Les Nouvelles Spa Magazine Issue #77 2021

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Resetting Wellness

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Lifestyle Relaxation & Health Therapies

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A Professional take on SPA Business, Health Therapies, Products & Simple Relaxation 2020*ISSUE*77

C O N T E N T S *77

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LNE Paris

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Les Nouvelles Esthetiques Spa Conference 2021 2 Six Wellness Trends for 2021 from GWS 4 Optimism for the future of the wellness industry prevails at GWS 6 Global Wellness Institute Finds Mental Wellness Is a $121 Billion Market 8 From Well-being to Better Being – 12 Building Sustainability into Salons and Spas – 14 How to Successfully Launch your Pregnancy Spa Treatments – 16 The Five Rules for Affecting Real Culture Change – 18 Improving the Guest Experience Starts Now – 20 Expert Advice: 12 Steps Toward to Spa Recovery – 22 Handling 'Colourful' Conversations with Guests – 24 Flexibility of Your Hotel Spa Brand – 26 It's Time to Develop a Powerful Personal Brand – 28 Profitable Spa Operations in the Next Normal - 30 Wellness and Happiness – 32 Why Managing Your Work-Life Is Harder But More Important During Covid – 34 Are You Ready to Be Coached? – 36 Working with Influencers – 38 Act like an owner, Think like a customer – 40 4 Types of Unfortunate Customer Service Trends – 42 The Importance of an appealing Spa and an even more appealing Spa Menu – 44 The Business of Cosmeceuticals – 46 Choosing to be Grateful creates Happiness - 48

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Life has got all those twist and turns. You’ve got to hold on tight and off you go - Nicole Kidman 2020 has been a challenging year, to say the least! It is in times like these we are reminded of the importance of support: friends, family, staff, Industry Associations and Industry Global Leaders, together with vital global initiatives, that prioritize wellbeing for all.

The worldwide pandemic, loss of income, and job security have caused many changes and loss in our lives and businesses. Yet, in loss, we discover there is much to learn and be improved.

Les Nouvelles Esthetiques & Spa Magazine, has gone Digital, so allowing you to download your favourite magazine, monthly.

So allowing our South African and International reader to enjoy, FREE OF Charge. Visit; www.lesnouvelles.co.za or www.lesnouvellesblog.co.za. Additionally our Facebook pages are very interactive, so be sure to Like & Share to be kept up to date, with all the latest industry happening locally and internationally, together with daily inspirations.

Dates to Diarise: Les Nouvelles Esthetiques Spa Conference and Spa Awards 2021 are taking place on the 25th & 26th July 2021, at the new Houghton Hotel. An event not to be missed.

Enjoy the read

Dr. Nadine de Freitas

Les Nouvelles Esthetiques International Publisher I 7, avenue Stephane Mallarme 75017 PARIS Tel: 01 43 80 06 47 Fax: 01 43 80 83 63 www.nouvelles-esthetiques.com I Fondateur : H. Pierantoni I Directeur de la Publications: Jeannine Cannac-Pierantoni I Redactrice en chef: Michéle de Lattre-Pierantoni I International Editions • Argentina • Baltic • Benelux • Brazil • Bulgaria • Canada • China • France • Greece • Hong Kong • Hungary • Israel • Italy • Japan • Mexico • Poland • Portugal • Romania • Singapore • South Africa • Spain • Taiwan • Turkey • Ukraine • USA • Yugoslavia Les Nouvelles Esthétiques South African Edition I Max Cafe P. O. Box 81204, Parkhurst Johannesburg, South Africa 2120 I Tel: +27 11 447 9959 Fax: +27 11 447 2010 e-mail: info@lesnouvelles.co.za www.lesnouvelles.co.za I Publisher/Creative Director: Anthony de Freitas e-mail: tony@maxcafe.co.za I Managing Editor: Dr. Nadine de Freitas e-mail: nadine@maxcafe .co.za I Editor ial Assistant: Sarene Kloren editor ial @lesnouvelles.co.za I Adver tising Enquir ies: Dr Nadine de Freitas e-mail: info@lesnouvelles.co.za I Subscription Enquiries: Tel: +27 11 447 9959 e-mail: info@lesnouvelles.co.za or visit: www.lesnouvelles.co.za

Workshop

Product

Network

Awards

Doc: Alice Alinari

Conference

Innovate, Invigorate & Elevate your Spa Peruse the top 10 business skills forecasted for the future and you’ll find the common thread of Creativity.

Emotional intelligence, originality, critical thinking, innovation, and complex problem solving are essential to invigorate and elevate your Spa. Creativity is Intelligence having Fun Albert Einstein

25th & 26th July 2021

No BBook ook kN Now For more information contact:

083 267 2773

The Houghton Hotel Lloys Ellis Ave, Houghton Estate, Johannesburg Doc: Brian-Patrick

info@lesnouvelles.co.za On-line Registration: w w w. l e s n o u v e l l e s . c o . z a

spa therapies From a new convergence between healthcare and wellness to a much bigger focus on nature, immunity and “home wellness” to wellness expanding its boundaries to once-taboo issues like sex, money and death.

A panel at the recent Global Wellness Summit brought together top journalists and future-forecasters (all experts in wellness) to discuss how the pandemic is shaking up the “wellness concept”-and what they predict will be the big wellness trends for 2021. It was a wide-ranging, provocative discussion (organized by Beth McGroarty, GWS, VP, research) with some of the hot topics summarized here.

The panel: Sandra Ballentine, Editor, W magazine Cecelia Girr, Senior Strategist at Backslash, the cultural intelligence unit powered by TBWA\ Worldwide Elaine Glusac, Travel Columnist, The New York Times Claire McCormack, Content + Thought Leadership, Indie Beauty Media Group/Beauty Independent Sarah Miller, Luxury Brand Ambassador, Wall Street Journal Jessica Smith, freelance wellness and beauty trends consultant; LS:N Global

6 Wellness Trends for 2021 1. A new convergence between healthcare and wellness The panel discussed how COVID-19 has shined a pitiless spotlight on the importance of preventative lifestyle approaches, and how our future survival will depend on a new alignment between wellness and healthcare. As Ballentine noted, the pandemic has provided painful, incontrovertible evidence that “we need to shift our healthcare system away from profiting from sickness and gear it towards preventing it” - forecasting that we will see a combination of functional and conventional medicine across community and economic lines, with telemedicine (and tele-wellness) playing a much bigger role.

Six Wellness Trends for 2021 from GWS

Girr predicted that while healthcare has been quite sterile, and “wellness has become the cool kid on the block,” that the future is an unprecedented convergence, where innovative, new models that bring health and wellness together symbiotically “becoming the global cultural north star.” She argued that new integrations will give healthcare the pleasurable, aspirational qualities of wellness while wellness will increasingly get the science-backed credibility of the medical industry-and the players and brands that execute on this (and it's already happening) will “win big.”

Les Nouvelles Esthetiques no’77

3. A great “un-tabooing”: wellness gets real about sex, money and death The panel discussed how we're moving from a wellness industry narrowly focused on “looking and feeling good” to, as Girr put it, “a massive and seismic cultural taboo toppling,” with wellness radically expanding its boundaries to riskier “cultural pain-points…and the really big stuff,” such as sex, money and death-issues that “have a much larger impact on our health than the day to day vanities of wellness.” So we will see everything from the rise of new, healthier end-of-life practices such as death doulas to getting real about money with new financial therapy/wellness approaches.

McCormack agreed, and discussed the many ways that women's sexual wellness and reproductive health will burst out of the closet in 2021: with so many women feeling left behind by the medical system and “suffering in silence.” She noted that sexual wellness brands have seen a massive spike in sales (300-400%) during lockdown. And beyond sexual pleasure, she predicted that femtech investment and alternative ways of solving for women's health needs would surge in 2021 whether pelvic floor trainers, supplements, pre-menopause through post-menopause solutions, or women saying goodbye to the pill and seeking alternative forms of birth control. The panel agreed: a new, taboosmashing wellness will take center stage and, as Girr put it, will be “one of the biggest opportunities globally.”

4. Nature, nature, nature The experts all agreed that in an era of lockdown and social distancing (and with new awareness that the destruction of the environment spurred COVID19) that there is a profound new value being placed on nature and wilderness as healing.

Glusac explained how this is the dominant trend in wellness travel: “Sadly, in travel, we've temporarily lost connection to other people (one of travel's wonders), and that people connection is being replaced with nature connection, which provides unique healing and solace in a pandemic.” She noted that slow, human-powered travel (cycling, hiking, walking, paddling trips) is growing fast, not only because they're wellness experiences, but because they're also naturally socially-distanced activities. She also argued that there is a pronounced uptick in interest in sustainable travel-and in the newer concept that takes it all further, regenerative travel, which is not just reducing your carbon footprint, but actually leaving the place better than you found it.

2. Strengthening the immune system Ballentine predicted that strengthening the immune system (and building physical fortitude) will be a major 2021 wellness trend across the board, from food, to supplements, to educational classes. “We will see more customized immunity hacks, using genetic testing and biohacking…to pinpoint what immune therapies best suit your system and situation.”

When people feel comfortable with bodywork again, she argued there will be more immunityenhancing treatments and energy healing-and that

4

there will be a much bigger focus on gut health and our microbiome as it pertains to immunity and brain function.

Miller explained that more people have now permanently woken up to the fact that the way that “we as a human species interact with other species (and encroach on their natural habitat) has caused our own sickness.” And with this unprecedented awareness of how sustainability links to human wellness, she predicts everything from an even more powerful surge in vegan and plant-based eating to so many more carbon recycling, tree-planting and coral-reef-saving initiatives.

5. Home wellness The group concurred that a trend dramatically amplified by COVID-19 is bringing all kinds of wellness into our homes, from the simplest moves to the highest-tech. McCormack noted: “We're spending so much more time in our homes, so companies are looking to help us optimize that space…specifically as a wellness refuge” - noting that she's getting so many “home wellness” pitches, such as those from cool, new air purifier and humidifier start-ups. Miller noted that the “home wellness” focus can be very simple, such as finding ways to nurture ourselves in very tiny apartments, with air quality key: saying goodbye to the sealed, air-conditioned home and with opening windows, eating outside, and feeling the bracing air being “ ve r y b a s i c p l e a s u re s a n d b e h a v i o rs transforming…what is wellness.”

Smith argued that wellness architecture will both surge and evolve, with important work being done on how the built environment and our communities impact our long-term health, citing the pioneering research of Centric Lab, a neuroscience lab that examines the full biological response we have to a particular environment. They are finding that communities experiencing high levels of environmental and psychosocial stress suffer biological inequality, and it's this kind of research that could provide a roadmap for housing developers to reimagine homes, workplaces and streets. Smith also predicted that we'll see an extraordinary burst of tech innovation around hygienic, pathogen-fighting homes, to create “pandemic-proof properties” that use technology such as the Carlo Ratti wardrobe purifier which removes micro-organisms, bacteria, and viruses from clothes.

6. Beauty: from anti-microbial products to athome beauty Smith argued that while natural/clean beauty has been the uber-trend these last few years, now products that can reduce fears around hygiene will grow, with innovative new antimicrobial and antibacterial beauty formulations (and safe, touchfree application processes and packaging) that not only make beauty safe but whose ingredients also improve skin cells and tackle blemishes.

Ballentine argued that the at-home, self-care beauty trend will reach new heights in 2021, with people mad for all sorts of beauty technologies and treatments that they can execute at home.

And she noted that the trend, of course, extends to all kinds of at-home wellness. “These experiences can't replace a human being or touch, but I think all kinds of wellness and beauty coaching delivered into the home will become increasingly important.

Spa professionals, nutritionists and personal trainers all have a real opportunity to enhance the at-home experience for customers, with virtual classes and digital content to maintain engagement.”

About the Global Wellness Summit: The Global Wellness Summit is an invitation-only international gathering that brings together leaders and visionaries to positively shape the future of the $4.5 trillion global wellness economy. Held in a different location each year, Summits have taken place in the US, Switzerland, Turkey, Bali, India, Morocco, Mexico, Austria, Italy and Singapore. Global Wellness Summit 2021 to be announced

spa therapies From a new convergence between healthcare and wellness to a much bigger focus on nature, immunity and “home wellness” to wellness expanding its boundaries to once-taboo issues like sex, money and death.

A panel at the recent Global Wellness Summit brought together top journalists and future-forecasters (all experts in wellness) to discuss how the pandemic is shaking up the “wellness concept”-and what they predict will be the big wellness trends for 2021. It was a wide-ranging, provocative discussion (organized by Beth McGroarty, GWS, VP, research) with some of the hot topics summarized here.

The panel: Sandra Ballentine, Editor, W magazine Cecelia Girr, Senior Strategist at Backslash, the cultural intelligence unit powered by TBWA\ Worldwide Elaine Glusac, Travel Columnist, The New York Times Claire McCormack, Content + Thought Leadership, Indie Beauty Media Group/Beauty Independent Sarah Miller, Luxury Brand Ambassador, Wall Street Journal Jessica Smith, freelance wellness and beauty trends consultant; LS:N Global

6 Wellness Trends for 2021 1. A new convergence between healthcare and wellness The panel discussed how COVID-19 has shined a pitiless spotlight on the importance of preventative lifestyle approaches, and how our future survival will depend on a new alignment between wellness and healthcare. As Ballentine noted, the pandemic has provided painful, incontrovertible evidence that “we need to shift our healthcare system away from profiting from sickness and gear it towards preventing it” - forecasting that we will see a combination of functional and conventional medicine across community and economic lines, with telemedicine (and tele-wellness) playing a much bigger role.

Six Wellness Trends for 2021 from GWS

Girr predicted that while healthcare has been quite sterile, and “wellness has become the cool kid on the block,” that the future is an unprecedented convergence, where innovative, new models that bring health and wellness together symbiotically “becoming the global cultural north star.” She argued that new integrations will give healthcare the pleasurable, aspirational qualities of wellness while wellness will increasingly get the science-backed credibility of the medical industry-and the players and brands that execute on this (and it's already happening) will “win big.”

Les Nouvelles Esthetiques no’77

3. A great “un-tabooing”: wellness gets real about sex, money and death The panel discussed how we're moving from a wellness industry narrowly focused on “looking and feeling good” to, as Girr put it, “a massive and seismic cultural taboo toppling,” with wellness radically expanding its boundaries to riskier “cultural pain-points…and the really big stuff,” such as sex, money and death-issues that “have a much larger impact on our health than the day to day vanities of wellness.” So we will see everything from the rise of new, healthier end-of-life practices such as death doulas to getting real about money with new financial therapy/wellness approaches.

McCormack agreed, and discussed the many ways that women's sexual wellness and reproductive health will burst out of the closet in 2021: with so many women feeling left behind by the medical system and “suffering in silence.” She noted that sexual wellness brands have seen a massive spike in sales (300-400%) during lockdown. And beyond sexual pleasure, she predicted that femtech investment and alternative ways of solving for women's health needs would surge in 2021 whether pelvic floor trainers, supplements, pre-menopause through post-menopause solutions, or women saying goodbye to the pill and seeking alternative forms of birth control. The panel agreed: a new, taboosmashing wellness will take center stage and, as Girr put it, will be “one of the biggest opportunities globally.”

4. Nature, nature, nature The experts all agreed that in an era of lockdown and social distancing (and with new awareness that the destruction of the environment spurred COVID19) that there is a profound new value being placed on nature and wilderness as healing.

