How endota scaled “feeling better” into Australia’s largest wellness network

Imagine walking into a spa stressed, shoulders tense, mind racing with the weight of your day. Then, after a single treatment, something shifts. Your shoulders drop. Your breathing deepens. The mental chatter quiets. You leave feeling not just relaxed, but genuinely restored, as if you’ve pressed a reset button on your entire being. In this episode of Growth Diaries, host Sudheer Koneru is joined by Melanie Gleeson, the founding CEO of endota, to unpack how a single spa launched in 2000 grew into Australia’s largest wellness network, delivering roughly 850,000 treatments a year while staying anchored to a clear intention: helping people feel better. If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Podcasts. Instructions on how to do so are here: https://www.fame.so/follow-rate-review. Chapters: [00:00] Introduction [01:38] What endota Stands For [02:30] Brand Values in Practice [03:48] Why the Experience Begins the Moment Someone Walks In [07:29] The First Spa [08:44] Pre-Instagram Growth [09:51] How Shared Investment Became the Growth Engine [11:42] Picking the Right Franchisees [12:43] Consistency at Scale [13:38] International Expansion [15:19] Therapist Wellbeing [17:08] Product Expansion [19:58] Gift Cards as a Growth Lever [24:31] Marketing Evolution [26:53] Choosing the Right Investors [31:09] Melanie’s Advice for Founders [31:36] What’s Next in Wellness