Story & Lesson Highlights with Konstanza Kovalev-Brigden of Midtown Phoenix

We’re looking forward to introducing you to Konstanza Kovalev-Brigden. Check out our conversation below.

Konstanza, we’re thrilled to have you with us today. Before we jump into your intro and the heart of the interview, let’s start with a bit of an ice breaker: What is a normal day like for you right now?
A normal day right now is all about flexibility. I’m learning what our new normal looks like as both a first time mom and a business owner. My mornings usually start with sneaking in emails or checking in with my team while breastfeeding. When my baby takes his naps, I try to make space for self-care: a skincare ritual in the shower, or just a few quiet minutes to breathe + make a coffee before jumping back into CEO responsibilities.

Running a business alongside motherhood takes a lot of patience and even more intentional boundaries. In between feeds and snuggles, I’m reviewing plans for our new space, managing staff schedules, and checking in with clients. I’ve learned quickly that every parent needs time for themselves, and I try to honor that daily so I can show up fully for both my business and my baby. The hardest part is juggling the endless list of tasks that pop up in a single day, but the most rewarding part is knowing I’m meant to be doing this. My son will never be this little again, and every moment with him feels like a gift, especially as I build something bigger for his future and for the community.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Konstanza (Koko) — CEO, Creative Director, and now Mama. We founded HOUSE OF TOUCH as more than a spa; it’s a collective of beauty and wellness professionals who believe self-care is a lifestyle. Over the years, we have created a community where people feel held, nurtured, and seen.

Pregnancy and postpartum have deepened that vision for me. This season of life has shown me firsthand how essential community really is. The same values I’m living as a mother are what I pour into HOUSE OF TOUCH; making space for others to slow down, connect, and feel supported.

What makes us unique is that H.O.T. isn’t just about our facials or treatments, it’s about building a village: one that blends beauty, wellness, and genuine connection. And now, after years of dreaming, construction, renovation, and many relocations, we’ve finally opened the doors to our HQ— AZ HOUSE OF TOUCH in Midtown Phoenix. This new space is more than a studio. It’s our home base, the heart of our community, and the physical embodiment of everything we’ve worked so hard to create. That’s the story I want people to carry with them when they think about our brand: not just services, but a sanctuary built with love, resilience, and belonging.

Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
As a child, I believed I had to do it all myself: that success meant constantly proving myself. I carried that belief into my early years of entrepreneurship, chasing an ideal version of what I thought things “should” look like. It often felt like I was battling against an invisible standard, and even when I achieved milestones, I rarely paused to celebrate because I was already looking toward the next thing.

Motherhood and postpartum shifted that belief in a huge way. I’ve had to release perfectionism and idealism, and instead learn to appreciate the beauty in real, unfiltered moments… the kind that can’t be scheduled or polished. There’s a rawness to those early days of motherhood that strips you down to what really matters, and it’s in that space I’ve found more authenticity than I ever did in chasing ideals.

Business is often seen as masculine, but for me it has always been about creation — and creation is the essence of the feminine. It’s about intuition, flow, and making space for something new to be born, whether that’s a child, a brand, or a community. It showed me that strength can be delicate, and that growth often comes through softness as much as through strategy.

Now I see that success isn’t about carrying everything by yourself. It’s about letting others in, leaning on your community, and giving yourself grace in the process of healing and growing. To me it’s no longer about doing it all: it’s about doing what matters, and doing it with presence. That shift has not only made me a better mother, but also a more grounded leader and entrepreneur.

Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Right before finding out I was pregnant, we were hit with a huge shift and had to pivot and find a new location for HOUSE OF TOUCH. It was one of those moments where everything you’ve built feels like it’s hanging in the balance, and I had to make the decision to either step back or rise up. In my first trimester, I found myself navigating finances, planning for a whole new future for H.O.T., and taking on a massive renovation project…all while growing a baby.

I’ll never forget painting the floors of our studio at 16 weeks pregnant— feeling both exhausted and determined. What pulled me through was the bigger vision: the reminder that the version of me five years from now would thank myself for pushing forward, even when it felt impossible in the moment.

My son also gave me a deeper sense of purpose. Suddenly, the work wasn’t just about me or the business. It was about creating something that would outlive this hard season, a safe space rooted in care, healing and community. I knew I was building not just a studio, but a legacy of love and support for both him and our self care family. That thought kept me grounded when everything else felt uncertain.

Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What’s a belief you used to hold tightly but now think was naive or wrong?
I used to believe balance meant perfection.That if everything looked neat and orderly from the outside, then I was doing it right. Now I know balance doesn’t always look perfect; sometimes it is messy and chaotic. But it’s about how it feels, not how it appears, and whether or not you feel grounded in the middle of it all.

I also thought growth came from working harder (non-stop) and doing everything myself. Pregnancy and postpartum unraveled that belief and reshaped it entirely. I’ve come to see that real growth is born from working smarter. From resting and regenerating, leaning on support, and building systems that allow both me and my business to breathe. That shift has given me more sustainability, joy, and depth than perfectionism or hustle ever could.

Now I know balance can be messy but meaningful, and growth comes from support systems as much as from effort.

Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I don’t necessarily want to be remembered for one single story: I want people to remember the feeling of being with me & of being in the spaces I created. My deepest hope is that people feel at home, whether that was in my business, in my family, or simply in my presence. Everything I’ve built, from HOUSE OF TOUCH, to my own little family– has been rooted in love and care. I’ve always wanted people to feel safe, nurtured, and embraced, like they had a place to belong.

At the same time, I hope people also remember the determination it took to bring that vision to life, especially as I stepped into motherhood. There were moments when exhaustion and uncertainty could have easily won, but I chose to keep going… for my baby, for my team, and for the community I care so deeply about. That perseverance, hand-in-hand with love, is what carried me through.

The legacy I want to leave is one of warmth, connection, and unconditional love, but also of resilience. If people remember that I made them feel seen, supported, and at home, then I’ve done what I was meant to do, both as a mama and as an entrepreneur.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.houseoftouchspa.com
• Instagram: @konstanza.houseoftouch | @azhouseoftouch
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@HOUSEOFTOUCHSPA

Image Credits
@foreverinfilms