Glusac explained how this is the dominant trend in wellness travel: “Sadly, in travel, we've temporarily lost connection to other people (one of travel's wonders), and that people connection is being replaced with nature connection, which provides unique healing and solace in a pandemic.” She noted that slow, human-powered travel (cycling, hiking, walking, paddling trips) is growing fast, not only because they're wellness experiences, but because they're also naturally socially-distanced activities. She also argued that there is a pronounced uptick in interest in sustainable travel-and in the newer concept that takes it all further, regenerative travel, which is not just reducing your carbon footprint, but actually leaving the place better than you found it.

2. Strengthening the immune system Ballentine predicted that strengthening the immune system (and building physical fortitude) will be a major 2021 wellness trend across the board, from food, to supplements, to educational classes. “We will see more customized immunity hacks, using genetic testing and biohacking…to pinpoint what immune therapies best suit your system and situation.”

When people feel comfortable with bodywork again, she argued there will be more immunityenhancing treatments and energy healing-and that

4

there will be a much bigger focus on gut health and our microbiome as it pertains to immunity and brain function.

Miller explained that more people have now permanently woken up to the fact that the way that “we as a human species interact with other species (and encroach on their natural habitat) has caused our own sickness.” And with this unprecedented awareness of how sustainability links to human wellness, she predicts everything from an even more powerful surge in vegan and plant-based eating to so many more carbon recycling, tree-planting and coral-reef-saving initiatives.

5. Home wellness The group concurred that a trend dramatically amplified by COVID-19 is bringing all kinds of wellness into our homes, from the simplest moves to the highest-tech. McCormack noted: “We're spending so much more time in our homes, so companies are looking to help us optimize that space…specifically as a wellness refuge” - noting that she's getting so many “home wellness” pitches, such as those from cool, new air purifier and humidifier start-ups. Miller noted that the “home wellness” focus can be very simple, such as finding ways to nurture ourselves in very tiny apartments, with air quality key: saying goodbye to the sealed, air-conditioned home and with opening windows, eating outside, and feeling the bracing air being “ ve r y b a s i c p l e a s u re s a n d b e h a v i o rs transforming…what is wellness.”

Smith argued that wellness architecture will both surge and evolve, with important work being done on how the built environment and our communities impact our long-term health, citing the pioneering research of Centric Lab, a neuroscience lab that examines the full biological response we have to a particular environment. They are finding that communities experiencing high levels of environmental and psychosocial stress suffer biological inequality, and it's this kind of research that could provide a roadmap for housing developers to reimagine homes, workplaces and streets. Smith also predicted that we'll see an extraordinary burst of tech innovation around hygienic, pathogen-fighting homes, to create “pandemic-proof properties” that use technology such as the Carlo Ratti wardrobe purifier which removes micro-organisms, bacteria, and viruses from clothes.

6. Beauty: from anti-microbial products to athome beauty Smith argued that while natural/clean beauty has been the uber-trend these last few years, now products that can reduce fears around hygiene will grow, with innovative new antimicrobial and antibacterial beauty formulations (and safe, touchfree application processes and packaging) that not only make beauty safe but whose ingredients also improve skin cells and tackle blemishes.

Ballentine argued that the at-home, self-care beauty trend will reach new heights in 2021, with people mad for all sorts of beauty technologies and treatments that they can execute at home.

And she noted that the trend, of course, extends to all kinds of at-home wellness. “These experiences can't replace a human being or touch, but I think all kinds of wellness and beauty coaching delivered into the home will become increasingly important.

Spa professionals, nutritionists and personal trainers all have a real opportunity to enhance the at-home experience for customers, with virtual classes and digital content to maintain engagement.”

About the Global Wellness Summit: The Global Wellness Summit is an invitation-only international gathering that brings together leaders and visionaries to positively shape the future of the $4.5 trillion global wellness economy. Held in a different location each year, Summits have taken place in the US, Switzerland, Turkey, Bali, India, Morocco, Mexico, Austria, Italy and Singapore. Global Wellness Summit 2021 to be announced

Optimism for the future of the wellness industry prevails at GWS The idea that the global wellness and spa industry is going to come out of the coronavirus pandemic stronger than ever before was a key take-home message from this year's Global Wellness Summit.

Article supplied by Spa Business: https://www.spabusiness.com Speaking at the summit on 9-11 November - both at the physical venue in The Breakers, Florida and virtually - sector stakeholders across the world shared their view on what the event's theme of 'Resetting the World With Wellness' meant to them. The overall message was one of hope and optimism.

“For me the currency of wellness is connection,” said Marc Cohen, founder of the Extreme Wellness Institute, Australia. “Rather than waging war on life with chlorine, disinfectants and antibiotics; and enforcing disconnection with quarantine, social distancing, masks and tracking, we can find peace with microbes and each other to foster human flourishing and connection.

“I really believe wellness can be just as contagious as illness. The wellness industry needs to be the dominant industry on Earth to regenerate clean water, food and air to create a global wellness pandemic and that's what resetting the world of wellness means to me.”

Franz Linser, CEO of consultancy Linser Hospitality, in Austria, said: “A fasting cure has been forced on us by nature. Not fasting from food, alcohol or technology but social fasting. It's tough and unprecedented. But as we know from any fasting cure, physical or spiritual, life tastes a lot sweeter afterwards. Life [and wellness] will be more purposeful and essential in a post-pandemic era.”

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COVID-19 has been a great catalyst said Mia Kyricos, a leading wellness consultant based in the US. “If I had to summarise what I think resetting the world with wellness is for people, the planet and community it would be one word… and that's 'love'.”

Kyricos has taken the corporate arena by storm recently with her vision of Love as a Business Strategy.

“This is a turning point for our industry,” said Cathy Chon, owner of Singapore-based branding and marketing firm CatchOn. “Over the last two decades, we've developed brands and companies with a design imperative. Going forward we won't be able to create or grow anything unless there's a wellness imperative.”

For Yoriko Soma of Conceptasia, a spa consultancy and investment company in Japan, resetting the world with wellness is about collaboration. She praises Japan's collective-effort to control coronavirus saying the country has “surprisingly low death rates and the economy is back to normal”.

UK-based Irene Forte, wellness director of Rocco Forte Hotels, said: “COVID-19 has shocked all of us, especially as a millennial - I think we thought we were all a little invincible… The pandemic has reshaped how we think and has shown us how important being well and being resilient is.”

“So many people and businesses are focused on technology and I think wellness presents an amazing opportunity to shift that focus,” says Gina Diez Barroso de Franklin, president of Mexico design and construction firm Diarq. “Instead, technology will become a tool to escalate wellness focused businesses, which is amazing, because we're all looking for that touch of humanity.”

Les Nouvelles Esthetiques no’77

Turkey's Omer Isvan, who's the president of investment consultancy Servotel, said: “The pandemic has reset a lot of behavioural modes. Not just wellness, but human attitudes to life and Earth. COVID-19 has delivered us a mandate to reset human wellness as we happen to be at the core of it.”

Anna Bjurstam, wellness pioneer at Six Senses, said: “Collective consciousness and coming together is truly important. It's about how powerful we can be as a group, together at this summit, and making sure we connect and spread wellness in a completely different way than we have before.”

Speaking from Sweden, leading industry consultant Andrew Gibson concurred.

“The GWS has built up a tremendous collaborative force around the world. COVID-19 has accelerated its purpose. Now is the time to combine and collaborate to create that moving force that Marc [Cohen] talks about.”

Neil Jacobs, CEO of Six Senses, concluded: “What we do as an industry is so relevant and clearly we're much stronger collectively than individually. We have to come together at events like this, talk more, communicate more and brainstorm on a greater level because as a group we are a powerhouse.

I'm really optimistic about the future because the demand is huge. People want to travel. What we can do post-pandemic is just huge.”

The Global Wellness Summit is an invitation-only international gathering that brings together leaders and visionaries to positively shape the future of the $4.5 trillion global wellness economy.

spa therapies

Global Wellness Institute Finds Mental Wellness Is a $121 Billion Market

First research report to define, analyze and size the global mental wellness economy identifies and measures the four sub-markets: 1) senses, spaces and sleep ($49.5 billion), 2) brain-boosting nutraceuticals & botanicals ($34.8 billion), 3) selfimprovement ($33.6 billion), and 4) meditation and mindfulness ($2.9 billion)

wellness fall into four pathways: activity and creativity; growth and nourishment; rest and rejuvenation; and connection and meaning.

The Global Wellness Institute (GWI) today released its major research report for 2020: “Defining the Mental Wellness Economy.” It's the first study to define mental wellness as opposed to mental health and to clarify the key concepts and pathways. It's also the first research to measure mental wellness as a global industry and to identify and benchmark its key sub-segments.

The research is the first to define the mental wellness industry: “Encompassing businesses whose primary aim is to help us along the mental wellness pathways of growth and nourishment and rest and rejuvenation.” Within those pathways, it identifies four sectors coalescing to form an emerging market: 1) senses, spaces and sleep, 2) brain-boosting nutraceuticals & botanicals, 3) self-improvement and 4) meditation and mindfulness.

The in-depth (115-page) report finds that the global mental wellness economy is worth $120.8 billion, based on consumer spend in four markets: senses, spaces and sleep ($49.5 billion), brain-boosting nutraceuticals & botanicals ($34.8 billion), selfimprovement ($33.6 billion), and meditation and mindfulness ($2.9 billion). Mental wellness becomes a new “industry bubble” in the GWI's Global Wellness Economy framework, capturing a crucial set of economic activities not previously included in the organization's wellness economy measurements.

The report carefully explains what's included in the mental wellness industry, what's not, and why. The four segments were chosen because they're the ones most closely identified by consumers and businesses as explicitly associated with mental wellness. It doesn't include solutions that may be very beneficial for mental wellness but whose primary purpose is something else (e.g., fitness, healthy foods, arts and literature, pets), or anything in the medical arena (e.g., psychotherapy or sleep labs).

“Stress, loneliness and burnout were exploding prepandemic, and a stronger focus on mental wellness has been a cultural mega-shift these last few years: People awakening to the importance of integrative solutions including meditation, sleep and brain health, with businesses rushing in to offer all kinds of solutions. But mental wellness as a concept, and what constitutes it as an industry, has remained incredibly fuzzy,” said Ophelia Yeung, GWI senior research fellow. “Clarifying what it is, and delineating its business segments, is overdue. And while most mental wellness strategies are free-like spending time in nature or with friends-people increasingly seek non-clinical help in coping with everyday mental challenges, and that's where the mental wellness industry comes in.”

Katherine Johnston, GWI senior research fellow, added: “There is urgency to this research: Study after study shows how the human suffering and economic dislocations caused by the pandemic have ravaged our mental wellbeing. We're excited to release this study because people are desperate for alternative strategies to cope, and we hope it clarifies how important it is to promote mental wellness-and how businesses, governments and individuals can all play different roles in addressing a growing crisis.”

Defining Mental Wellness vs. Mental Health

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Les Nouvelles Esthetiques no’77

The Mental Wellness Industry: What's Included & Why

The Mental Wellness Economy: Senses, spaces, & sleep - $49.5 billion The largest mental wellness sector, this category spans products, services, and design that target our senses and the mind-body connection, with the growing understanding that environmental stimuli have a major impact on our mood, stress levels and sleep. Sleep is the goliath sub-segment, with an exploding array of sleep- and sleep-environmentoptimizing solutions, including smart bedding and sleep accessories; sleep apps, wearables and trackers; and sleep retreats and nap cafés.

The segment includes sound (sound therapy, white noise, noise cancellation and wellness music); scent (aromatherapy, home fragrances and diffusers); touch (stress toys and gadgets and weighted blankets); and light (human-centric light and light therapy consumer devices). It includes multisensory experiences (from flotation tanks to forest bathing) at wellness travel, spa, fitness and entertainment destinations and sensory-based design and architecture (i.e., biophilic design and circadian lighting).

psilocybin and other functional mushrooms, with the former seeing a rapid acceleration in clinical research for use for almost every mental health and wellness issue. A quickening relaxation of regulation means plant-based psychedelic drugs will increasingly be used for both mental wellness and clinical treatment purposes. For instance, in the US last week, Oregon legalized magic mushrooms and the District of Columbia decriminalized the recreational use of psilocybin and other psychedelics.

Self-Improvement - $33.6 billion This segment spans a wide range of activities typically associated with self-help and personal development, including self-help books, media, video, apps and online platforms; self-help gurus and influencers; personal and life coaches; organizations delivering classes, workshops and retreats; self-help organizations and mutual support groups; cognitive enhancement and brain training products/services; and new, creative organizations, apps and online platforms combatting loneliness and isolation.

Meditation & mindfulness- $2.9 billion While meditation and mindfulness are perhaps the approaches most firmly associated with “mental wellness,” it's the smallest (if an extremely fastgrowing) market, because while millions of people worldwide practice meditation, only a small fraction spend money on it.

The category includes all forms of meditation practice, related mindfulness practices (e.g., breathwork, guided imagery, body scan, relaxation exercises), and products and services that support these practices. Key spending categories include classes, teachers, retreats, books and online platforms-with mobile apps (such as Calm, Headspace, Insight Timer) a huge driver of consumer adoption and spend. There is a growing market for meditation accessories (e.g., cushions, beads, chimes) and mindfulness products (e.g., journals, colouring books), as well as a fast-growing range of connected gadgets, trackers and monitors to support meditation (e.g., headbands, glasses, wearable sensors, lamps) - many of which build upon biofeedback, neurofeedback, and virtual reality technologies.

The analysis of each of these four markets includes historical background and the modern evolution of the space, the key companies and market innovators, and business models and developments to watch.

Brain-boosting nutraceuticals & botanicals$34.8 billion

The GWI defines mental wellness as “an internal resource that helps us think, feel, connect, and function. It is an active process that helps us to build resilience, grow, and flourish.”

Ingestible products with the specific goal of improving mental health and wellbeing, including natural supplements, herbals and botanicals, and functional foods and beverages, are proliferatingclaiming to boost brain health, sleep, memory and energy.

The report provides a comprehensive paradigm for understanding the difference between “mental health” and “mental wellness,” impossible to replicate here. The authors propose a “dual continuum model,” in which mental wellness is a dynamic process of moving from languishing, to resilience, to flourishing. Key strategies for mental

The category also includes plant-based drugs increasingly used for mental wellness, with the legal cannabis and its derivatives market exploding in the last couple years, with cannabis, hemp, and CBD making their way into many supplements, foods, and beverages. The segment also includes

About the Global Wellness Institute: The Global Wellness Institute (GWI), a nonprofit 501(c)(3), is considered the leading global research and educational resource for the global wellness industry and is known for introducing major industry initiatives and regional events that bring together leaders to chart the future. GWI positively impacts global health and wellness by educating public institutions, businesses and individuals on how they can work to prevent disease, reduce stress, and enhance the overall quality of life. Its mission is to empower wellness worldwide.

spa therapies

Global Wellness Institute Finds Mental Wellness Is a $121 Billion Market

First research report to define, analyze and size the global mental wellness economy identifies and measures the four sub-markets: 1) senses, spaces and sleep ($49.5 billion), 2) brain-boosting nutraceuticals & botanicals ($34.8 billion), 3) selfimprovement ($33.6 billion), and 4) meditation and mindfulness ($2.9 billion)

wellness fall into four pathways: activity and creativity; growth and nourishment; rest and rejuvenation; and connection and meaning.

