Felicia Brown

Felicia has served as an expert witness since 2015 on cases primarily involving allegations of sexual misconduct, assault and/or abuse by massage therapists. She has provided deposition review and testimony; consultation and opinions on standard business/hiring practices and standards of care; and conducted research related to the cases.

Felicia’s opinions are based on nearly 25 years of experience as a practitioner, owner, client, consultant and educator in the spa and massage industries. She will do her best to serve you and your clients well by being curious and thorough in her analysis as well as direct and thoughtful with statements related to each situation and case.

Services

Felicia Brown's expert witness services may include any or all of the following as needed: consultation with attorney, case file and document review (can include printed, digital, audio, video or other visual items, industry research, site visits, etc.) preparation of expert report or affidavit, deposition, and/or court testimony.

Areas of Expertise

Additional Expertise:

Professional Ethics, Therapeutic Massage.

Profile

Felicia Brown has a multi-faceted career in the massage and spa industries.

Expert Witness: Felicia has served as an expert witness since 2015 on cases primarily involving allegations of sexual abuse by massage therapists. She has provided deposition review and testimony; consultation on standard business practices and standards of care; and conducted research related to the cases. In some cases, her research has resulted in the production of an Expert Report or Affidavit; in others it has led to a Deposition.

Spa Owner/President: From start-up and turn-around to inventory control, operations, marketing, management, HR and more, Felicia is familiar with the complex inner workings of a spa or massage practice. Her first business, Balance Day Spa, grew from a private practice into a company with fifty employees and annual sales of over $1.6 million. She sold the business in 2005. Her current spa employs almost thirty employees including more than fifteen massage therapists. She has also maintained a regular massage therapy clientele since 1994.

Author, Consultant & Speaker: Felicia has designed and taught numerous courses in the massage and spa fields for private clients as well as state, national and international conferences for more than 20 years. She has developed a number of classes related to professionalism, client communications, ethics, and sexual situations in the massage and spa workplace. Felicia is the author of several books, co-author or contributing offer to several others, and has written countless articles for industry publications. She also works as a consultant with select clients who need help with staff training, management or business development issues.

Spa & Massage Client: For more than 25 years, Felicia has gotten massage therapy and spa services with her own staff and at spas around the US and abroad. These hundreds of differing experiences have been instrumental in creating Felicia’s well-rounded perspective of the subtleties required for providing comfortable, effective client communication and care.

Consulting Practice

All States

Professional Experience

Massage & Spa Businesses
A to Zen Massage (formerly known as Spalutions Massage), Owner/Practitioner - 2006 – present
Spalutions (spa consulting, marketing coaching, continuing education), Owner/Consultant/Educator - 2005 – present
Stonehaven Massage & Spa, Managing Consultant - 2013 – 2014
Inspire Skin & Body, Owner - 2008 – 2009
Balance Day Spa, Owner/Practitioner - 1996 – 2005
Private Practice, Independent Contractor - 1994 – 1996

Massage & Spa Industry Expertise
Cengage Learning, Subject Matter Expert, Curriculum Developer, Content Reviewer - 1999 – present
One Concept Radio (organize American & Canadian Massage Conferences), Host & Producer - 2011 – 2014
FA Davis, Curriculum Developer - 2012 – 2013
Health Positive, Content Reviewer & Developer - 1998 - 2008
Lippincott, Content Reviewer - 2004 - 2004

Massage Training
Guilford Technical Community College, Massage Program Instructor,-1998 – 2001; 2004 – 2005
Natural Touch School of Massage (Greensboro, NC), Massage Program Instructor - 1998 – 2001; 2009 – 2010

Other Industries
Brown Investment Properties (Commercial Real Estate), Broker - 2005 – 2006

Licenses

NC Licensed Massage & Bodywork Therapist - #798 - 2000 to present
NC Licensed Commercial Real Estate Broker #238273 (currently on inactive status) - 2005 – present

Affiliations

Associated Bodywork & Massage Practitioners - member - 2017 – present
Florida State Massage Therapy Association – Business Member - 2016 – present
National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork, Approved Provider #45-0357-07 - 2005 – present
Florida Board of Massage Therapy, Approved Provider #50-11659 - 2012 – present
Georgia Board of Massage Therapy, Approved Provider #50-11659 - 2015 - present
American Massage Therapy Association, Member - 1994 - present
Day Spa Association, Member - 2001 - present
DAYSPA Magazine, Editorial Advisory Board Member - 2008 – present
Living Arts School of Massage, Advisory Board Member - 2016 - present
Day Spa Association Advisory Board, Past Member - 2008 - 2010
Massage Therapy Journal Advisory Board, Past Member - 1999 - 2009
Greensboro Jaycees (leadership development organization), Past Member, Project Lead & Chair - 1994 - 2000

Qualifications

Sexual Abuse: Felicia has been teaching professional ethics since 1997, initially as a part of the curriculum for the Guilford Technical Community College – Professional Massage Therapy Program and Natural Touch School of Massage. Several years later, she became an Approved Provider for the National Certification Board for Massage & Bodywork and has developed a number of professional ethics classes. Though ethics is often thought of a dry and boring topic, Felicia has a talent for teaching difficult subjects with a clear, no-nonsense way while still making the classes memorable, fun and enjoyable for students.

