a wide range of massage services, what we really specialize in is creating an experience that combines exceptional therapeutic care with genuine hospitality. We want every client who walks through our doors to feel cared for, listened to, and confident that their massage is being tailored to what their body actually needs.
What I believe truly sets Oak Haven apart, though, is our people and the culture we’ve built around them. We have always believed that if we take exceptional care of our employees, they will take exceptional care of our clients. We invest heavily in education, training, leadership development, and creating opportunities for people to build long-term careers here. Some of our team members have been with Oak Haven for 15 or even 20 years, which is something I’m incredibly proud of, especially in an industry that can traditionally experience a lot of turnover.
That culture ultimately translates into the experience our clients receive. We have incredibly talented massage therapists who take their craft seriously, a team that genuinely cares about the people we serve, and a leadership group that is constantly looking for ways to improve. We don’t want to simply provide a great massage; we want to build relationships with our clients and become a trusted part of how they take care of themselves.
Brand-wise, I’m probably most proud that our growth has never required us to lose the heart of who we are. We’ve grown to multiple locations and a team of almost 300 employees, while still maintaining the feeling of a family-owned business. Being recognized repeatedly as a Top Workplace (via San Antonio and Austin Business Journals) is incredibly meaningful to me because it reflects something we work very hard to protect: a workplace where people feel valued.
At the end of the day, Oak Haven is a people-first company. Whether that person is a client walking through our doors or an employee building a career with us, we want them to feel genuinely cared for. I think that has been the foundation of our success and what continues to set us apart.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
There are so many people who deserve credit for both my personal growth and Oak Haven’s success. First and foremost is our founder, Dr. Steven Shuel and his wife, Kathleen. They saw potential in me very early on and invested years into developing me as a leader. Dr. Shuel didn’t just teach us about massage therapy and the importance of exceptional education, he taught us about mindset, leadership, personal growth, and how to genuinely care for people. So much of his philosophy became ingrained in our culture, and over the years, those lessons have been passed from one generation of Oak Haven leaders to the next. I feel incredibly fortunate to have learned directly from him.
His daughters, Allison and Rebecca, have also played an enormous role in my life and career. Allison, who is now President of Oak Haven, and Rebecca, who oversees our Austin region, have truly treated me like family. Together, we’ve worked to grow the company while protecting their father’s legacy and the values Oak Haven was built on. The amount of trust they have placed in me over the years means more than I can put into words. They’ve supported me professionally and personally, given me the freedom to lead, and worked alongside me through some of our greatest successes and most difficult seasons.
And then there are the countless people throughout Oak Haven who lead without necessarily having a leadership title. Our instructors, managers, massage therapists, front desk teams, support staff, and the people who consistently go above and beyond are the reason Oak Haven is what it is today. We have team members who have dedicated significant portions of their lives and careers to this company, and I never take that for granted.
Anything I’ve accomplished here has been built alongside an incredible group of people. I may have a leadership title, but Oak Haven’s success has never belonged to one person. It has always been the result of people believing in one another, investing in one another, and carrying forward a shared commitment to something bigger than ourselves.
Pricing:
- Starting at $90 for a 50 minute massage if a member
- Non-member pricing starting at $115 for a 50 minute session
Contact Info:
- Website: https://oakhavenmassage.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oakhavenmassage/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OakHavenMassage/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/OakHavenMassage/videos
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/oak-haven-massage-san-antonio