The Global Wellness Institute (GWI) today released its major research report for 2020: “Defining the Mental Wellness Economy.” It's the first study to define mental wellness as opposed to mental health and to clarify the key concepts and pathways. It's also the first research to measure mental wellness as a global industry and to identify and benchmark its key sub-segments.

The research is the first to define the mental wellness industry: “Encompassing businesses whose primary aim is to help us along the mental wellness pathways of growth and nourishment and rest and rejuvenation.” Within those pathways, it identifies four sectors coalescing to form an emerging market: 1) senses, spaces and sleep, 2) brain-boosting nutraceuticals & botanicals, 3) self-improvement and 4) meditation and mindfulness.

The in-depth (115-page) report finds that the global mental wellness economy is worth $120.8 billion, based on consumer spend in four markets: senses, spaces and sleep ($49.5 billion), brain-boosting nutraceuticals & botanicals ($34.8 billion), selfimprovement ($33.6 billion), and meditation and mindfulness ($2.9 billion). Mental wellness becomes a new “industry bubble” in the GWI's Global Wellness Economy framework, capturing a crucial set of economic activities not previously included in the organization's wellness economy measurements.

The report carefully explains what's included in the mental wellness industry, what's not, and why. The four segments were chosen because they're the ones most closely identified by consumers and businesses as explicitly associated with mental wellness. It doesn't include solutions that may be very beneficial for mental wellness but whose primary purpose is something else (e.g., fitness, healthy foods, arts and literature, pets), or anything in the medical arena (e.g., psychotherapy or sleep labs).

“Stress, loneliness and burnout were exploding prepandemic, and a stronger focus on mental wellness has been a cultural mega-shift these last few years: People awakening to the importance of integrative solutions including meditation, sleep and brain health, with businesses rushing in to offer all kinds of solutions. But mental wellness as a concept, and what constitutes it as an industry, has remained incredibly fuzzy,” said Ophelia Yeung, GWI senior research fellow. “Clarifying what it is, and delineating its business segments, is overdue. And while most mental wellness strategies are free-like spending time in nature or with friends-people increasingly seek non-clinical help in coping with everyday mental challenges, and that's where the mental wellness industry comes in.”

Katherine Johnston, GWI senior research fellow, added: “There is urgency to this research: Study after study shows how the human suffering and economic dislocations caused by the pandemic have ravaged our mental wellbeing. We're excited to release this study because people are desperate for alternative strategies to cope, and we hope it clarifies how important it is to promote mental wellness-and how businesses, governments and individuals can all play different roles in addressing a growing crisis.”

Defining Mental Wellness vs. Mental Health

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The Mental Wellness Industry: What's Included & Why

The Mental Wellness Economy: Senses, spaces, & sleep - $49.5 billion The largest mental wellness sector, this category spans products, services, and design that target our senses and the mind-body connection, with the growing understanding that environmental stimuli have a major impact on our mood, stress levels and sleep. Sleep is the goliath sub-segment, with an exploding array of sleep- and sleep-environmentoptimizing solutions, including smart bedding and sleep accessories; sleep apps, wearables and trackers; and sleep retreats and nap cafés.

The segment includes sound (sound therapy, white noise, noise cancellation and wellness music); scent (aromatherapy, home fragrances and diffusers); touch (stress toys and gadgets and weighted blankets); and light (human-centric light and light therapy consumer devices). It includes multisensory experiences (from flotation tanks to forest bathing) at wellness travel, spa, fitness and entertainment destinations and sensory-based design and architecture (i.e., biophilic design and circadian lighting).

psilocybin and other functional mushrooms, with the former seeing a rapid acceleration in clinical research for use for almost every mental health and wellness issue. A quickening relaxation of regulation means plant-based psychedelic drugs will increasingly be used for both mental wellness and clinical treatment purposes. For instance, in the US last week, Oregon legalized magic mushrooms and the District of Columbia decriminalized the recreational use of psilocybin and other psychedelics.

Self-Improvement - $33.6 billion This segment spans a wide range of activities typically associated with self-help and personal development, including self-help books, media, video, apps and online platforms; self-help gurus and influencers; personal and life coaches; organizations delivering classes, workshops and retreats; self-help organizations and mutual support groups; cognitive enhancement and brain training products/services; and new, creative organizations, apps and online platforms combatting loneliness and isolation.

Meditation & mindfulness- $2.9 billion While meditation and mindfulness are perhaps the approaches most firmly associated with “mental wellness,” it's the smallest (if an extremely fastgrowing) market, because while millions of people worldwide practice meditation, only a small fraction spend money on it.

The category includes all forms of meditation practice, related mindfulness practices (e.g., breathwork, guided imagery, body scan, relaxation exercises), and products and services that support these practices. Key spending categories include classes, teachers, retreats, books and online platforms-with mobile apps (such as Calm, Headspace, Insight Timer) a huge driver of consumer adoption and spend. There is a growing market for meditation accessories (e.g., cushions, beads, chimes) and mindfulness products (e.g., journals, colouring books), as well as a fast-growing range of connected gadgets, trackers and monitors to support meditation (e.g., headbands, glasses, wearable sensors, lamps) - many of which build upon biofeedback, neurofeedback, and virtual reality technologies.

The analysis of each of these four markets includes historical background and the modern evolution of the space, the key companies and market innovators, and business models and developments to watch.

Brain-boosting nutraceuticals & botanicals$34.8 billion

The GWI defines mental wellness as “an internal resource that helps us think, feel, connect, and function. It is an active process that helps us to build resilience, grow, and flourish.”

Ingestible products with the specific goal of improving mental health and wellbeing, including natural supplements, herbals and botanicals, and functional foods and beverages, are proliferatingclaiming to boost brain health, sleep, memory and energy.

The report provides a comprehensive paradigm for understanding the difference between “mental health” and “mental wellness,” impossible to replicate here. The authors propose a “dual continuum model,” in which mental wellness is a dynamic process of moving from languishing, to resilience, to flourishing. Key strategies for mental

The category also includes plant-based drugs increasingly used for mental wellness, with the legal cannabis and its derivatives market exploding in the last couple years, with cannabis, hemp, and CBD making their way into many supplements, foods, and beverages. The segment also includes

About the Global Wellness Institute: The Global Wellness Institute (GWI), a nonprofit 501(c)(3), is considered the leading global research and educational resource for the global wellness industry and is known for introducing major industry initiatives and regional events that bring together leaders to chart the future. GWI positively impacts global health and wellness by educating public institutions, businesses and individuals on how they can work to prevent disease, reduce stress, and enhance the overall quality of life. Its mission is to empower wellness worldwide.

spa therapies

From Well-being to Better Being

By Mimmie Lancaster - Spa Executive Santé Wellness Retreat & Spa According to a Bloomberg Business survey, South Africa is the second most stressed country in the world. Isn't this shocking to know! One thing is certain - our nation needs to find suitable outlets to destress. Being correctly geared, Spas and Spa visitors can benefit from true stress relief treatment options and guidelines for better living.

The consistent, high levels of stress people experience daily, is one of the biggest challenges faced globally.

We know that prolonged periods of stress can result in poor concentration, impaired memory, anxiety and more serious illnesses. This naturally has serious consequences on our economy. In 2017 it was reported that 43% of critical illnesses affected people under the age of 50 years. Depression, often caused by stress, is not only a real crisis for the individual but poses a threat to any organization. A mild form of depression causes a 30% lower productivity rate and reduced productivity costs the country over R200 billion per year.

Stress is a natural physical and mental reaction to life experiences, there to help us cope with potential serious situations. A quick recap of what happens during stressful situations- The central nervous system oversees our “fight or flight” response. When under threat the hypothalamus, starts the process by “telling” your adrenal glands to release the stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol. These hormones in turn increases the heart rate in order to divert more oxygen to the muscles. The breathing rate increases so that oxygen-rich blood can be distributes to the body quicker. The liver produces more sugar (glucose) to give the body an extra energy boost and muscles tense up to protect themselves from injury. Stressful situations therefore cause all systems to function together for the individual to have the maximum amount of energy, strength & laser like focus. This allows one to break personal barriers and can cause the individual to excel. Yet, if the stress response doesn't stop because stress levels stay elevated far longer than is necessary for survival,

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the toll that it takes on your health can become serious.

In listening to Richard Sutton, author of Stress Code Talk, he said that the primary causes of stress experienced by employees are caused by 4 factors: • The lack of control employees experience within the work environment.

• The lack of support given by the employer.

• A disconnect in the balance between effort & reward.

• Injustice or lack of consistency within the workplace.

These 4 factors are relatively easy to solve and most definitely worthwhile attempting to, especially given the positive impact it will have on each employee.

Engage with your staff on a regular basis and get their input on decisions, have a bit of fun in your morning meetings & select a charity of choice or community project to support together as a team.

By doing this you will not only have a happier team but you and your staff will allow the flow of Oxytocin to increase and naturally decrease the levels of stress.

Oxytocin, a powerful anti-stress hormone is slowly but surely taking its rightful place under the spotlight.

We know that Oxytocin work alongside stress hormones to help maintain homeostasis during times of stress as the release thereof lowers cortisol levels & blood pressure. Apart from being released during times of bonding, Oxytocin is also naturally released through other triggers such as touch, smells, sound, connecting & caring for people in person.

Spas truly offer the ideal place for guests to find relaxation through the various stimulation of the senses. Be relevant in your offering and focus on solutions for current issues. A sleep deprived nation will benefit from soothing massage techniques that brings about profound relaxation. Use your relaxation areas effectively and ban all mobile devices from that area. Headache sufferers will benefit so much

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from massage techniques performed at the base of the neck, head and scalp as well as from a foot zone massage performed by a skilled therapist.

Fight inflammation with remineralising body wrap treatments and boost immunity with treatments that alternate between extreme temperatures.

Be selective in your choice of music as we know that by listening to slow, calming music, the level of oxytocin released is increased. Include manual massage therapy in as many treatments as possible as it could lower cortisol levels (as mentioned before the hormone that controls blood pressure) and increase the production of oxytocin.

If you are serious about longevity & wellbeing let that reflect in your food menu too. Get rid of any form of sugar as we know that it is one of the greatest triggers for inflammation. Focus on natural and in season foods that decreases inflammation and get creative with your smoothies and infusions. Add yoghurt, unsweetened coconut milk & probiotics to your popsicles this summer. Up the servings of broccoli, dark green leafy veggies and spice things up with turmeric, ginger and cinnamon.

Start living by the principles you teach your clients.

If you haven't already done so, install a water purifier in your staff kitchen. Keep bowls of fresh fruit for therapists to snack on during busy times & stock up on a natural “medicine” supply like lemons & fresh ginger to drink and encourage the use of cinnamon instead of sugar in coffee.

By unlocking a natural medicine chest and moving away from pharmaceutically driven health care, towards less toxic, safer alternatives, opting for a scalp massage when a headache starts, taking time to become involved with people less fortunate and making time for one another in person, not via electronics will allow us to live a life full of “in the moment happy times”. This is what better being is about.

spa therapies

Building Sustainability into Salons and Spas

By Carina Franck - Founder and Owner of Kalahari Lifestyle International Did you Know?

• 70% of the waste from the beauty industry comes from packaging.

• In 2018, more than 120 billion units of cosmetics packaging were produced globally - the majority of which were not recyclable.

• Over the past 50 years, world plastic production has doubled.

• By 2050, there will be as much plastic in the ocean as there is marine life.

Sustainability has been a buzzword on the lips of consumers and businesses alike for the past several decades. Even so, sustainability is still in its infancy, and continuing to evolve as we are.

Pioneering beauty brands focusing on positive-impact innovation are paving the way for greener companies and products to take over the market. These ecoconscious organisations are showing their less sustainable peers that green is not only the new glamorous - it's also the only way to preserve the well-being of our planet. But what role does the beauty industry play in terms of pollution, and what can we do about it?

Combatting Chemical Ingredients Consumers are becoming increasingly aware of product ingredients; how eco-friendly the origin of their ingredients are, as well as their potential effects on health. The everyday eco-smart consumer is ready for these challenges to be addressed, particularly newer generations. A 2018 McKinsey & Business of Fashion study revealed that 66% of global Millennials are willing to spend more on sustainable fashion brands. This could very well be the case for cosmetics companies as well.

The chemical ingredients used in many cosmetics contribute to a large portion of toxic pollution - labels containing ingredients you can't pronounce are warning signs. Of the 10 500 known active chemicals used in cosmetics, only 11% have been tested to measure their impact as a potential carcinogenic.

Furthermore, the largest cause of pollution when it comes to chemical ingredients might surprise you microbeads! A tube of facewash can contain over 300 000 microbeads, and they are so small that it's impossible to pick them up using ordinary sewer machines. These plastic microbes do not biodegrade and are mistaken by wildlife for food. As a result of this, humans land up ingesting them through animals in the meat we eat.

More than just ingesting harmful ingredients, the testing of these ingredients on animals is of an even

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graver concern. While many people believe that animal testing is necessary for medical progress, the reality is that the majority of animal experiments do not contribute to improving human health.

“Each year, more than 100 million animals are killed in U.S. laboratories for biology lessons, medical training, curiosity-driven experimentation, and chemical, drug, food, and cosmetics testing.”

- Sites PETA So what is the solution to the chemical ingredient issue? In order for us to tackle pollution caused by harmful ingredients, we need to start incorporating as many natural ingredients as possible into the products we use and create. This means choosing - and becoming - brands whose environmental values align with our own.

Furthermore, until we ban the use of microbeads in cosmetics like countries such as the USA have done, we could replace them with natural exfoliation mediums. Natural exfoliation has been practiced for thousands of years and there are a plethora of nonhazardous alternatives available in the form of Jojaba beads, Pumpkin enzymes or even terrycloth facial mittens for more gentle exfoliation.

Another solution is to do your research when it comes to companies who utilise animal testing - knowledge is power. Knowing your products, ingredients and the values of the beauty brands you support is often the best defence.

While toxic ingredients are having a negative impact on the safety of both animals and human beings alike, they pale in comparison to the growing concern that pollution is creating as a result of cosmetic packaging.

The Pretty Packaging Problem By far the leading culprit in pollution is packaging.

As mentioned previously, 70% of waste caused by the beauty industr y is from packaging!

Transport packaging such as over-sized boxes, polystyrene and bubble wrap can be not only harmful, but excessive and unnecessary. Over-andabove that, packaging used to house physical products is mostly made from unsustainable plastic, and once the product is depleted, the packaging is discarded and unable to be re-used or recycled.

We can minimize the effect of packaging by utilizing brands who consciously package their products, as well as pay attention to their transport packaging.

If plastic is a necessity; PET plastic is a wonderful alternative. Furthermore, when it comes to transport packaging, wooden shavings, old newspaper and

Les Nouvelles Esthetiques no’77

paper offcuts can be used to fill boxes instead of harmful plastics or Styrofoam.

Sustainable packaging can be eye-catching and good for the environment simultaneously - you need only be creative! Netherlands-based group LCA found that if refillable containers were used for cosmetics, as much as 70% of carbon emissions associated with the beauty industry could be eliminated.

Costly Cosmetic Consumables While the beauty industry is primarily focused on the pollution caused by harmful ingredients and packaging, waste caused by cosmetic consumables is being severely overlooked. Cosmetic consumables include single-use products such as plastic cotton buds, facial sponges, disposable surgical caps and so on.

