When nurse practitioner Britney Exum began imagining a different future after nearly two decades in emergency and urgent care medicine, she wasn’t simply looking for a career change. Exum and business partner Kristie Parrish wanted to create a space where people could feel confident, cared for and empowered.
With support from the University of Georgia Small Business Development Center (UGA SBDC), that vision became Southern Savvy Med Spa, a fast-growing wellness and aesthetics business serving clients in southwest Georgia.
Today, Southern Savvy Med Spa operates locations in Moultrie and Sylvester, employs 13 (including its owners) and offers a full range of medical aesthetics and wellness services from facials and injectables to weight loss and IV treatments. But when Exum first envisioned the business, she needed guidance to turn her idea into a viable plan.
“I’ve always loved just the spa atmosphere, trying to make women feel beautiful,” Exum said. “I know that I didn’t always have a lot of self-confidence. So, I thought what could I do to help myself and help other women who may feel just like me? What better way than like a spa?”
After she became a nurse practitioner, Exum began exploring how to get her business idea off the ground. Along the way she connected with Parrish, a newly licensed massage therapist who had left a two-decade career in banking. The two quickly realized they shared a passion for helping others and a vision for building something unique in their community.
The partners secured retail space in Moultrie’s historic Belk Hudson building and prepared to open what would become the first medical spa in Colquitt County. As they navigated the complexities of starting a business, they were referred by the Moultrie-Colquitt County Economic Development Authority to Susan Paz, a business consultant with the UGA SBDC in Albany.
Paz began working with Exum and Parrish in August 2021, several months before the spa opened. Initially, the entrepreneurs sought help understanding how to structure and finance their startup, but the relationship quickly expanded into a comprehensive business partnership.
“Susan sat us down and said this is what we need to do. We need to get a business plan. We need to figure out what it’s going to take to pay these people, to be able to hire more people, to be able to provide services,” Exum said. “From beginning to end, Susan helped us map out everything we needed for the business.”
Paz guided the owners through critical startup requirements and provided coaching on financial management, human resources, employee handbooks, job descriptions and performance review processes.
“Susan helped a lot with our paperwork process,” Parrish said. “She gave us a checklist to follow—you need an attorney, you need to get business license, your operating agreement, you need to get registered with the state—steps that were essential to starting our business.”
Beyond startup guidance, Paz connected Exum and Parrish with specialized resources to support the design of each spa location and connected them with tax professionals to identify potential incentives and rebates.
Paz also coordinated assistance from other UGA SBDC experts across Georgia who provided advice on product placement, logistics, operational efficiencies and business expansion strategies.
Parrish and Exum opened Southern Savvy’s doors in March 2022 with just a handful of services and dream. Demand quickly exceeded expectations.
“By February or March of ‘23, business just exploded,” Parrish said. “Everyone heard about us and we have been non-stop ever since.”
Strong client demand and repeat business have fueled rapid growth for Southern Savvy, and its revenue has continued to double year over year. The spa expanded its staff from two employees to 13 and opened a location in Sylvester in December 2024 to accommodate clients traveling from Albany, Thomasville, Valdosta and surrounding communities.
The spa has earned significant community recognition, receiving “Best of Moultrie” awards for Best Spa, Best Esthetician, and Best Place to Get a Massage. In 2025, the Moultrie Chamber of Commerce recognized Southern Savvy as a Colquitt County Rock Star business.
For Parrish and Exum, the value of working with the UGA SBDC extended well beyond learning how to build a business.
“Working with Susan and the UGA SBDC and realizing that all these resources and opportunities out there for small businesses have been really eye-opening,” said Parrish. “My advice is to take advantage of resources like the UGA SBDC.”
Looking ahead, the partners have no plans to slow down. They recently purchased property and are exploring plans for a new 7,500-square-foot facility that would combine expanded spa services with a wellness clinic.
“I don’t think we would have been as successful as we are without Susan and the UGA SBDC. If we had not had her to help us—to guide us through the next step or to just be there to bounce an idea off of—we probably would not be where we’re at today.”
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