Open for business: Tua Bella Med Spa

By JENNIFER HUFFMAN
Register Business Writer

Earlier this month, Ann Cardamon cracked open a fortune cookie.

“Focus on the color purple this week to bring you luck,” read the scrap of paper.

“Of all the fortunes you could get,” said Cardamon.

The sage advice came just two days before Cardamon’s grand opening of her new business, Tua Bella Med Spa.

Her new logo color? Purple.

Serendipity is sweet, but Cardamon’s counting on more than luck as she opens her new business, Tua Bella Med Spa.

The business is located above Panache Salon, in a 1906 era home tucked behind a Chinese Restaurant on Trancas Street. 

Tua Bella is a Med Spa — a combination medical clinic and day spa.

The facility provides a range of medical spa services, including Botox injections, laser hair removal, Juvederm/Restalyane dermal fillers, photofacials, make-up and physician-grade skin care products.  

Cardamon’s been a registered nurse for 22 years, having worked at hospitals all over the North Bay, including Kaiser and Queen of the Valley Medical Center.  

Working at Kaiser in Santa Rosa, she helped launch their cosmetic services department, where she became trained to do photo facials and laser hair removal. After leaving Kaiser in Santa Rosa, she became educated in other cosmetic procedures. As she gained experience, “being my own boss was always in the back of my mind,” she said.

But Cardamon faced a number of hurdles. Start up costs ranged from $50,000 to $75,000, including costly medical malpractice insurance. As required, she partnered with a medical director, Carolyn Matzinger, M.D. of Napa. Cardamon’s also licensed and registered with the appropriate state and local agencies. 

Finding an office space took time as well. Settling in above Panache, she’s redecorated and outfitted her upstairs suite into her new med spa.

“It’s shockingly surprising how things have fallen into place,” she said.

While she still works part-time for Kaiser in Richmond, “I like the idea of working for myself, and staying in nursing, but different than what I’ve been doing for 20 years,” she said.

“I’ve worked for these big hospitals, it’s nice to be my own boss,” she said.

Nursing, while rewarding, involves caring for patients that are suffering or dying, she said. “This makes people feel happy and good about themselves.”

“It’s still nursing but a complete 180 from what I’ve been doing.”

Naming the med spa was easy, said Cardamon. The business woman is half Italian. “Tua Bella” means “You’re beautiful,” she said. Spoken with Italian flair, it sounds even better.

“Every day is another step toward success,” said Cardamon. “There’s no turning back.”

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