“In the UK alone, it is estimated that people use 1.8 billion single-use plastic cotton buds every year.”

Between 2015 and 2018, single-use cotton buds were in the top 10 items found during beach cleans across the country! To add to this, the facial sponges that are used to cleanse the skin during treatments are not only unhygienic due to the bacteria that hide in the oscula (pores of the sponge), but they take years to break-down. Even as they separate, they cannot biodegrade, and just become smaller and smaller. These microplastic cells are similar to microbeads and are extremely harmful to wildlife.

Thankfully, there are solutions. Now we can use paper cotton buds instead of plastic ones which are far more safe for our sensitive eco-system. Not only that, but re-usable facial mittens can be used in place of facial sponges, as well as washable terrycloth headbands instead of surgical caps. These items can be washed and re-used to not only prevent waste, but are more cost-effective for spa's and salons at the same time.

For companies today, particularly in the cosmetic industry, it's not enough just to sustain. From an environmental perspective, just not negatively impact the world is not enough - you have to add a positive.

The access consumers have to information is constantly growing and their knowledge evolving, the beauty industry needs to evolve with them in order to remain relevant and successful - if you aren't one step ahead, you're already ten steps behind.

Together, by making a conscious effort to ensure the cosmetic industry becomes more sustainable as a whole, we truly can make green the new glamorous.

spa therapies beautiful images of pregnant woman exuding a sense of well-being appeals to most pregnant moms and grabs her attention.

Once you have her attention, ensure that the wording you use appeals to what is important to her and convince her in one sentence that she will be in good hands visiting your spa. The most important aspect to her is that the treatments and products are pregnancy safe, and that you know what you are doing. Secondly will be the physical and emotional benefits of the treatment.

Something to keep in mind is that the average age of pregnant woman have increased significantly to 30 - 35 years of age, and the amount of woman in their 40's having babies have double over recent years. So make sure that the imagery and language you use appeals to the age group of pregnant woman in your area.

How to Successfully Launch your Pregnancy Spa Treatments

By Janine Janse van Rensburg - Managing Director at Extracts Collection Pregnancy is a never ending market and besides it being a beautiful experience to share with your clients, it has the potential of contributing a significant portion to your spa revenue.

The successful implementation of Pregnancy Treatments within your spa will depend heavily on your approach and ability to connect with this market.

The starting point should be to fully equip your team to have the confidence and knowledge to welcome and treat the expectant mom. She needs to feel one hundred percent sure that she is in good hands and that you are fully embracing the pregnancy market vs merely having a pregnancy massage on your treatment menu for the odd occasion should a pregnant client visit your spa.

You and your team needs to show intent.

You should also carefully select which therapists to invest in and train in the

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Les Nouvelles Esthetiques no’77

discipline of pregnancy spa treatments. Chose the therapists who are genuinely interested in and passionate about pregnancy treatments as this will go a long way in ensuring confidence radiating from your team during the entire customer journey.

The next step is to get the message out there by connecting to the correct audience. And contrary to what you may believe, the correct audience is not just expectant moms.

Husbands are often “soft targets” as they may feel helpless when seeing their partner go through both physical and emotional changes of pregnancy.

Strategically placing advertisements promoting safe pregnancy spa treatments on platforms targeting married men in the age range of 25 - 45 often results in them buying a Spa Voucher for their expectant partner.

The language and visuals you use carry a lot of weight in whether you will catch the attention of a pregnant mom and convert that into action. By using

advertising on digital platforms ensuring you reach the correct audience. An example of this would be to specify that your Facebook advertising must reach pregnant woman between the ages of 30 38 within a 10km radius of your spa.

You can also create marketing angles that will appeal to the friends and family of pregnant woman by putting in place a referral program or special deal that will benefit both the pregnant mom and the referee to each enjoy a treatment at your spa at a discounted rate or a value add attached to it.

Your in-store presence must also display and promote that you welcome expectant moms into your spa. Don't hide the fact that you offer pregnancy treatments, have dedicated section on your treatment menu for your pregnancy treatments and do a focus display in your reception area.

Other effective marketing channels include dropping off either an information pamphlet or special offer promoting your pregnancy treatments at gynaecologists rooms, midwifes & Doula's in your area, nursery schools as those moms often have second and third pregnancies, maternity boutiques and social media platforms used by your market.

As you can see, a lot of thought, effort and intent has gone into getting an expectant mom to visit your spa. The return on your investment lies in her coming back for more treatments during the remainder of her pregnancy, and becoming such an advocate for your spa that she will tell every pregnant mom she meets along the way that you are the only spa they should go to when going for pregnancy treatments.

It is worth putting some budget towards targeted

Making sure that your team embraces her and

shares her passion for her pregnancy will go a long way in ensuring an unforgettable experience.

Equip your team to ask the right questions and be prepared to answer any questions presented to her with confidence. The treatment delivery, comfort of your bed and massage pillows, gowns that are big enough to cover her gorgeous bump and any little “attention to detail” treats will set you apart from your competitors.

Aligning your spa with companies who specialise in maternity treatments and skincare will not only add to your credibility as a pregnancy expert, but will also expose you to audiences and communities you may not currently be tapping into by leveraging of their marketing efforts. The correct partners will also have the experience, knowledge and backup to offer guidance and advice to ensure the successful launch and implementation of Pregnancy Spa Treatments within your business.

Janine Janse van Rensburg Managing Director Extracts Collection +27 11 033 0500 info@extractscollection.com www.extractscollection.com

spa therapies beautiful images of pregnant woman exuding a sense of well-being appeals to most pregnant moms and grabs her attention.

Once you have her attention, ensure that the wording you use appeals to what is important to her and convince her in one sentence that she will be in good hands visiting your spa. The most important aspect to her is that the treatments and products are pregnancy safe, and that you know what you are doing. Secondly will be the physical and emotional benefits of the treatment.

Something to keep in mind is that the average age of pregnant woman have increased significantly to 30 - 35 years of age, and the amount of woman in their 40's having babies have double over recent years. So make sure that the imagery and language you use appeals to the age group of pregnant woman in your area.

How to Successfully Launch your Pregnancy Spa Treatments

By Janine Janse van Rensburg - Managing Director at Extracts Collection Pregnancy is a never ending market and besides it being a beautiful experience to share with your clients, it has the potential of contributing a significant portion to your spa revenue.

The successful implementation of Pregnancy Treatments within your spa will depend heavily on your approach and ability to connect with this market.

The starting point should be to fully equip your team to have the confidence and knowledge to welcome and treat the expectant mom. She needs to feel one hundred percent sure that she is in good hands and that you are fully embracing the pregnancy market vs merely having a pregnancy massage on your treatment menu for the odd occasion should a pregnant client visit your spa.

You and your team needs to show intent.

You should also carefully select which therapists to invest in and train in the

16

Les Nouvelles Esthetiques no’77

discipline of pregnancy spa treatments. Chose the therapists who are genuinely interested in and passionate about pregnancy treatments as this will go a long way in ensuring confidence radiating from your team during the entire customer journey.

The next step is to get the message out there by connecting to the correct audience. And contrary to what you may believe, the correct audience is not just expectant moms.

Husbands are often “soft targets” as they may feel helpless when seeing their partner go through both physical and emotional changes of pregnancy.

Strategically placing advertisements promoting safe pregnancy spa treatments on platforms targeting married men in the age range of 25 - 45 often results in them buying a Spa Voucher for their expectant partner.

The language and visuals you use carry a lot of weight in whether you will catch the attention of a pregnant mom and convert that into action. By using

advertising on digital platforms ensuring you reach the correct audience. An example of this would be to specify that your Facebook advertising must reach pregnant woman between the ages of 30 38 within a 10km radius of your spa.

You can also create marketing angles that will appeal to the friends and family of pregnant woman by putting in place a referral program or special deal that will benefit both the pregnant mom and the referee to each enjoy a treatment at your spa at a discounted rate or a value add attached to it.

Your in-store presence must also display and promote that you welcome expectant moms into your spa. Don't hide the fact that you offer pregnancy treatments, have dedicated section on your treatment menu for your pregnancy treatments and do a focus display in your reception area.

Other effective marketing channels include dropping off either an information pamphlet or special offer promoting your pregnancy treatments at gynaecologists rooms, midwifes & Doula's in your area, nursery schools as those moms often have second and third pregnancies, maternity boutiques and social media platforms used by your market.

As you can see, a lot of thought, effort and intent has gone into getting an expectant mom to visit your spa. The return on your investment lies in her coming back for more treatments during the remainder of her pregnancy, and becoming such an advocate for your spa that she will tell every pregnant mom she meets along the way that you are the only spa they should go to when going for pregnancy treatments.

It is worth putting some budget towards targeted

Making sure that your team embraces her and

shares her passion for her pregnancy will go a long way in ensuring an unforgettable experience.

Equip your team to ask the right questions and be prepared to answer any questions presented to her with confidence. The treatment delivery, comfort of your bed and massage pillows, gowns that are big enough to cover her gorgeous bump and any little “attention to detail” treats will set you apart from your competitors.

Aligning your spa with companies who specialise in maternity treatments and skincare will not only add to your credibility as a pregnancy expert, but will also expose you to audiences and communities you may not currently be tapping into by leveraging of their marketing efforts. The correct partners will also have the experience, knowledge and backup to offer guidance and advice to ensure the successful launch and implementation of Pregnancy Spa Treatments within your business.

Janine Janse van Rensburg Managing Director Extracts Collection +27 11 033 0500 info@extractscollection.com www.extractscollection.com

spa business Rule #1: Create or Define a Burning Platform.

The Five Rules for Affecting Real Culture Change

By Colin Shaw - Influencer

Essentially, this first rule is for you to make it clear why the organization should change. If everybody thinks business-as-usual is working, no one will bother to make any changes; it’s too inconvenient and uncomfortable. It's the classic idea that to effect change, one must realize that the pain of change is less than the pain of staying where you are. If you don't believe me, consider the fate of these previously successful brands: Sears, Blockbuster, Kodak, and probably soon, J.C. Penney. Moreover, with the pandemic and the recession and everything else that will follow looming, we could see some more big brands take a fall. However, if these former brands had a more customercentric culture, they would probably be here today because they realized that the market is moving on and appropriately adjusted.

To illustrate what I mean, consider how diets work (or don't work, as the case may be). Weight loss is a common goal for many people, but they often fail to do so over and over again. However, some people succeed. The difference between those that fail and those who lose weight is that people who lose weight have the goal of losing weight for a specific event, e.g., a wedding or class reunion. The special event is the burning platform, which creates a sense of urgency.

I have talked about Loss Aversion before, and one of its implications is that when you are in a gain frame, which is what most companies are in most of the time, you tend to be risk-averse, meaning you don't want to change. However, when you get into a loss frame (aka, there is a platform on fire and it threatens to burn the whole enterprise down), your risk preferences flip, and you become more riskseeking. In other words, you are more willing to take a chance because you can see that the status quo threatens to destroy your success.

Rule #2: Recognize that this is a long-term goal.

Welcome to Why Customers Buy, my weekly LinkedIn Newsletter series that explores how customers make decisions. It reveals ways to unlock what customers really want with new concepts and practical tips that drive value.

You can have a great philosophy, deliberate strategy, and cunning tactics to inspire customer-driven growth, but if you don't change your culture, they won't work. Changing the culture within your organization is vital if you want to deliver a Customer Experience that fosters customer loyalty and retention.

Culture change is not easy. I was running a workshop with a utility client many years ago about the concept of Customer Experience. There were 20 people in the room, and we were kicking around ideas of

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what changes could deliver an improved experience.

One young lady, much younger than her surrounding coworkers, had an idea, several actually. However, with every one of her suggestions, one of the others would say, "We already did that; it didn't work," implying that it wouldn't work now, either. This cycle happened many times before she gave up. It was clear that changing the culture at this utility was going to be challenging.

It still happens today, too. I was talking to a chief marketing officer of a multinational company the other day who wants to change the organization.

I started to talk about how people within his organization needed to understand customer emotions and focus on customer-centricity. The CMO stopped me because he knew right away that it

Les Nouvelles Esthetiques no’77

wouldn't work for their company. I challenged him on this, explaining that if he took that view, the organization would never change.

However, I don't think his situation is unique. We know this process is a challenge. To help prepare you mentally for it, we comprised these five rules for affecting real culture change.

1. Create or define a burning platform.

2. Recognize this is a long-term goal.

3. Be clear on your vision for the future.

4. Remember that "you don't make an omelet without breaking eggs."

5. Lead from the top.

Let's take a closer look at each of them.

I've been in many organizations where people want to make a culture change in the next six months. In my experience, it takes a lot longer than that. You may be able to start it in six months, and even make progress, but you will still have a way to go. Cultural changes usually range from three to five years.

If you think you will achieve culture change in six months, my advice would be don't even try it. You're not going to see it through to completion in six months.

Rule #3: Be clear about your vision of the future.

Your articulation of the vision, the philosophy, is vital.

However, it is equally crucial thqt you know what you want it to do. Break it down into all the new things you want to do and all of the old stuff you want to stop. Also, include how you want to measure it.

In my early career in corporate life, the philosophy flavour of the month at that particular time was Total Quality Management. I was with a big corporate telecom at the time, and we went on a training course for Total Quality Management. One of the remarkable things that came out of the training was

the idea that you should have a plan and objective for every meeting. It would be best if you also articulated those things beforehand, estimate the time needed for the meeting, and then stick to it. What I like about these concepts is that these are solid, definable things you can do. Moreover, if you don't do it, it is obvious you aren't doing it. This level of clarity for your vision will help you achieve the same.

The culture of your organization reflects on the experience your customers have. For example, we were working with an airline that wanted to improve their experience. We discovered in getting to know their culture that internally, they referred to passengers as "self-loading freight." In essence, this alone tells you everything you need to know about this airline.

As we worked with the airline to develop a Customer Experience Statement, which defines the experience they wanted to deliver, the airline wanted to improve punctuality. However, we explained that being late was a company culture for them; they had been late to every meeting we ever had with them. While starting meetingson time has nothing to do with how quickly planes are loaded and unloaded, being late to meetings can send a powerful cultural signal within an organization that being late is acceptable.

The ability to articulate what you want people to do and what you don't want people to do is essential here. You want to make these actions definite and measurable, too, so it's obvious when somebody is doing it-or not doing it.

Another cultural signal I always like to check is where Customer Experience falls on the meeting agenda. If it is at the end, then that tells me a lot.

What you put at the end of the list is rarely the number one priority. If you always do customer metrics last, it sends a subtle message to everyone in attendance that it is not that essential to the organization or not as critical as all the other items on the list.

Rule #4: Remember that "you don't make an omelet without breaking eggs."

The reality of culture changes is that they are tough, and some people will not want to go on the journey.

You will encounter resistance to your plan, and it won't always be forthright. Ultimately, you might have to sack individuals that aren't on board with your planned cultural change.

The last corporate organization I worked at was implementing a change program involving six sectors.

One sector was not on board. The guy running even placed a bet that the change program wouldn't work. It should come as no surprise that when it was time to go live, their sector wasn't ready because that senior person convinced everybody that it wouldn't work.