Business Practices: Since 1996, Felicia has owned and/or managed several spas. During this time, she has also consulted with hundreds of students and clients about serious workplace issues including harassment/sexual harassment and embezzlement. Additionally, she has a strong background in the proper hiring and training of spa employees and/or independent contractors; customer relationships and care; proper treatment protocols; and various spa and massage product liability issues.

Awards & Honors

Awards & Recognition

Best Massage Therapist of the Triad – Runner Up – Go Triad Magazine - 2015
Best Massage Therapist of the Triad – Go Triad Magazine - 2014
Volunteer of the Year – American Massage Conference - 2011
Spa Person of the Year – Day Spa Association - 2009
Top Entrepreneurs of 2009 – Business Leader Media - 2009
Top Twenty Five Movers and Shakers – Business Leader Media - 2008
National Volunteer Award – American Massage Therapy Association - 2007
Small Business Person of the Year Award – Greensboro Chamber of Commerce - 2005
Women in Business Award – The Business Journal - 2004
Forty Leaders Under Forty – The Business Journal - 2003
Ten Key Jaycee - 1998

Seminars & Training

Milady – Train the Trainer - 2010
Mitch Meyerson/Guerilla Marketing Coach Certification Program - 2007
Preston Consulting, Preston Spa Consultant Certification Program - 2006
Real Estate Licensing Course - 2005
CAI (harassment/sexual harassment training intensive) - 2004
Leadership Greensboro (leadership training for executives) - 2003 – 2004
Servant Leadership School (leadership training) - 2000 - 2003

Publications

Relevant Books & Monographs
Customer Service Manifesto: Customer Service in the Beauty & Wellness Business – Cengage Learning; August 2010
Free & Easy Ways to Promote Your Massage, Spa & Wellness Business: Volume 1; June 2013
Creating Lifetime Clients: How to WOW Your Customers for Life; May 2016
Every Touch Marketing: Free & Easy Ways to Promote Yourself or Your Small Business; September 2016

Books – Contributing Author/Co-Author
One Year to a Successful Massage Practice by Laura Allen
Theory and Practice of Therapeutic Massage by Mark Beck (Milady)
A Massage Therapist’s Guide to Business by Laura Allen (Lippincott)
Better Business Agreements for Massage Therapists by Don Dillon
Massage Therapist Practice: Start…Sustain…Succeed by Don Dillon
How to Make $100K as a Massage Therapist: More of the Magic Touch by Meagan Holub (Olive Press)
Success from the Start: Business Principles for Massage Therapists – Instructor Guide by Debra Koerner (FA Davis)

Relevant Magazine Columns
Massage & Bodywork Magazine – Business Side Columnist - 1998 - 2000
FutureLMT.com
“Create and Maintain a Professional Image” - June 2014
Massage Magazine
“Informed Consent” (Professional Ethics) - Sept. 2018
“Expert Advice Column – Effective Sales Techniques” - Sept. 2010
Les Nouvelle Esthetique & Spa
“Creating a Spa Experience in Any Treatment Room” July 2014
Dermascope
“Details, Details, Details” Oct. 2008
“AP Forum: Your Questions – Expert’s Answers January 2011
“Info-graphic – Massage” Nov. 2016
Skin Inc
“Travel Spotlight: Poland” Oct. 2008
Skin Deep – Associated Skin Care Providers Association Magazine
“The Bad Client” July/Aug 2012
“Choosing a Product Line” Sept/Oct 2012
“Using SOAP/Client Notes to Increase Revenue” Nov/Dec 2012
“Online Reviews” May/June 2015
“Summertime Profits” July/Aug 2015
“The Forever Client” Sep/Oct 2016

Professional References

“I retained Felicia Brown to assist as an expert in a case involving an accusation of wrongful sexual contact in a spa. Felicia has a wealth of knowledge and experience to draw from in this field. She is familiar with the industry from the perspective of opening and managing spas and is knowledgeable in personnel issues, ethics and day to day operations.

Felicia took her role seriously. She prepares meticulously and is both detailed and organized. Further, she testified in deposition with confidence and great recall from the case record. I would be happy to speak with anyone considering using Felicia Brown as an expert in a spa related litigated manner.”

Lloyd Hoffspiegel
Hoffspiegel Law
http://www.hoff-law.com

Other References

Adam D. Horowitz, Esq.
Horowitz Law
http://adamhorowitzlaw.com/

Emily Malarkey, Esq.
Bekman, Marder, Atkins
https://www.scbmalaw.com/

Education

Carolina School of Massage Therapy (massage certification & training) - 1993 - 1994
Guilford Technical Community College (various) - 1989 - 1997