By Anita Abdeshahian, Founder

Starting Small

When I first opened my business, I had a tiny little space and very limited funds. Like many entrepreneurs, I started with ambition, adrenaline, and probably a little bit of delusion — the kind you honestly need in order to take a leap and open a business in the first place.

Back then, I wasn’t thinking about “multiple locations” or creating immersive luxury experiences. I was just trying to survive.

But somewhere along the way, we built a blueprint for something really special. Once that concept started working, we expanded into Arlington. Shortly after that, we opened our West End location on 21st and L Street.

At the time, it felt huge. And for a while, it was.

Then Covid happened.

 

The Covid Years Changed Everything

I don’t think people fully understand what it was like to own a business during Covid unless they lived through it themselves.

While much of the world slowed down, I was working nonstop — probably 15 hours a day, if not more.

Everyone else was home figuring out how to survive emotionally. I was figuring out how to survive professionally.

How do we protect employees? How do we keep the business alive? How do we adapt? How do we reinvent ourselves fast enough to stay ahead of disaster?

I worked harder during Covid than I have at any point in my life.

And somehow, through all of it, I never laid off a single employee. In fact, we hired people during Covid — which still feels unbelievable looking back on it.

One of the things I’m most proud of is that we became the second private practice in Washington, DC to offer Covid antibody testing. That decision genuinely helped save the business and protected jobs for people who depended on us.

It wasn’t glamorous. It was survival mode. But survival mode teaches you a lot about yourself.

(Javan West End Treatment Room)

Why We Left West End

I never want people to think of our West End location as a failure, because it wasn’t.

That location carried us through some of the hardest years imaginable.

But Covid permanently changed the dynamics of that neighborhood, and eventually I realized something important: if we were going to evolve, we needed a space that reflected who we had become.

Not just operationally. Emotionally.

That’s what Dupont became.

An upgrade. A reinvention. A dream realized.

 

Why Dupont Circle Means So Much to Me

When I first moved to Washington, DC as a graduate student in 2008, Dupont Circle was my favorite part of the city.

I loved the energy, the charm, the culture, the people, and the beauty of it.

I used to walk around Dupont thinking, “This is the kind of place where dreams happen.”

So to now own a business in the exact neighborhood I admired all those years ago honestly feels full circle.

Sometimes I still stop and think about that younger version of myself walking through Dupont as a student, having absolutely no idea what the future would look like.

If only he knew.

The Joke Behind the Entire Design Concept

During and after Covid, I kept trying to take vacations.

And every single time… something happened.

I’m not exaggerating when I say I probably booked trips to 10 or 12 different places over a few years.

Flights booked. Hotels reserved. Plans made.

And then canceled.

Every. Single. Time.

Because the business needed me.

That’s the plight of entrepreneurship nobody really talks about. You dream of freedom while simultaneously building something that consumes all your time.

So eventually, I turned the frustration into inspiration.

The running joke behind Javan Dupont is this: If I couldn’t go on vacation… I would bring the vacations to me.

And that became the entire design concept behind the space.

The Escapes Inside Javan Dupont

The Forest Escape feels like stepping into an enchanted woodland hidden somewhere far away from DC traffic and emails.

The Desert Escape is actually my favorite room. There’s something about desert energy that feels incredibly grounding and peaceful. The room has warm cactus-inspired tones, soft earthy textures, and a stillness that feels restorative.

The Sea Escape feels like drifting somewhere between a sailboat and a hidden beach town. There’s a softness to it. A calmness.

The Healing Escape — jokingly our “most expensive room” — is filled with healing crystals and restorative energy throughout the entire space.

The Safari Escape is playful, adventurous, and honestly just fun. And after canceling my safari trip multiple times because of work, I finally made it to Kenya — and it was absolutely breathtaking.

Even the lobby itself gives major Tulum energy with warm textures, earthy luxury, and calming vibes.

I wanted the entire experience at Javan Dupont to feel transporting from the second someone walked through the door.

More Than a Med Spa

At its core, Javan Dupont isn’t just about aesthetics or wellness treatments.

It’s about reminding people to pause. To breathe. To reconnect with beauty, nature, peace, and themselves.

DC can be intense. Life can be intense. Entrepreneurship definitely can be intense.

I wanted to create a space where people could briefly disconnect from the hustle and reconnect with something softer, calmer, and more human.

And honestly, I think we nailed it.

 

The Bigger Lesson

If there’s one thing this journey taught me, it’s this:

Don’t wait forever to enjoy your life.

Work hard. Build things. Chase your dreams.

But don’t forget the world is beautiful too.

Take the vacation. Watch the sunset. Go to the beach. Walk through the forest. See the safari. Touch the ocean.

Because sometimes the things that heal us most are the things that cost nothing at all.  

And if you ever need a little reminder of that… you can always escape with us in Dupont Circle.