Today we’d like to introduce you to Jaime Gonzales & Kurt Stradtman.
Hi Jaime Gonzales & Kurt Stradtman, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Kurt:
I’ve been in the functional health space for over a decade now. I’m a board-certified integrative health practitioner and licensed esthetician, and I’ve always dreamed of creating a space that combined multiple modalities of self-care, something that went beyond surface-level beauty or temporary relaxation. I wanted a place where we could truly support people by looking at what’s going on inside the body from a root-cause perspective.
I just didn’t know what that looked like, at least not until Jaime.
Before this, I worked in hospitality, spa management, and marketing, and I also teach other practitioners, doctors, pharmacists, and health coaches how to interpret functional lab testing. All of those roles gave me the tools, but Jaime brought the vision to life in a way I couldn’t have done alone.
“Building a business that blends purpose with passion doesn’t happen overnight, but when your mission is clear and your values are aligned, the right people and pieces fall into place.”
What’s funny is, for the 12 years I’ve known Jaime, I used to joke that one day he’d end up in holistic health. I never thought he actually would, but over a decade later, here we are, co-creating a space that’s helping others feel better, live better, and take their wellness deeper.
Jaime:
My background was in commercial property management for over a decade, but I always had a desire to work in wellness. The stress of the corporate world started catching up to me, and I was eventually diagnosed with an autoimmune condition. That wake-up call pushed me to prioritize self-healing.
Along that journey, I realized how uninviting most spas felt to someone like me, someone who doesn’t love being the center of attention and doesn’t connect with ultra-feminine environments. A lot of spas were bright, floral, perfumy, and didn’t create a space where I could fully relax. I remember coming home one day and telling Kurt, “I’m done. I’m leaving the corporate world.” I enrolled in massage therapy school the next day. I didn’t know it at the time, but that moment was the start of something life-changing.
The concept for Eros Bodyworks was born out of that experience. I envisioned a space that felt safe, masculine, and truly restorative. I had the vision for the name, the vibe, and the environment, and Kurt brought it to life through branding and strategy. Together, we created something that’s not just a spa, but a wellness destination rooted in purpose.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Jaime:
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. When we first started building the idea of Eros Bodyworks, I was only a couple of months into massage school. We bought the domain name early and started pre-marketing months before I even graduated. At the time, we honestly thought the hardest part would be picking out a paint color. Looking back, that was the easiest thing we did.
The process of designing and building the spa had its challenges, but the real struggle came after we opened. We hit the ground running and didn’t slow down. Thanks to the work we did before our grand opening, we had clients lining up early, and our name was spreading fast throughout the Orlando area. That kind of momentum is great, but it also brought attention we weren’t expecting.
We started noticing other businesses, both new and established, copying our branding—our colors, fonts, and even elements of our identity. I’ve always heard people say, “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery,” but when it starts to feel like people are chipping away at what you’ve worked hard to build, it hits differently.
We didn’t let it get us down. If anything, it fired us up. It inspired us to raise the bar even higher and get serious about protecting what we’d created. We pursued trademark protection and began developing proprietary treatments and modalities that are still under wraps but will be fully protected when they debut.
We’ve learned a lot through it all. For me, one of the biggest lessons is that it’s not just about creating a business you’re proud of. It’s about standing up for it and making sure no one else can take that away from you.
As you know, we’re big fans of Eros Bodyworks – A Wellness Spa. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Eros Bodyworks is a full-service wellness spa for men in Winter Park & Orlando. We specialize in therapeutic massage, advanced skincare, and integrative health, rooted in the belief that self-care should be deeper, more personal, and actually effective, not just a temporary escape.
While we were created with a masculine edge, our space is welcoming to everyone. It’s calm, elevated, and intentionally different from the overly clinical or overly floral feel you might expect.
What we’re most proud of is hearing clients say, “This is exactly the kind of place I was looking for.” That tells us we’re doing something right; offering the kind of experience people didn’t even know they needed until they found us.
At Eros, we’re not following a template. We’re creating something real, and you can feel that from the moment you walk through the door.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
We’ve had a lot of support along the way, and we’re incredibly grateful for it. From the beginning, our families have been our biggest cheerleaders. They believed in our vision even when it was just a sketch on a napkin, and they’ve celebrated every milestone with us.
We’ve also had incredible clients who have been with us from the start. Some of them came in during our first month of opening and are still with us today. Their trust, loyalty, and word-of-mouth support helped Eros grow faster than we ever imagined.
And of course, our team. We’ve been lucky to build a team who genuinely care about the work we do and the experience we create. Their dedication is a big part of what makes Eros what it is.
No business is built alone, and ours is no exception. Every bit of encouragement, every referral, every shared Instagram post, it’s all mattered.
Pricing:
- Massage Therapy $89+
- Advanced Esthetics $89+
- Integrative Health $199+
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.erosbodyworks.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erosbodyworks/
