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Meet our Staff

Nail Technicians

Erica Sain

WI Licensed Nail Technician, WI Certified Massage Therapist (CMT), Nationally Certified in Therapeutic, Massage and Bodywork (NCTMB)

My path to Kneaded Relief is not one intended to be on, but it is one that I am glad I followed.

Allow me to share with you a little about myself. I am an only child and a capital city girl. I was born in Springfield, IL, and then lived in Minneapolis for a short stint. For the past twenty-some years of my life I have resided in the town I’ve grown to love and consider my home- Madison.

I am also the proud single mother of a beautiful baby girl, Jade Willow. She is my world and much of my motivation in life today. I enjoy camping, laughing with friends and live music.

I received my massage therapist training at Lakeside and gained my manicurist license at Martin’s School of Cosmetology. I always knew the career I chose would entail bringing joy to other’s lives and putting smiles on their faces. These careers are a perfect fit for those aspirations. And now I am a part of the Kneaded Relief family who has welcomed me with open arms. I couldn’t dream of better people to work with.

I look forward to seeing your face and providing you with relaxing services in this beautiful facility.

Lisa Sowieja

Nail Department Manager, WI Licensed Esthetician, WI Licensed Nail Technician

Hi, I’m Lisa Sowieja and I am a Manicurist and Esthetician for Kneaded Relief Day Spa. My interest in skin care was first born while working as a Surgical Technician for a Madison Dermatologist. In the years that I worked in Dermatology, I learned so much about skin and how to care for it. Being a woman in my forties, I especially wanted to know about how to hold back the hands of time. This, of course, starts with a good skin care regimen in our younger years, but it is never too late to begin to properly care for our skin.

The knowledge I acquired in Dermatology sparked my interest, so I attended Martin’s College of Cosmetology in Madison and received my Esthetics degree. While working at another spa in Madison, I went back to school to get my Manicurist degree from Madison Nail Tech Academy. I wanted to be able to give my clients more of a full service experience and found that I loved doing nails as much as skin care.

I came to Kneaded Relief Day Spa, because I loved the calming atmosphere and wanted to work in such a wonderful environment. A spa experience, no matter what the service is, should be de-stressing and making the outside world disappear. My promise to my clients is to provide them with a total relaxing spa experience and teach them to care for their skin and nails.

Lauren Whitford

WI Licensed Nail Technician

My name is Lauren Whitford. I am a Nail Technician here at Kneaded Relief Day Spa. I received my Manicurist license from the State of Wisconsin in December 2007. I live in downtown Madison with my boyfriend, Stephen, and our three cats. I am pursuing B.A. degrees in Women’s Studies and Social Welfare from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Originally, I am from a very small town of only 400 people in southwest Wisconsin called Cobb. I moved to Madison in 2001 to attend the University of Wisconsin-Madison. My parents also relocated to Madison, so I lived with them near Olbrich Gardens for my freshman year of college. The next year, I decided to leave the University to pursue a job as a freelance stylist’s assistant for catalog photo shoots. It was a fun job that included meeting many new people and traveling to fun locations. During the same time, I met my great boyfriend, Stephen, and we just recently celebrated 6 years together.

In the next few years, my passion for freelancing and traveling for work fizzled and I realized I wanted to pursue another career. I had been working in food service in one way or another my whole working life and my dad owned a bar when I was a little kid! I got an incredibly fun, fast-paced job at Ian’s Pizza on State Street and began the process of going to school to be a Nail Technician. I finished my schooling, but liked my job so much; I didn’t want to quit in order to get a nail job. Well, after about 2 years, the tides turned and my position was eliminated. While this was not was I was planning, it opened the door for me to begin my career as a nail technician. It also gave me the free time to take an amazing two week vacation in Costa Rica with my boyfriend and large group of my friends. I have now been doing nails professionally for about 2 years, and look forward to working in spas for a long time.

Now, I have returned to the University, mostly because I realized that I have to keep learning and changing in order to be happy! I have two years left before I finish my degrees and during that time I will continue to be at Kneaded Relief Day Spa full time in the summer and part time during the hectic school year. Beyond that, who knows!