From Barbershop to Zero-Gravity Massage: The Entrepreneurial Journey of Michael Norado”.

In 2019, Michael Norado and his wife opened a barbershop in north Lakeland. The business was booming, leading them to open a smoke shop in the same plaza. However, when the pandemic hit, they were forced to shut down their shops. Instead of giving up, they rethought their strategy and conducted a survey of the area to identify what they could bring to the community.

In 2021, Norado opened Relax Room, a zero-gravity massage chair lounge that is one of the first of its kind in the nation. The chair offers a unique massage experience that people can’t achieve on their own. Relax Room is designed to help people unwind with music and lighting. After their massage, customers can walk a short distance to the nearby ice cream shop, which opened two months ago. By providing different experiences in one area, Norado hopes to eliminate the need for people to travel around town to enjoy various activities.

Looking ahead, Norado and his wife are leasing an empty unit at the end of the plaza with plans to open their fifth business—a restaurant. Without any investors or advisers, they have relied on YouTube tutorials and Pinterest for guidance. Their hard work and dedication have brought them success in opening multiple businesses in the same area.