Owners seize the day with new space, new collaboration offering spa services

John F. Russell/Steamboat Pilot & Today
After 18 years of running an in-home child care business, longtime Steamboat Springs entrepreneur Kristen Shoemaker has decided to seize an opportunity by teaming up with Mikal Beckman to offer a new space for health and beauty.
“I am my own business coming in and we are collaborating,” Beckman said of the venture. “I think that’s the biggest thing about this arrangement is that we offer very different things. We are very different, yet we complement each other very well.”
Shoemaker opened Carpe Diem Beauty and Health in early July, and Beckman followed a couple of weeks later when PachaMor started offering its services.
Shoemaker said the businesses are in an intimate space with two treatment rooms. Together, she feels the two businesses have much to offer the community.
“We hope our clients feel more connected with us and know that they are receiving a higher level of personalized care during each treatment,” Shoemaker said. “We feel it is important to get the word out there, target a different demographic and simply just let the local and surrounding residents know they now have other options.”
To do that, the two businesswomen will host a grand opening celebration from 10 a.m.-noon Aug. 26. Shoemaker said the new owners have put together amazing gift bags for those who come to the open house, offering heavily discounted facial and massage services, Jamie jewelry coupon codes and product samples.
Prior to venturing out on her own, Shoemaker worked in area spas. She also owned and operated Kristen’s Comfort Care, an in-home child care business that provided care and educational experiences for preschoolers from 2005-23.
“I knew I wanted to make a significant career change when both of my boys went back to school, so I decided to go back to school myself and pursue my passion in skin care,” Shoemaker said.

Shoemaker earned licenses in both esthetics as well as cosmetology, but said her plan is to focus primarily on skin care.
“I’ve always had a passion for skin care just growing up. You know, dealing with my own skin care issues and troubles kind of led me to that,” Shoemaker said. “Skin is the largest organ of your body, and I think that it’s really important to take care of it from an early age.”
Shoemaker’s husband renovated the space, which used to house offices for Christy Sports, starting in May, and Carpe Diem opened in early July.
“It was always my intention to open my own spa eventually,” Shoemaker said. “I was not actively looking for space, but when a friend approached me with this place … I immediately fell in love and knew this was something special.”

She currently offers customized facial services, comprehensive facial services and add-ons not only for the face but other areas of the body, including full body waxing and beauty services like eyelash and eyebrow enhancements.
Beckman has been providing massage therapy services for 12 years and will offer integrated therapies including healing, cupping and womb cycle awareness and connection.
“I do somatic mind body therapy, Swedish, deep tissue and specialize in prenatal and postpartum care,” Beckman said. “I can do hot stone massage, and I’m trained in quite a range, but as far as massage therapy — because there are a lot of modalities — my specialties are neuromuscular therapy, sports therapy and integrative my body therapy.”
She also offers body wraps and body scrubs with her own handcrafted products. Those products are also offered for sale in the new space.
“One feature for me is that I do make all my own products,” Beckman said. “Everything is handcrafted, everything is organic, and I wild forage for some of the products or ingredients I use in them, and then I also source from herbalists and then mix them all together and make my own products.”
Beckham attended a personal training school in Michigan in 2010 before moving to Crested Butte in 2012 to pursue massage therapy at the MountainHeart School of Bodywork.
In addition to a wide array of services that Backham and Shoemaker bring to the businesses, they have also partnered with several local vendors whose products make up most of the retail items sold at the spa, including Jaime’s Jewelry, Yampa Glow candles, lost range CBD products and Origin Apparel.
The new space does not accept walk-ins, but appointments can be made at CarpeDiemBeautyAndWellness.com for Shoemaker and at PachaMorThrive.com for Beckham.
“We would love for the community to come out to the grand opening so they can meet us, learn more about what we offer and to see our space in person,” Shoemaker said.
John F. Russell is the business reporter at the Steamboat Pilot & Today. To reach him, call 970-871-4209, email jrussell@SteamboatPilot.com or follow him on Twitter @Framp1966.

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