The Connection

Baher Elgibali, 31, of Kingstowne, is no stranger to stress, having worked in real estate and construction for almost 10 years.

A former real estate specialist at Debbie Dogrul Associates - a Fairfax real estate company - Elgibali learned about the extreme sides of stress and found that massage was a way to relieve it.

A star basketball player during high school at Robinson Secondary School, he played sports and tried other methods to combat stress but his efforts were not enough. Massage was the one way he found to be effective and thought that maybe he was not the only who felt this way.

After conducting research and taking management classes online, he found that there was a dearth of affordable, high-end massage studios in Northern Virginia, specifically in Fairfax.

Elgibali is set to open a Revive Massage studio this winter. The site is under construction at 4290 Chain Bridge Road in Fairfax, and he is in the process of interviewing for staff.

He said that he wanted to bring in “quality therapists” and provide a client-first focus with affordable prices.

Elgibali’s entrepreneurial spirit started early. A child of a Korean mother and an Egyptian father, he grew up in Burke and once went around his neighborhood three times selling chocolates for fundraising. “I’d get rejected but that didn’t stop me. Finally neighbors would ask, ‘If I buy chocolate would you go away?’ I’d tell them to buy two,” he said.

Robb Wittman, a former colleague, said that Elgibali “always had his hand into something. “He was always moving...always looking for a business opportunity,” said Wittman.

While attending college at James Madison University, Elgibali owned a University Painters franchise that operated in Fairfax, which he ran and managed, driving down from Harrisonburg every weekend. The money he made painting supplemented his college expenses. “I paid off my student loans in two years,” he said.

He moved on to real estate in 2007, during the housing crisis. After four months of no income and while still a trainee, he convinced a client looking to rent to buy a house instead, something he was not expected to do. Wittman said that Elgibali became the best buyer specialist at Debbie Dogrul Associates.

After his tenure at Debbie Dogrul’s, he gathered a group of investors for a business venture flipping property. They renovated and sold over 40 properties in Fairfax and in Washington, D.C.

“He’s always looking for a different approach...that didn’t have to be within four walls of an office,” said Logan Manning, Elgibali’s childhood and best friend.

His entrepreneurship was solidified at around 18 years old when his mother, Myeonghee Elgibali, was let go from Exxon Mobil after 20 years of employment and a few years from being eligible for pension.

“I don’t ever want to work for somebody if I don’t have some say in my future,” he said. “I think my mom is proud that I was confident enough to believe I could succeed regardless of the risks I am taking.”