If you consider the teachings from Sun Tzu's The Art of War, you have to choose your battles. You can't win every battle, so you need to select the crucial ones. From a business perspective, that can mean breaking a few eggs to make your Customer Experience omelet. In other words, you might have to fire someone who isn't on board, particularly if that person is a high-profile, senior person. If you

remove them, that sends a signal that you're serious about your program for change. I wouldn't fire people just as a matter of course, but if they're undermining what you're doing, you do have to get rid of them. Which leads me to…

Rule #5: Lead from the top.

Good leadership provides an excellent employee experience and the employee experience you provide is essential. In fact, my book, Happy Employees Make Happy Customers explains in great detail how this works. Regarding culture, one of the points I make in the book is that people often stay in jobs because of great managers, and leave because of poor ones.

Your words and actions have to be the same. If you want to make that cultural change, you have to live it and demonstrate to people that you live it, even when it's causing you some pain. Principles are great, but they mean nothing unless you sacrifice something for them. Make sure that you're doing what you're asking your teams to do.

A vital part of that is to look at your schedule. If you say the organization needs to be more customercentric and spend more time with customers, look at your schedule and see where you're doing that.

Otherwise, your words ring hollow to those who follow you. It goes back to the importance of these subtle signals. If you say one thing and do another, it undermines that culture change.

The first call center I managed many years ago had 550 people in Bristol, England. The call center was in one building, but their manager before me had his office in another building entirely. The effect was that the team never saw their manager in person at all. When I took over, I wanted to make the point about being accessible. I would sit out on the floor with everybody else. From a cultural perspective, I was saying I was equal to everybody else. Moreover, I stayed as long as the call center was open. I wanted to make myself available to the team and these tactics were my way of sending that signal to people. In a way, the most essential signal we can send is how we use our own time.

These five rules can help you in your efforts to effect change at your organization. By creating urgency with a burning platform, you prioritize the need for change. Then, working with the long-term in mind, you can present a clear vision for the culture you envision for your organization and work out what you should (and shouldn't) do in that new environment. Recognize there could be some battles, and maybe some people you need to move on because they're not going to be part of the new culture. Perhaps most impor tantly, you must match your words and actions because the little things matter and will resound around the organization.

Colin Shaw - Renowned Global Influencer | Customer Experience & Growth | Selected by FT as a Leading Consultancy | Training & Coach

spa business Rule #1: Create or Define a Burning Platform.

The Five Rules for Affecting Real Culture Change

By Colin Shaw - Influencer

Essentially, this first rule is for you to make it clear why the organization should change. If everybody thinks business-as-usual is working, no one will bother to make any changes; it’s too inconvenient and uncomfortable. It's the classic idea that to effect change, one must realize that the pain of change is less than the pain of staying where you are. If you don't believe me, consider the fate of these previously successful brands: Sears, Blockbuster, Kodak, and probably soon, J.C. Penney. Moreover, with the pandemic and the recession and everything else that will follow looming, we could see some more big brands take a fall. However, if these former brands had a more customercentric culture, they would probably be here today because they realized that the market is moving on and appropriately adjusted.

To illustrate what I mean, consider how diets work (or don't work, as the case may be). Weight loss is a common goal for many people, but they often fail to do so over and over again. However, some people succeed. The difference between those that fail and those who lose weight is that people who lose weight have the goal of losing weight for a specific event, e.g., a wedding or class reunion. The special event is the burning platform, which creates a sense of urgency.

I have talked about Loss Aversion before, and one of its implications is that when you are in a gain frame, which is what most companies are in most of the time, you tend to be risk-averse, meaning you don't want to change. However, when you get into a loss frame (aka, there is a platform on fire and it threatens to burn the whole enterprise down), your risk preferences flip, and you become more riskseeking. In other words, you are more willing to take a chance because you can see that the status quo threatens to destroy your success.

Rule #2: Recognize that this is a long-term goal.

Welcome to Why Customers Buy, my weekly LinkedIn Newsletter series that explores how customers make decisions. It reveals ways to unlock what customers really want with new concepts and practical tips that drive value.

You can have a great philosophy, deliberate strategy, and cunning tactics to inspire customer-driven growth, but if you don't change your culture, they won't work. Changing the culture within your organization is vital if you want to deliver a Customer Experience that fosters customer loyalty and retention.

Culture change is not easy. I was running a workshop with a utility client many years ago about the concept of Customer Experience. There were 20 people in the room, and we were kicking around ideas of

18

what changes could deliver an improved experience.

One young lady, much younger than her surrounding coworkers, had an idea, several actually. However, with every one of her suggestions, one of the others would say, "We already did that; it didn't work," implying that it wouldn't work now, either. This cycle happened many times before she gave up. It was clear that changing the culture at this utility was going to be challenging.

It still happens today, too. I was talking to a chief marketing officer of a multinational company the other day who wants to change the organization.

I started to talk about how people within his organization needed to understand customer emotions and focus on customer-centricity. The CMO stopped me because he knew right away that it

Les Nouvelles Esthetiques no’77

wouldn't work for their company. I challenged him on this, explaining that if he took that view, the organization would never change.

However, I don't think his situation is unique. We know this process is a challenge. To help prepare you mentally for it, we comprised these five rules for affecting real culture change.

1. Create or define a burning platform.

2. Recognize this is a long-term goal.

3. Be clear on your vision for the future.

4. Remember that "you don't make an omelet without breaking eggs."

5. Lead from the top.

Let's take a closer look at each of them.

I've been in many organizations where people want to make a culture change in the next six months. In my experience, it takes a lot longer than that. You may be able to start it in six months, and even make progress, but you will still have a way to go. Cultural changes usually range from three to five years.

If you think you will achieve culture change in six months, my advice would be don't even try it. You're not going to see it through to completion in six months.

Rule #3: Be clear about your vision of the future.

Your articulation of the vision, the philosophy, is vital.

However, it is equally crucial thqt you know what you want it to do. Break it down into all the new things you want to do and all of the old stuff you want to stop. Also, include how you want to measure it.

In my early career in corporate life, the philosophy flavour of the month at that particular time was Total Quality Management. I was with a big corporate telecom at the time, and we went on a training course for Total Quality Management. One of the remarkable things that came out of the training was

the idea that you should have a plan and objective for every meeting. It would be best if you also articulated those things beforehand, estimate the time needed for the meeting, and then stick to it. What I like about these concepts is that these are solid, definable things you can do. Moreover, if you don't do it, it is obvious you aren't doing it. This level of clarity for your vision will help you achieve the same.

The culture of your organization reflects on the experience your customers have. For example, we were working with an airline that wanted to improve their experience. We discovered in getting to know their culture that internally, they referred to passengers as "self-loading freight." In essence, this alone tells you everything you need to know about this airline.

As we worked with the airline to develop a Customer Experience Statement, which defines the experience they wanted to deliver, the airline wanted to improve punctuality. However, we explained that being late was a company culture for them; they had been late to every meeting we ever had with them. While starting meetingson time has nothing to do with how quickly planes are loaded and unloaded, being late to meetings can send a powerful cultural signal within an organization that being late is acceptable.

The ability to articulate what you want people to do and what you don't want people to do is essential here. You want to make these actions definite and measurable, too, so it's obvious when somebody is doing it-or not doing it.

Another cultural signal I always like to check is where Customer Experience falls on the meeting agenda. If it is at the end, then that tells me a lot.

What you put at the end of the list is rarely the number one priority. If you always do customer metrics last, it sends a subtle message to everyone in attendance that it is not that essential to the organization or not as critical as all the other items on the list.

Rule #4: Remember that "you don't make an omelet without breaking eggs."

The reality of culture changes is that they are tough, and some people will not want to go on the journey.

You will encounter resistance to your plan, and it won't always be forthright. Ultimately, you might have to sack individuals that aren't on board with your planned cultural change.

The last corporate organization I worked at was implementing a change program involving six sectors.

One sector was not on board. The guy running even placed a bet that the change program wouldn't work. It should come as no surprise that when it was time to go live, their sector wasn't ready because that senior person convinced everybody that it wouldn't work.

If you consider the teachings from Sun Tzu's The Art of War, you have to choose your battles. You can't win every battle, so you need to select the crucial ones. From a business perspective, that can mean breaking a few eggs to make your Customer Experience omelet. In other words, you might have to fire someone who isn't on board, particularly if that person is a high-profile, senior person. If you

remove them, that sends a signal that you're serious about your program for change. I wouldn't fire people just as a matter of course, but if they're undermining what you're doing, you do have to get rid of them. Which leads me to…

Rule #5: Lead from the top.

Good leadership provides an excellent employee experience and the employee experience you provide is essential. In fact, my book, Happy Employees Make Happy Customers explains in great detail how this works. Regarding culture, one of the points I make in the book is that people often stay in jobs because of great managers, and leave because of poor ones.

Your words and actions have to be the same. If you want to make that cultural change, you have to live it and demonstrate to people that you live it, even when it's causing you some pain. Principles are great, but they mean nothing unless you sacrifice something for them. Make sure that you're doing what you're asking your teams to do.

A vital part of that is to look at your schedule. If you say the organization needs to be more customercentric and spend more time with customers, look at your schedule and see where you're doing that.

Otherwise, your words ring hollow to those who follow you. It goes back to the importance of these subtle signals. If you say one thing and do another, it undermines that culture change.

The first call center I managed many years ago had 550 people in Bristol, England. The call center was in one building, but their manager before me had his office in another building entirely. The effect was that the team never saw their manager in person at all. When I took over, I wanted to make the point about being accessible. I would sit out on the floor with everybody else. From a cultural perspective, I was saying I was equal to everybody else. Moreover, I stayed as long as the call center was open. I wanted to make myself available to the team and these tactics were my way of sending that signal to people. In a way, the most essential signal we can send is how we use our own time.

These five rules can help you in your efforts to effect change at your organization. By creating urgency with a burning platform, you prioritize the need for change. Then, working with the long-term in mind, you can present a clear vision for the culture you envision for your organization and work out what you should (and shouldn't) do in that new environment. Recognize there could be some battles, and maybe some people you need to move on because they're not going to be part of the new culture. Perhaps most impor tantly, you must match your words and actions because the little things matter and will resound around the organization.

Colin Shaw - Renowned Global Influencer | Customer Experience & Growth | Selected by FT as a Leading Consultancy | Training & Coach

spa business

Improving the Guest Experience Starts Now

By Andrea Stokes Practice Lead Hospitality, J.D. Power, The hospitality industry is facing some of the most challenging circumstances in decades, if not ever.

After ending 2019 on a strong note, 2020 turned the industry quickly on its head as the pandemic forced lockdowns that closed hotels nationwide.

Many months after the pandemic began, the situation is not even close to being back to normal. Nor has the economy fully recovered.

In 2019, many hotels budgeted for near-term capital improvements. They were then slammed with a swift and drastic decline in demand. Continued low occupancy has forced owners and operators to shelve planned capital expenditures-and even maintenance investments are off the table. It may be years before hotel owners and operators can return to making the capital improvements they should have been completing when times were good.

At the same time, it may take a while for travel patterns to return to normal and travelers and businesses feel it is safe to travel. Hotel occupancyespecially for full-service hotels-will not return to prepandemic levels until travelers are more confident.

How can owners and operators continue to deliver against high guest expectations when renovations, FF&E updates, or technology upgrades simply can't happen right now?

However, despite a great deal of uncertainty, there are smaller investments hotels of all service levels can make to elevate guest satisfaction. According to J.D. Power research conducted for the past 25 years, it's the "small things" that guests experience that add up to a highly satisfying stay.

The first, and perhaps most obvious, step is to clean, clean, clean. And when initial cleaning is done, clean some more! Always a focal point for consumers, guest room and bathroom cleanliness has become even more important now. Keep in mind that to guests, a clean room means more than disinfection, dusting, and vacuuming. Clean also means fresh linens, draperies, and lampshades-and don't forget to check the smell. A clean, fresh smell will boost guest satisfaction.

The good news is, hotels were already in a strong position on this front before the pandemic began.

In fact, guest satisfaction with hotel guest room cleanliness was at an all-time high prior to the pandemic according to recent J.D. Power Hotel Guest Satisfaction Study results. Guest room cleanliness has a noticeable effect on overall stay satisfaction.?When guests move from "pleased" to "delighted" with guest room cleanliness, their overall satisfaction increases by a significant 113 points (on a 1,000-point scale).

Owners and operators should double down on the more intense focus on housekeeping by considering higher wages for housekeeping staff-even if current revenue does not justify the expense. The benefits will be immediate. Not only will better, more

20

consistent housekeeping likely reduce the spread of viruses; it will create a powerful impression on guests that the hotel staff really cares about their well-being.

Simply put, investing in housekeeping staff is investing in guest loyalty.

What other relatively small guest-centric investments will keep guests coming back? The simple act of providing weary guests a refreshment upon arrival.

We at J.D. Power call this a "first-impression experience," and our data shows that a refreshment offered at check-in has a highly positive influence on guest satisfaction with the rest of the stay. Yet only about one-third of guests experience this-and that's in full-service hotels! The gain in guest loyalty that would come from offering that bottle of sparkling water and snack far outweighs the cost.

The same logic applies to small investments that can improve guests' quality of sleep. The J.D. Power Hotel Guest Satisfaction Study shows that only about one in three guests claim they get better-thanexpected quality of sleep during their stay. What can be done?

If at all possible, replace any ageing, and usually very noisy, PTAC units. New, more efficient units are available that run extremely quiet. while improving indoor air quality at the same time. If this is not feasible, why not simply replace those flimsy draperies with room-darkening shades? If this is not possible, then offer guests an inexpensive disposable eye mask amenity. Either step would go a long way to improve guests' sleep experience. Also, it goes without saying that mattresses and bedding should be in very good condition and replaced if they are not. Guests will notice the difference and appreciate the effort made to offer a better sleep experience.

If even these investments are just not feasible now, is there anything else hoteliers can do to improve the guest experience without major expense? In addition to revising policies and procedures to ensure guest safety, owners and operators should ensure staff members have the training and skills necessary to better serve guests-from the check-in process to check-out-and-return. Staff service training is a very low-cost investment that will provide dividends in the long run.

Notice the word "service"-this does not refer to training staff on your systems and software. Those are skills. Service training is different in that it focuses on guests' emotional cues and shows staff how to respond appropriately. The staff is the glue that holds the hotel together and providing service training can be an impetus that lifts the entire operation.

Unfortunately, the pandemic has upended what hotel staff has learned about providing excellent service. Guests are wary as they step into a hotel upon arrival. There are new barriers between staff and guests, beyond mask-wearing, that make it challenging to provide great service. Before hotels are inundated by the post-pandemic rush of travelers,

Les Nouvelles Esthetiques no’77

they should use their time wisely by preparing staff through training modules and videos. Having these already in place will allow returning staff to reboot their skills and will give new employees with limited experience in hospitality the means to learn the art of service.

Finally, hotels should think about ways technology can enable a more personalised guest service.

Investing in a tablet or two for front desk staff and negotiating with PMS software vendors to provide mobile at no cost would be a wise step to take. Staff should look at check-ins for each day, understand each guest's stay history, and anticipate their needs.

Once guests arrive, staff should ask questions-not to pry but to understand the guest's expectations for the stay. Take the example of a single guest staying for one night. The guest could be in town for an important business meeting or just passing through on a long road trip. It only takes a simple question to find out.

