The NOW Massage Co-Founder Gara Post on Business Breakups, Scaling to 77-Locations, and Emotional Leaders' Edge

The Failure Factor

Gara Post—serial entrepreneur, franchise mogul, and self-proclaimed “hyper-emotional” leader—joins Megan Bruneau to unpack the realities of building The Now Massage and Bowie Barker. From her early days as a jewelry designer to franchising during a pandemic, Gara reveals how she balances perfectionism with scalability, why she leans into therapy, and the painful lessons she learned from business partnerships gone wrong.

Key Takeaways and Topics:

• Gara's journey in the corporate world before transitioning to entrepreneurship.
• Her jewelry design venture while working as an executive assistant.
• How the support from her husband was crucial in her entrepreneurial journey.
• The Now, born out of a need for affordable luxury wellness experiences.
• How Gara's family life influenced her business decisions and priorities.
• The Now has grown to 77 locations and continues to expand.
• Authenticity and passion are key to successful business ventures.
• Franchising can be risky but offers opportunities for growth.
• Challenges often present opportunities for innovation.
• Quality control is essential in maintaining brand integrity.
• Emotional intelligence is crucial for effective leadership.
• How therapy has played a significant role in her personal and professional growth.
• Flexibility within a framework is key to managing a franchise.
• Empathy and compassion enhance leadership effectiveness.
• Understanding trauma can improve interpersonal relationships in business.
• Partnership dynamics can significantly impact business success.
• Hard conversations are essential in business.
• Compartmentalization is crucial for personal and professional balance.
• Integrity and authenticity are vital in navigating challenges.
• Surround yourself with supportive and honest people.
• Recognizing triggers can help manage emotional responses.
• It's important to take risks and move forward.
• Learning from past mistakes is key to growth.
• Finding passion and purpose drives success.

The Failure Factor Podcast was brought to you by Off The Field Coaching. Explore working with one of our coaches at http://offthefieldcoaching.com

Hosted by Megan Bruneau: therapist, executive coach, speaker, Forbes contributor and host of The Failure Factor. For more info visit https://meganbruneau.com

Follow Gara and her ventures:

Ig: https://www.instagram.com/garadanielle The Now: https://www.instagram.com/thenowmassage Bowie Barker: https://www.instagram.com/bowiebarkerbath

Follow Megan Ig: https://www.instagram.com/meganjbruneau/ In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/megan-j-bruneau-m-a-rcc

Subscribe to the podcast newsletter at https://thefailurefactorpodcast.com

Themes: entrepreneurship, wellness, business growth, investment, self-care, personal journey, franchising, business expansion, COVID challenges, emotional intelligence, leadership, therapy, quality control, wellness industry, partnership dynamics, business challenges, co-founding, communication, integrity, entrepreneurship,