Greenwich Medical Spa Celebrates 20 Years As Founder Reflects On Journey To Success

GREENWICH, CT — Spurred by her experience growing up in Afghanistan and the confidence boost she received after her first cosmetic procedure in the United States, Marria Pooya opened Greenwich Medical Spa in July 2005 to help uplift and empower others.

Now, the business—which has expanded to seven locations in the tri-state area—is celebrating its 20th anniversary, a milestone moment for Pooya, who has achieved her American Dream.

Her journey to becoming an entrepreneur and successful business owner began in Afghanistan, where she was born.

Pooya recalls seeing women wearing burqas and covering their faces while growing up in Afghanistan.

"Boys had more power than even a grown woman. You didn't have a lot of rights in Afghanistan," Pooya told Patch.

Women were also financially dependent on men, and they often married at an early age, a tradition Pooya was determined to break.

Her family permanently moved to the New York City area when she was around 16 years old.

Wanting to continue her education, Pooya became one of the first females in her community to attend college.

"Life can take a lot away from you, but not your knowledge, and that's really empowering," she said.

Pooya was also struggling with self-confidence issues, and in her 20s, she had her first cosmetic procedure. It shifted her life.

"I felt like I was walking a little taller, I was more confident in conversation, and I just realized the power of these treatments. I just felt like a new person," Pooya said. "That moment showed me that these treatments really can make an impact on how somebody feels about themselves. So when I learned about the beauty industry, this is why I wanted to open a medical spa so I could have a place where people could come in and get more confident."

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With a background on Wall Street, Pooya sought to open a franchise medical spa in Old Greenwich, but the franchise floundered soon after.

Armed with knowledge and determination, Pooya decided to open her own business, and Greenwich Medical Spa was born. The flagship location is at 1285 E. Putnam Ave. in Riverside.

What started with four employees has now grown to 60 professionals across seven locations in Closter, N.J., Glastonbury, Greenwich, Ridgefield, Scarsdale, N.Y., West Hartford, and Westport.

Greenwich Medical Spa offers non-surgical aesthetic treatments for skin, face, hair, and body, including Botox, dermal fillers, and laser treatments. It also provides full wellness and weight loss services, as well as hormone replacement therapy.

Allergan, the maker of Botox, ranks Greenwich Medical Spa in the top 50 out of 25,000 practices nationwide.

"It speaks not only to the volume that we do, but the consistency over the years of giving exceptional patient care, outcomes and safety," said Pooya, who is a member of the Aesthetic Safety Council, an organization committed to advancing safety and integrity in the medical aesthetics industry.

The business has also received accolades from Greenwich Lifestyle Magazine, Connecticut Magazine and NewBeauty Magazine. It was named in Inc. 5000’s Fastest-Growing Private Companies in America in 2020 and recognized as the No. 1 CoolSculpting provider in Connecticut and Westchester County.

Additionally, Pooya, who is a Westport resident, was recognized recently as one of the 25 Distinguished Women in Aesthetics at the Women’s Aesthetic Leadership Conference

But the business has faced some adversity along the way to success.

The week before Christmas—during Pooya’s busiest season—a car crashed into the Verizon store next to Greenwich Medical Spa and ignited in flames, damaging the building. The crash occurred in the thick of the COVID-19 pandemic, an already difficult time for businesses big and small.

Pooya originally thought she'd be closed for several weeks, but the damage ended up being so extensive it took about two and a half years to recover.

After operating in Cos Cob at a smaller space, Pooya reopened her flagship location in Riverside and expanded it from 2,500 square feet to 6,000 square feet.

"What I learned from that is we're definitely a resilient team and resourceful. We've been hit with so many different obstacles throughout these 20 years," Pooya said.

She credited her staff members—some of whom have been employed for over 12 years—with keeping the business going for two decades.

The communities that Greenwich Medical Spa serves also keep Pooya going.

The business identifies and partners with local organizations, associations, and nonprofit groups that support women and minorities. Pooya called the involvement "a core pillar" of Greenwich Medical Spa.

Having a personal connection with patients and seeing them leave treatments feeling better about themselves is also important for Pooya.

"I think that's what really drives me, it's making that impact and changing lives," Pooya said. "A lot of people can say what we do is really vain, but we really are making an impact on how people feel, just like how I felt when I had my procedure done."

Pooya hopes to further expand into the Northeast with around 10 locations over the next five years.

"I think we have the recipe now to really expand," she said.

Pooya says "it feels like yesterday" when she opened her first location in Greenwich.

"If you asked me 20 years ago if I ever thought we'd be where we are today, I would say absolutely not," she said. "This is not what I expected."