It takes but a moment for front desk staff to use the smallest bit of information in the reservation and think about what it reveals about the guest. Then, with mobile enablement, staff can anticipate guests' needs as they welcome the guest--not from behind the desk but up front when the guest first walks through the door. Many hotels are already providing staff with tablet devices and dispensing with the front desk all together.

When the pandemic ends, consumers and businesses of all types will emerge relieved and much changed.

Hotel owners and operators need to be prepared for the new traveler, one who the pandemic taught that "things" don't matter as much as experiences and togetherness. After all, hotels occupy a unique position and role in human interaction. They are the places where togetherness happens-for families, for work colleagues, for professional associations and for local residents. Travelers will have higher expectations for human-delivered service and will place a premium on getting it.

If this sounds like a lot for owners and operators to have on their plates, that's because it is. Running a successful hotel is a challenging endeavour even in the best of times. Some hotels and operators will choose to dwell on the current environment as an obstacle. Others will accept it as an opportunity to emerge with a better product, more streamlined operations, a stronger staff and happier, more loyal guests.

Andrea Stokes joined J.D. Power as Practice Lead, Hospitality in September 2019. A results driven hospitality professional with extensive experience in consulting, corporate project management, and brand insights, Ms. Stokes provides J.D. Power clients with hospitality industry expertise and thought leadership, as well as expertise in customer experience management.

spa business for human health and flourishing. So while it may be some time before we go back to shaking hands in a meeting room, people may return to spas if we can provide a sacred space where people can experience touch in a safe environment administered by a trained professional who is held to the highest standards of cleanliness and hygiene.

our businesses can help people to build and maintain their psychological strengths and resilience.

The Spas at Mandarin Oriental will be offering new programs around “Inner Strength - Outer Strength” designed to help our colleagues and guests come back to our hotels feeling physically and emotionally strong.

Our spas have always had the most stringent safety and cleanliness standards in the industry, and we are committed to ensuring that our spas provide a haven where our guests can experience nurturing touch that is delivered safely and professionally.

10. Find People You Can Help

8. Think Local

Expert Advice: 12 Steps Toward to Spa Recovery

By Jeremy McCarthy - Group Director of Spa & Wellness, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group Article featured in Hotel Business Review The hospitality industry is facing the greatest challenge in our lifetime as hotels around the world have been closed, international borders restricted, and flights cancelled in response to the novel coronavirus pandemic. There is no question that travel will return, but it won't be easy and the hospitality landscape is likely to be forever changed by current events.

In Hong Kong, we have recently reopened our spas, and have been delighted to see our local spa guests returning to our spas, a clear sign of the trust that they place in our brand to operate at the highest levels of safety and cleanliness.

In my role as the Group Director of Spa & Wellness for Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, I recommend the following steps as our pathway to recovery:

1. Stay Connected with Guests The entire world has turned to online platforms and communication channels to stay connected with their customers. If people can't visit our hotels, we still want to be here for them and communicate with them regularly. We have been sharing wellness tips, cooking classes, live streaming fitness and yoga classes, and more as ways to maintain contact with our guests and to tr y and support them.

2. Stay Relevant While we are trying to communicate more with our guests, we need to be aware that everyone else is communicating more with them at the same time.

We need to ensure that we are not just adding “noise” in an attempt to promote ourselves, but that

22

we are providing them meaningful information that brings real value during the pandemic.

help our guests and colleagues stay physically and mentally strong during these challenging times.

3. Upskill

5. Launch New Products and Services

We have been using the time of quarantine to help develop our colleagues. We have had colleagues from around the world taking language classes, participating in new aromatherapy training courses, and training in “wellness for cancer” so that we will have even more therapists trained on how to support guests having experiences with cancer therapies.

We want our teams and our spas to come back stronger than ever and ready to serve our guests who will be in much need of our support.

A lot of the things that hotels are doing to stay connected to their customers are being provided at no charge. But we are also considering new ways that we can generate revenue during periods of restricted travel. Some of our hotels have been offering home delivery services for food and/or beauty products, online retail offerings, virtual fitness training, virtual beauty consultations, etc. This is a chance to experiment with new revenue streams, some of which we may be able to continue.

4. Leverage Your Health and Wellness Offerings

6. Re-Open Safely

Wellness was already a mega-trend before Coronavirus struck. Now it is through the roof. People are more attuned to wellness than ever before because: 1. The virus has most deeply impacted those whose health was already compromised.

2. The pandemic reminds us of our mortality and has us focusing more on extracting more longevity and quality out of the years we have.

3. People in quarantine and on furlough have had time to focus on their own wellness.

4. Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group has always had Spa and Wellness as a core pillar of our brand and a big part of our focus has been on keeping our colleagues strong and healthy during this period of quarantine. The strength and authenticity behind our commitment to health and wellness will be a key aspect of our recovery and an important area of the hotel experience to leverage in bringing guests back to our hotels. We are working on new programs to

We want to reopen our spas as quickly as possible, but it is critical for the safety of our guests and colleagues that the reopening is feasible in the context of local regulations, rates of transmission and mortality, and local sentiment towards such services. Our spas will reopen with extremely high levels of cleanliness and new sanitation procedures and training to ensure the safety of guests and colleagues. In most cases, spas will reopen with a phased approach, offering a limited menu with stringent sanitation measures in place and then gradually returning to a more complete spa offering.

Les Nouvelles Esthetiques no’77

7. People Need Touch They Can Trust Social distancing may be something that stays with us long after the Coronavirus has been eradicated.

People may be reluctant to get too close to others if they don't feel safe. But this is not sustainable over the long term, because touch is an essential ingredient

It is very likely that domestic travel is going to come back much more quickly than international travel as it may take some time for international borders to have enough trust to relax restrictions on foreign visitors. Spas and hotels need to focus on offering promotions and packages geared towards our local guests, guests arriving by car, and other national visitors. There will be pent up demand for travel, but much of the initial travel may occur close to home until consumer confidence returns and borders become more open again.

9. Mental Wellness is Essential We need to anticipate that our guests and our colleagues have had to confront some traumatic experiences driven by fear, health issues, or economic impacts. Now is the time to consider how

Not everyone has been impacted equally by this virus. Some groups have had to bear a greater share of the burden and may need additional support. We can extract greater meaning out of a difficult situation if we find ways to give back to those who have been severely impacted. Mandarin Oriental has pledged to donate 10% of all gift card purchases to the United Nations Foundation's COV I D - 19 S o l i d a r i t y Re s p o n s e Fu n d .

11. Collaborate We are cooperating with the International Spa Association to help create new industry standards and guidelines to help spas reopen safely. We have also been working closely with our partners such as Aromatherapy Associates, Wellness for Cancer, etc. to see how we can support each other and come out of this crisis as quickly and as strongly as possible. In all of our destinations there will be other businesses that are interested in joining forces to reinvigorate travel, to promote wellness and help us all get back to a normal way of living.

12. Make Bets on the Future We are navigating uncertain territory, but we can be sure that this experience will change consumer behaviour in profound ways. The better we can do at predicting and anticipating how the world might change, the better we will be able to meet the future needs of our guests. We won't get it right 100% of the time, but now is a time to experiment on new ideas and services that might be more relevant to the post-Coronavirus world. We do not want to reopen our spas and go immediately back to what we did before. We will be launching new services and programs and taking advantage of this period of disruption to try new things.

I think the most important thing for our industry is that we take action proactively to create a better future for our colleagues, our guests, and our businesses.The work of creating the future starts now and our eyes need to be fixed on the horizon ahead.

Jeremy McCarthy is the Group Director of Spa & Wellness for Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group where he leads and manages the global activities of their internationally acclaimed luxury spa division. He is a respected spa professional with over twenty-five years of luxury and diversified hotel, spa and leisure services experience. He holds a BA in Psychologyand a Master of Applied Positive Psychology and is the author of a book on The Psychology of Spas & Wellbeing. Mr. McCarthy has served several years on the board of the International Spa Association

spa business for human health and flourishing. So while it may be some time before we go back to shaking hands in a meeting room, people may return to spas if we can provide a sacred space where people can experience touch in a safe environment administered by a trained professional who is held to the highest standards of cleanliness and hygiene.

our businesses can help people to build and maintain their psychological strengths and resilience.

The Spas at Mandarin Oriental will be offering new programs around “Inner Strength - Outer Strength” designed to help our colleagues and guests come back to our hotels feeling physically and emotionally strong.

Our spas have always had the most stringent safety and cleanliness standards in the industry, and we are committed to ensuring that our spas provide a haven where our guests can experience nurturing touch that is delivered safely and professionally.

10. Find People You Can Help

8. Think Local

Expert Advice: 12 Steps Toward to Spa Recovery

By Jeremy McCarthy - Group Director of Spa & Wellness, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group Article featured in Hotel Business Review The hospitality industry is facing the greatest challenge in our lifetime as hotels around the world have been closed, international borders restricted, and flights cancelled in response to the novel coronavirus pandemic. There is no question that travel will return, but it won't be easy and the hospitality landscape is likely to be forever changed by current events.

In Hong Kong, we have recently reopened our spas, and have been delighted to see our local spa guests returning to our spas, a clear sign of the trust that they place in our brand to operate at the highest levels of safety and cleanliness.

In my role as the Group Director of Spa & Wellness for Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, I recommend the following steps as our pathway to recovery:

1. Stay Connected with Guests The entire world has turned to online platforms and communication channels to stay connected with their customers. If people can't visit our hotels, we still want to be here for them and communicate with them regularly. We have been sharing wellness tips, cooking classes, live streaming fitness and yoga classes, and more as ways to maintain contact with our guests and to tr y and support them.

2. Stay Relevant While we are trying to communicate more with our guests, we need to be aware that everyone else is communicating more with them at the same time.

We need to ensure that we are not just adding “noise” in an attempt to promote ourselves, but that

22

we are providing them meaningful information that brings real value during the pandemic.

help our guests and colleagues stay physically and mentally strong during these challenging times.

3. Upskill

5. Launch New Products and Services

We have been using the time of quarantine to help develop our colleagues. We have had colleagues from around the world taking language classes, participating in new aromatherapy training courses, and training in “wellness for cancer” so that we will have even more therapists trained on how to support guests having experiences with cancer therapies.

We want our teams and our spas to come back stronger than ever and ready to serve our guests who will be in much need of our support.

A lot of the things that hotels are doing to stay connected to their customers are being provided at no charge. But we are also considering new ways that we can generate revenue during periods of restricted travel. Some of our hotels have been offering home delivery services for food and/or beauty products, online retail offerings, virtual fitness training, virtual beauty consultations, etc. This is a chance to experiment with new revenue streams, some of which we may be able to continue.

4. Leverage Your Health and Wellness Offerings

6. Re-Open Safely

Wellness was already a mega-trend before Coronavirus struck. Now it is through the roof. People are more attuned to wellness than ever before because: 1. The virus has most deeply impacted those whose health was already compromised.

2. The pandemic reminds us of our mortality and has us focusing more on extracting more longevity and quality out of the years we have.

3. People in quarantine and on furlough have had time to focus on their own wellness.

4. Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group has always had Spa and Wellness as a core pillar of our brand and a big part of our focus has been on keeping our colleagues strong and healthy during this period of quarantine. The strength and authenticity behind our commitment to health and wellness will be a key aspect of our recovery and an important area of the hotel experience to leverage in bringing guests back to our hotels. We are working on new programs to

We want to reopen our spas as quickly as possible, but it is critical for the safety of our guests and colleagues that the reopening is feasible in the context of local regulations, rates of transmission and mortality, and local sentiment towards such services. Our spas will reopen with extremely high levels of cleanliness and new sanitation procedures and training to ensure the safety of guests and colleagues. In most cases, spas will reopen with a phased approach, offering a limited menu with stringent sanitation measures in place and then gradually returning to a more complete spa offering.

Les Nouvelles Esthetiques no’77

7. People Need Touch They Can Trust Social distancing may be something that stays with us long after the Coronavirus has been eradicated.

People may be reluctant to get too close to others if they don't feel safe. But this is not sustainable over the long term, because touch is an essential ingredient

It is very likely that domestic travel is going to come back much more quickly than international travel as it may take some time for international borders to have enough trust to relax restrictions on foreign visitors. Spas and hotels need to focus on offering promotions and packages geared towards our local guests, guests arriving by car, and other national visitors. There will be pent up demand for travel, but much of the initial travel may occur close to home until consumer confidence returns and borders become more open again.

9. Mental Wellness is Essential We need to anticipate that our guests and our colleagues have had to confront some traumatic experiences driven by fear, health issues, or economic impacts. Now is the time to consider how

Not everyone has been impacted equally by this virus. Some groups have had to bear a greater share of the burden and may need additional support. We can extract greater meaning out of a difficult situation if we find ways to give back to those who have been severely impacted. Mandarin Oriental has pledged to donate 10% of all gift card purchases to the United Nations Foundation's COV I D - 19 S o l i d a r i t y Re s p o n s e Fu n d .

11. Collaborate We are cooperating with the International Spa Association to help create new industry standards and guidelines to help spas reopen safely. We have also been working closely with our partners such as Aromatherapy Associates, Wellness for Cancer, etc. to see how we can support each other and come out of this crisis as quickly and as strongly as possible. In all of our destinations there will be other businesses that are interested in joining forces to reinvigorate travel, to promote wellness and help us all get back to a normal way of living.

12. Make Bets on the Future We are navigating uncertain territory, but we can be sure that this experience will change consumer behaviour in profound ways. The better we can do at predicting and anticipating how the world might change, the better we will be able to meet the future needs of our guests. We won't get it right 100% of the time, but now is a time to experiment on new ideas and services that might be more relevant to the post-Coronavirus world. We do not want to reopen our spas and go immediately back to what we did before. We will be launching new services and programs and taking advantage of this period of disruption to try new things.

I think the most important thing for our industry is that we take action proactively to create a better future for our colleagues, our guests, and our businesses.The work of creating the future starts now and our eyes need to be fixed on the horizon ahead.

Jeremy McCarthy is the Group Director of Spa & Wellness for Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group where he leads and manages the global activities of their internationally acclaimed luxury spa division. He is a respected spa professional with over twenty-five years of luxury and diversified hotel, spa and leisure services experience. He holds a BA in Psychologyand a Master of Applied Positive Psychology and is the author of a book on The Psychology of Spas & Wellbeing. Mr. McCarthy has served several years on the board of the International Spa Association

spa business

By Demetria Brand Gilkey

Handling 'Colourful' Conversations with Guests Have you ever made a mistake with a customer?

Of course you have! Maybe you cut someone's hair uneven or you just couldn't get the nail colour right?

It happens every day and to every spa or salon professional. You are not perfect and your day will come when you must re-do a style, cut, or whatever service it is that you offer.

In this article, you will learn a process that I have created called the CURL© method. This method is applicable to all industries because it's simple, easy and it is not rocket science.

The first letter in the CURL© method is C and that means CALM DOWN! Yes, stay calm. I have made many mistakes and will probably make many more but over time, I have learned that when you remain calm, you think logically. You must take your emotions out of the situation. When you remain calm, you can evaluate the situation much more clearly. Plus, energy spreads and if you are not calm, your customer most likely will not be either. Two calm heads are better than none! To become calm, take a few deep breaths, avoid making any dramatic facial expressions (that tends to excite the customer and make the situation worse), and whatever you do, don't cry. This does not help the situation. If you need to step away and find another stylist or coworker to help you calm down, then please do. To move to the next letter in the CURL© method, you must calm down first.

The second letter in the phrase is U and that means to uncover the issue. Sometimes, you may not ever

24

get another opportunity to address a dissatisfied customer because they do not allow you the chance to. So, whenever you receive feedback regarding the service, now is your chance to remain professional and uncover the issue. First, apologize that their expectations were not fulfilled and thank them for allowing you the opportunity to do so. Begin by asking questions to help guide you to where the dissatisfaction lies. For example, can you explain to me what you do not like about the cut or colour?

What were your expectations for the service?

After you discover the problem, then you can move to the next step in the CURL© process, which is resolve the situation. Resolving a problem or a challenge is key; especially when you can do it while remaining professional. When you resolve a problem, this is the time when you can address the problem and successfully give your guest the look or service that he or she was originally going for.

In this step, it is crucial to meet their expectations.

If you don't succeed in this step, this could possibly mean losing this client for good. If you have time between the initial visit and the returning appointment, research the technical skill that you need help on and/or reach out to a seasoned, successful stylist/technician that is in your field to get advice on how to approach t he appointment.

The final step in the CURL© method is to LEARN from the situation. In life, it is important to learn from situations, good or bad. This is what helps you grow as a person. If you ask seasoned professionals if they still make mistakes, I guarantee you that they

Les Nouvelles Esthetiques no’77

would tell you that they do. It's how they recover and bounce back that makes them so successful.

Whenever you service a guest, it is important to always take notes about their visit; such as any allergies that they may have, all formulas that you have used on them (even if they were successful or not), and anything extra that you need to remember before providing their service.

By following my proven CURL© method, you will be able to reduce stress when appointments do not go as planned, improve the customer experience, and increase clientele, which will result in more money for you!

Demetria Brand Gilkey is a Bowling Green, KY native where she earned a Bachelor's of Science degree in Marketing in 2008 from Western Kentucky University. After working in Corporate America, Demetria felt that her desire to attend cosmetology school was yet to be fulfilled. So, she enrolled at Paul Mitchell the School-Louisville. In 2012, Demetria received the prestigious BEACON award by participating in a national cosmetology contest.

Shortly after, she opened her own salon, Hair by Demi B in Louisville, KY; later re-naming it Curly by Nature. She has built a huge clientele all by creating amazing unforgettable experiences with her guests.

spa business What words do you want to own? In other words, when people think about you, what do you want them to associate with you? Do you want people to see you as reliable, creative, trustworthy, consistent, ambitious? Now ask yourself - what are you doing to demonstrate this every day?

Are you taking the responsibility of CEO? “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you'll do things differently” - Warren Buffett

By CEO I don't mean Chief Executive Offer but rather Chief Energy Officer. As Howard Shultz from Starbucks points out, making harsh decisions without considering the long term view will sabotage a brand in the long run. Typically, these are reactive decisions like cost cutting which are hard to recover from when the dust settles.

Create emotional bonds “I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Maya Angelou

It's Time to Develop a Powerful Personal Brand By By Lori Milner - Beyond the Dress “A brand for a product is like a reputation for a person” - Jeff Bezos Why do brands spend what they do on advertising and marketing? Of course it's the obvious essentials like profit and growth, creating social impact but really it comes down to creating loyal fans. It's the same with your personal brand.

Your brand is not something you say about yourself, it's what others say about you. When you think of the word fan, you picture screaming admirers at a music concert. Not at all. I am a fan of certain authors because their work really resonates with me. When they launch a new book on pre-order, I will download it without knowing the details because I know I am going to receive value.

Your fans are people who are prepared to recommend you for new opportunities and roles, also known as sponsors. Think about the mafia movies like the Godfather where the line 'he's one of us' means he vouches for you. He has put his reputation on the line and the mutual expectation is that you will deliver.

This kind of a trust is a gift and has to be earned over time through your daily actions. Perhaps you have never really thought about your brand up to now or you have changed roles from marketing to sales and don't want to be associated with your prior position. Here are some things to consider when it comes to your personal 'brand' campaign and creating a genuine following of loyal fans:

A powerful brand does more than tick the box of providing a product or service. Brands that create emotional bonds are the ones we are willing to wait in lines for hours when a new product is launched. Let's make this personal. When I say 'Manchester United, Chelsea or Liverpool' what

comes to mind? When your team falls, you have the worst day. When they win, you are on top of the world. This is the power of brands and the emotional bonds they form with us.

What can you do to create connection with others?

Your tools are active listening and giving someone your complete focus and attention. Do not under estimate the power of giving someone the opportunity to be listened to. When we are not heard, we feel invisible. To truly listen means having the intention to understand what the person is saying, not waiting for your turn to speak and interject with your own experience or one up the other person.

Own your Mistakes “Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes.” - Oscar Wilde If you want to be an influential brand and build trust - own your mistakes. When something happens, don't hide behind email or text messages. Pick up the phone and let your customers or team know you are sincerely sorry. Set up a face to face meeting so your non-verbals can speak louder than your words. Even if you don't have a solution, people want to know that they matter. Tell them you will follow up on the hour or until you do have a solution. You can't control everything and often you're relying on other people or external factors.

It's how you respond and take accountability that will enable you to come out as a trustworthy brand.

Your brand attributes must be on every product Consistency is key “Your brand is a gateway to your true work. You know you are here to do something - to create something or help others in some way. The question is, how can you set up your life and work so that you can do it? The answer lies in your brand. When you create a compelling brand you attract people who want the promise of your brand - which you deliver” - Dave Buck When you buy a pair of Nike shoes, there are certain elements you expect from every pair irrespective of the model. The logo, comfort, style, quality, etc. For Starbucks, you expect convenient locations, friendly service, a quality product and consistent packaging.

These aren't nice to haves, these form the basics of what you assume will be part of your experience.

You aren't blown away because your packaging is protective and locks in the freshness, flavour, aroma, and unique notes that make each coffee blend distinct. This is what you expect in exchange for your money.

What are the non-negotiables on your brand's products and deliverables? Imagine every channel you deliver your unique service has a giant 'brand you' stamp on it. Every time you hand in a proposal, make a phone call, present in a meeting, send an email or deliver your service - you are attaching your attributes to it. You are making a declaration of who you are and what others can expect of you.

“People like consistency. Whether it's a store or a restaurant, they want to come in and see what you are famous for.” - Millard Drexler Think about your favourite coffee, food or restaurant brand. It delivers the same product every time which is why it is your 'old faithful' that you keep coming back to. It delivers the same experience without fail.

A Starbucks will always taste like Starbucks, if it started to differ in service and experience, you would start to question where you spend your money. A lack of consistency will break your trust with the brand, it will disappoint you and eventually you will look for an alternative. It's the same with you. It's not enough to know your brand attributes, it's about consistent delivery.

What's your brand promise?

“Your personal brand is a promise to your clients… a promise of quality, consistency, competency, and reliability” - Jason Hartman Your brand is the promise you make. Another way to think about it is what do people expect from you when they engage with you? Brands that keep their promises are consistent and trustworthy. It is the essence of what you want to stand for and your brand is the means to communicate how you want to show up in the world.

MF

Conclusion “A great brand is a story that's never completely told”- Scott Bedbury Building a personal brand doesn't come with an end date. It's not like we can ever reach a certain standard or milestone and then we can stop working on it. The core of building a personal brand begins with self-awareness and intention.

If you aren't sure where to start, think about 5 words you want to be known for. Then make a list of how to translate those attributes into specific actions.

Be mindful that every touch point is an opportunity to showcase who you really are and how you can provide value.

If you are feeling like you haven't done a great job up to now, the good news is that you can always behave your way into the person you want to become. When is the best time to begin? Today.

Here's to owning your brand!!

Lori Milner is the engaging facilitator, thought leader and mentor known for her insightful approach to being a modern corporate woman. Her brainchild, the successful initiative Beyond the Dress, is the embodiment of her passion to empower women. Contact: www.beyondthedress.co.za

spa business What words do you want to own? In other words, when people think about you, what do you want them to associate with you? Do you want people to see you as reliable, creative, trustworthy, consistent, ambitious? Now ask yourself - what are you doing to demonstrate this every day?

Are you taking the responsibility of CEO? “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you'll do things differently” - Warren Buffett

By CEO I don't mean Chief Executive Offer but rather Chief Energy Officer. As Howard Shultz from Starbucks points out, making harsh decisions without considering the long term view will sabotage a brand in the long run. Typically, these are reactive decisions like cost cutting which are hard to recover from when the dust settles.

Create emotional bonds “I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Maya Angelou

It's Time to Develop a Powerful Personal Brand By By Lori Milner - Beyond the Dress “A brand for a product is like a reputation for a person” - Jeff Bezos Why do brands spend what they do on advertising and marketing? Of course it's the obvious essentials like profit and growth, creating social impact but really it comes down to creating loyal fans. It's the same with your personal brand.

Your brand is not something you say about yourself, it's what others say about you. When you think of the word fan, you picture screaming admirers at a music concert. Not at all. I am a fan of certain authors because their work really resonates with me. When they launch a new book on pre-order, I will download it without knowing the details because I know I am going to receive value.

Your fans are people who are prepared to recommend you for new opportunities and roles, also known as sponsors. Think about the mafia movies like the Godfather where the line 'he's one of us' means he vouches for you. He has put his reputation on the line and the mutual expectation is that you will deliver.

This kind of a trust is a gift and has to be earned over time through your daily actions. Perhaps you have never really thought about your brand up to now or you have changed roles from marketing to sales and don't want to be associated with your prior position. Here are some things to consider when it comes to your personal 'brand' campaign and creating a genuine following of loyal fans:

A powerful brand does more than tick the box of providing a product or service. Brands that create emotional bonds are the ones we are willing to wait in lines for hours when a new product is launched. Let's make this personal. When I say 'Manchester United, Chelsea or Liverpool' what

comes to mind? When your team falls, you have the worst day. When they win, you are on top of the world. This is the power of brands and the emotional bonds they form with us.

What can you do to create connection with others?

Your tools are active listening and giving someone your complete focus and attention. Do not under estimate the power of giving someone the opportunity to be listened to. When we are not heard, we feel invisible. To truly listen means having the intention to understand what the person is saying, not waiting for your turn to speak and interject with your own experience or one up the other person.

Own your Mistakes “Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes.” - Oscar Wilde If you want to be an influential brand and build trust - own your mistakes. When something happens, don't hide behind email or text messages. Pick up the phone and let your customers or team know you are sincerely sorry. Set up a face to face meeting so your non-verbals can speak louder than your words. Even if you don't have a solution, people want to know that they matter. Tell them you will follow up on the hour or until you do have a solution. You can't control everything and often you're relying on other people or external factors.

It's how you respond and take accountability that will enable you to come out as a trustworthy brand.

Your brand attributes must be on every product Consistency is key “Your brand is a gateway to your true work. You know you are here to do something - to create something or help others in some way. The question is, how can you set up your life and work so that you can do it? The answer lies in your brand. When you create a compelling brand you attract people who want the promise of your brand - which you deliver” - Dave Buck When you buy a pair of Nike shoes, there are certain elements you expect from every pair irrespective of the model. The logo, comfort, style, quality, etc. For Starbucks, you expect convenient locations, friendly service, a quality product and consistent packaging.

These aren't nice to haves, these form the basics of what you assume will be part of your experience.

You aren't blown away because your packaging is protective and locks in the freshness, flavour, aroma, and unique notes that make each coffee blend distinct. This is what you expect in exchange for your money.

What are the non-negotiables on your brand's products and deliverables? Imagine every channel you deliver your unique service has a giant 'brand you' stamp on it. Every time you hand in a proposal, make a phone call, present in a meeting, send an email or deliver your service - you are attaching your attributes to it. You are making a declaration of who you are and what others can expect of you.

“People like consistency. Whether it's a store or a restaurant, they want to come in and see what you are famous for.” - Millard Drexler Think about your favourite coffee, food or restaurant brand. It delivers the same product every time which is why it is your 'old faithful' that you keep coming back to. It delivers the same experience without fail.

A Starbucks will always taste like Starbucks, if it started to differ in service and experience, you would start to question where you spend your money. A lack of consistency will break your trust with the brand, it will disappoint you and eventually you will look for an alternative. It's the same with you. It's not enough to know your brand attributes, it's about consistent delivery.

What's your brand promise?

“Your personal brand is a promise to your clients… a promise of quality, consistency, competency, and reliability” - Jason Hartman Your brand is the promise you make. Another way to think about it is what do people expect from you when they engage with you? Brands that keep their promises are consistent and trustworthy. It is the essence of what you want to stand for and your brand is the means to communicate how you want to show up in the world.

MF

Conclusion “A great brand is a story that's never completely told”- Scott Bedbury Building a personal brand doesn't come with an end date. It's not like we can ever reach a certain standard or milestone and then we can stop working on it. The core of building a personal brand begins with self-awareness and intention.

If you aren't sure where to start, think about 5 words you want to be known for. Then make a list of how to translate those attributes into specific actions.

Be mindful that every touch point is an opportunity to showcase who you really are and how you can provide value.

If you are feeling like you haven't done a great job up to now, the good news is that you can always behave your way into the person you want to become. When is the best time to begin? Today.

Here's to owning your brand!!

Lori Milner is the engaging facilitator, thought leader and mentor known for her insightful approach to being a modern corporate woman. Her brainchild, the successful initiative Beyond the Dress, is the embodiment of her passion to empower women. Contact: www.beyondthedress.co.za

spa business climates offer an alternative of experiencing familiar treatments or programs, but out in the warm rain. This can become the experience of their stay. Spas have psychological as well as climatic barriers to deal with.

Location of the Spa in the Hotel/Resort Up until recently spas have not really been given prime locations or spaces in the hotel or resort. Putting the spa in the basement, or close to BoH areas have been the popular choice. A basement with no windows or skylights might be left with the option of creating the illusion. Almost any spa location can bring nature in, or can take spa out. Rooftops, dedicated platforms, balconies, gardens, even skylights in basements can do the job. In a resort environment spa gardens, tree/bush or cactus mazes, landscaping, patios, cabanas, walking/cycling/riding paths, ying/yang gardens, etc. can all be incorporated into the spa offer.

Operational Approach

Flexibility of Your Hotel Spa Brand ByLaszlo Puczko - CEOI & Co-Founder, Health Tourism Worldwide Article supplied by Hotel Business Review

Time To Meet TOBI Again?

Who is TOBI, you may ask? TOBI represents the new-old question... Take Outside / Bring In. How much of the spa can we Take Outside and/or how much of nature shall we Bring In the spa?

Oscar Wilde once said: "I have spent most of the day putting in a comma and the rest of the day taking it out". You may find that hotels and resorts spas may battle with the opposite problem. Do not quite know or find how to bring nature in and/or how to take the spa out? And, how to balance these two alternatives?

Nature deficit disorder (NDD). This is not one of those weird illnesses but very much a new disease we have created by ourselves to ourselves. Most of the world's population lives in urbanized areas where accessing green space can be a real challenge. The urban jungle as a term may suggest that it stands for something green but you cannot be more mistaken! NDD may be detected in every segment of the urban population. It affects young and old, poor and rich alike. Still, this is not a new problem. Shall we not forget that the very first steam train took urban dwellers to the beach giving an option to breathe freely!

Most hotel spas are not exempt from such urban jungle challenges. Space is one of the most expensive and rare commodities.

Hotel and spa customers appreciate the quality and the security of what the brand may represent and ensure. Hotel and resort spas tend to be operated under management contracts. These contracts define the strict brand and operation standards. Such standards may have limited interest in the TOBI situation. What is a good thing on the one hand may represent strict limitations on the other. This is most certainly true about how the outdoors can be brought into the spa or how much of the spa can be taken out. Similar issues may arise both in urban or in a more remote and consequently greener setting.

Revisiting the TOBI situation, there are a couple of key issues any hotel or spa developer and operator may need to consider.

General Development Approach - is nature a design question or a conceptual approach issue?

Design Issue - anything natural or anything that appears natural may only be limited to a design opportunity. Faux or in better cases real trees and plants, natural floorboards, etc. can represent a relevant and suitable solution, especially in a confined space. The illusion can create a perfect green environment indoors. This approach can result in expensive operations, e.g. green walls and

26

Les Nouvelles Esthetiques no’77

wear & tear can also be a critical issue. Still, the green façade can be changed relatively easily and quickly, should the guests prefer a different kind of natural setting after 2 years. Taking the spa outside may have even more limited options, should there be no space available for such use.

Overall Concept & Philosophy- when the nature orientation is infused in every aspect of the spa from design, through fittings and treatments to cleaning agents used. Such an approach can be considered as the 'darkest of green' but we know that CAPEX as well as the operational costs can be significantly higher.

Location of the Hotel/Resort Urban setting - in an urban location the opportunities for bringing the outdoors in or taking the spa out can be rather limited. The urban jungle sets the situation and probably the spa is left with no other opportunity than using a natureinspired design. Still, the smallest outdoor space, can be appreciated by the guests. Even those who are not spa guests, can appreciate the landscaping from their windows, for example.

Resort setting- the resort setting certainly gives a wide range of opportunities bringing the outdoors in and/or taking the spa out. What has typically been offered indoors can be offered outdoors. New services and programs can be added to the spa offer taking full advantage of the nearby natural environment.

The beauty of such an approach is that most of the outdoor programs and services may not even require additional investment, or not any at all! Still offering spa services outdoors can result in higher operation costs, the spa extended space can take space from other, potentially more lucrative uses and conflicts between various resort departments can become an issue.

The Climate The climate is an elemental part of nature. Still, the climatic conditions may limit options of bringing nature in, or taking spa out. Almost any climate can bring certain limitations. The continental climates with four seasons can give great options to introduce a seasonal spa program. That said, however, winter can mean unfriendly outdoor temperatures and conditions. Autumn can be very wet and summer very dry and hot. Spa brands and operations need to be very flexible to be able to make the most of it.

Extreme climates such as Nordic or desert may require a different kind of flexibility since they may have 'only' two seasons. Still, the extremeness of some climates may not attract every guest and can even become dangerous.

Tropical climates may be the most balanced offering of one (or 1.5) season all year around. In such situations the wet climate can limit operations outdoors and can have an impact on equipment and protocols. Still, to many guests such

A soft introduction of some sort of TOBI for existing operations may become an option during the next renovation cycle which can be years away. Still, soft applications can be considered. This does not have to be limited to some interior alternations. Changing the treatment menu, creating signature treatments and journeys using local natural components and resources, reconsidering the suppliers' products used for treatments, introducing and AI/VR solution, revisiting the cleaning protocol and introducing environment-friendly disinfectants can all become a small step to be more environmentally conscious.

Hotel Brand Standards The hotel/resort where the spa is located may provide a good launching pad for the greening up. Even global hotel brands have started to open up to the idea of offering healthier and greener options. Brand standards may change and new brands may emerge which already applies a very different approach to the indooroutdoor ratio and relationship. Still, if the spa was outsourced the mismatch between the two units can be critical. The hotel brand standards may define the boundaries within which spas can bring in nature and/or take the spa out.

Spa Brand Standards Spas are often operated by the hotels' own spa brand team, by a white label operator or a third party operator. The operators bring their very own standards, protocols, and suppliers. The spa operator may or may not yet have incorporated the nature into their operations and services. If the hotel has already shifted in this direction then the guests may experience a discrepancy between what they see in the hotel and what they receive in the spa. Spa operators may not permit individual locations to alter the brand protocols or allow the spa to change suppliers. Spa managers, however, may understand their markets better than brand headquarters. We can now see that certain locations are granted permission to alter treatment menus, suppliers and other protocols.

Product/Guest Mix The current guest-mix can also define how much of the outdoor-indoor shift can be implemented. A resort setting with a predominantly hedonistic crowd may not respond so well to the newly introduced outdoor activities. At a business hotel some of the gym space, or I am sorry the fitness or wellness space may be located outdoors offering functional programs on the deck. At a retreat environment the nature is an eternal part of the retreat environment and services.

It would be way more difficult to offer silent meditation in a basement location without access to the grounds of the property…

What is Next?

The spas or more appropriately the facilities offering wellness services play an educational role, too. They can introduce certain elements of nature and through that they can educate their guests. They may need to apply different communication approaches to address guests' expectations. Offering nature walks out in the hotel's garden, may not sound very inviting. With proper storytelling, however, nature can become a very attractive proposition. Guided energy walks in the lavender field, or YingYang walk in a maze of cacti, anyone?

Take forest bathing to the next level and introduce nature bathing!

We can see that hotel spas are re-negotiating their contracts with suppliers and operators. They try to balance the TOBI situation based on the changing guest expectations. There are guests who look for the familiar brands and everything that comes with that. Still, even the most perfect branded service can become

the same-old-same-old even at a different location.

Established brands have already launched new, more nature-oriented/infused brands in response to the market changes. We can also see that global brands give more and more flexibility to their spa managers in introducing new, local resources to their offering. Smaller operations are already enjoying the flexibility of incorporating seasonal resources to their programming and treatments. All this can be done only after proper testing and analysis of those natural assets and resources. Brands and operations cannot risk the safety of their products and the health of their guests. Especially after such a pandemic!

What we already know is that guests demand those answers and they are very much looking forward to seeing the solutions sooner rather than later. The question is not which approach spas should consider, but more how to optimize both in tandem. Sometimes a very simple approach can be successful. Spas provide the view and vista of nature, while still being indoors. Saunas with windows, rest areas oriented to overlook the surrounding landscape or a small ornamental garden can make all the difference - with minimal investment.

One of the great examples shows that responsible urban development projects may take over derelict sites and even demolish buildings to create great spaces with full public access. Revisiting how hotels and spas think of TOBI requires joint cooperation between operators, owners, architects, product suppliers and marketers. And this thinking should be coordinated by well-being engineers.

Mr. Laszlo Puczko is the CEOI and Co-Founder of Health Tourism Worldwide.

He has been working in the field of travel and health for 20+ years. Mr. Puczko is an experience engineer, strategist and trainer, and wellbeing intelligence expert. He has gained experiences in the private as well as in public sector environments both in medical and wellness tourism. Mr. Puczko is one of the very few people in the world who has been active in every aspect and domain of health tourism, hospitality and spas. He is an economist and art & design manager, and holds master degrees and a PhD, and is a Certified Management Consultant. He has been lecturing and running tailor-made trainings and

spa business climates offer an alternative of experiencing familiar treatments or programs, but out in the warm rain. This can become the experience of their stay. Spas have psychological as well as climatic barriers to deal with.

Location of the Spa in the Hotel/Resort Up until recently spas have not really been given prime locations or spaces in the hotel or resort. Putting the spa in the basement, or close to BoH areas have been the popular choice. A basement with no windows or skylights might be left with the option of creating the illusion. Almost any spa location can bring nature in, or can take spa out. Rooftops, dedicated platforms, balconies, gardens, even skylights in basements can do the job. In a resort environment spa gardens, tree/bush or cactus mazes, landscaping, patios, cabanas, walking/cycling/riding paths, ying/yang gardens, etc. can all be incorporated into the spa offer.

Operational Approach

Flexibility of Your Hotel Spa Brand ByLaszlo Puczko - CEOI & Co-Founder, Health Tourism Worldwide Article supplied by Hotel Business Review

Time To Meet TOBI Again?

Who is TOBI, you may ask? TOBI represents the new-old question... Take Outside / Bring In. How much of the spa can we Take Outside and/or how much of nature shall we Bring In the spa?

Oscar Wilde once said: "I have spent most of the day putting in a comma and the rest of the day taking it out". You may find that hotels and resorts spas may battle with the opposite problem. Do not quite know or find how to bring nature in and/or how to take the spa out? And, how to balance these two alternatives?

Nature deficit disorder (NDD). This is not one of those weird illnesses but very much a new disease we have created by ourselves to ourselves. Most of the world's population lives in urbanized areas where accessing green space can be a real challenge. The urban jungle as a term may suggest that it stands for something green but you cannot be more mistaken! NDD may be detected in every segment of the urban population. It affects young and old, poor and rich alike. Still, this is not a new problem. Shall we not forget that the very first steam train took urban dwellers to the beach giving an option to breathe freely!

Most hotel spas are not exempt from such urban jungle challenges. Space is one of the most expensive and rare commodities.

Hotel and spa customers appreciate the quality and the security of what the brand may represent and ensure. Hotel and resort spas tend to be operated under management contracts. These contracts define the strict brand and operation standards. Such standards may have limited interest in the TOBI situation. What is a good thing on the one hand may represent strict limitations on the other. This is most certainly true about how the outdoors can be brought into the spa or how much of the spa can be taken out. Similar issues may arise both in urban or in a more remote and consequently greener setting.

Revisiting the TOBI situation, there are a couple of key issues any hotel or spa developer and operator may need to consider.

General Development Approach - is nature a design question or a conceptual approach issue?

Design Issue - anything natural or anything that appears natural may only be limited to a design opportunity. Faux or in better cases real trees and plants, natural floorboards, etc. can represent a relevant and suitable solution, especially in a confined space. The illusion can create a perfect green environment indoors. This approach can result in expensive operations, e.g. green walls and

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wear & tear can also be a critical issue. Still, the green façade can be changed relatively easily and quickly, should the guests prefer a different kind of natural setting after 2 years. Taking the spa outside may have even more limited options, should there be no space available for such use.

Overall Concept & Philosophy- when the nature orientation is infused in every aspect of the spa from design, through fittings and treatments to cleaning agents used. Such an approach can be considered as the 'darkest of green' but we know that CAPEX as well as the operational costs can be significantly higher.

Location of the Hotel/Resort Urban setting - in an urban location the opportunities for bringing the outdoors in or taking the spa out can be rather limited. The urban jungle sets the situation and probably the spa is left with no other opportunity than using a natureinspired design. Still, the smallest outdoor space, can be appreciated by the guests. Even those who are not spa guests, can appreciate the landscaping from their windows, for example.

Resort setting- the resort setting certainly gives a wide range of opportunities bringing the outdoors in and/or taking the spa out. What has typically been offered indoors can be offered outdoors. New services and programs can be added to the spa offer taking full advantage of the nearby natural environment.

The beauty of such an approach is that most of the outdoor programs and services may not even require additional investment, or not any at all! Still offering spa services outdoors can result in higher operation costs, the spa extended space can take space from other, potentially more lucrative uses and conflicts between various resort departments can become an issue.

The Climate The climate is an elemental part of nature. Still, the climatic conditions may limit options of bringing nature in, or taking spa out. Almost any climate can bring certain limitations. The continental climates with four seasons can give great options to introduce a seasonal spa program. That said, however, winter can mean unfriendly outdoor temperatures and conditions. Autumn can be very wet and summer very dry and hot. Spa brands and operations need to be very flexible to be able to make the most of it.

Extreme climates such as Nordic or desert may require a different kind of flexibility since they may have 'only' two seasons. Still, the extremeness of some climates may not attract every guest and can even become dangerous.

Tropical climates may be the most balanced offering of one (or 1.5) season all year around. In such situations the wet climate can limit operations outdoors and can have an impact on equipment and protocols. Still, to many guests such

A soft introduction of some sort of TOBI for existing operations may become an option during the next renovation cycle which can be years away. Still, soft applications can be considered. This does not have to be limited to some interior alternations. Changing the treatment menu, creating signature treatments and journeys using local natural components and resources, reconsidering the suppliers' products used for treatments, introducing and AI/VR solution, revisiting the cleaning protocol and introducing environment-friendly disinfectants can all become a small step to be more environmentally conscious.

Hotel Brand Standards The hotel/resort where the spa is located may provide a good launching pad for the greening up. Even global hotel brands have started to open up to the idea of offering healthier and greener options. Brand standards may change and new brands may emerge which already applies a very different approach to the indooroutdoor ratio and relationship. Still, if the spa was outsourced the mismatch between the two units can be critical. The hotel brand standards may define the boundaries within which spas can bring in nature and/or take the spa out.

Spa Brand Standards Spas are often operated by the hotels' own spa brand team, by a white label operator or a third party operator. The operators bring their very own standards, protocols, and suppliers. The spa operator may or may not yet have incorporated the nature into their operations and services. If the hotel has already shifted in this direction then the guests may experience a discrepancy between what they see in the hotel and what they receive in the spa. Spa operators may not permit individual locations to alter the brand protocols or allow the spa to change suppliers. Spa managers, however, may understand their markets better than brand headquarters. We can now see that certain locations are granted permission to alter treatment menus, suppliers and other protocols.

Product/Guest Mix The current guest-mix can also define how much of the outdoor-indoor shift can be implemented. A resort setting with a predominantly hedonistic crowd may not respond so well to the newly introduced outdoor activities. At a business hotel some of the gym space, or I am sorry the fitness or wellness space may be located outdoors offering functional programs on the deck. At a retreat environment the nature is an eternal part of the retreat environment and services.

It would be way more difficult to offer silent meditation in a basement location without access to the grounds of the property…

What is Next?

The spas or more appropriately the facilities offering wellness services play an educational role, too. They can introduce certain elements of nature and through that they can educate their guests. They may need to apply different communication approaches to address guests' expectations. Offering nature walks out in the hotel's garden, may not sound very inviting. With proper storytelling, however, nature can become a very attractive proposition. Guided energy walks in the lavender field, or YingYang walk in a maze of cacti, anyone?

Take forest bathing to the next level and introduce nature bathing!

We can see that hotel spas are re-negotiating their contracts with suppliers and operators. They try to balance the TOBI situation based on the changing guest expectations. There are guests who look for the familiar brands and everything that comes with that. Still, even the most perfect branded service can become

the same-old-same-old even at a different location.

Established brands have already launched new, more nature-oriented/infused brands in response to the market changes. We can also see that global brands give more and more flexibility to their spa managers in introducing new, local resources to their offering. Smaller operations are already enjoying the flexibility of incorporating seasonal resources to their programming and treatments. All this can be done only after proper testing and analysis of those natural assets and resources. Brands and operations cannot risk the safety of their products and the health of their guests. Especially after such a pandemic!

What we already know is that guests demand those answers and they are very much looking forward to seeing the solutions sooner rather than later. The question is not which approach spas should consider, but more how to optimize both in tandem. Sometimes a very simple approach can be successful. Spas provide the view and vista of nature, while still being indoors. Saunas with windows, rest areas oriented to overlook the surrounding landscape or a small ornamental garden can make all the difference - with minimal investment.

One of the great examples shows that responsible urban development projects may take over derelict sites and even demolish buildings to create great spaces with full public access. Revisiting how hotels and spas think of TOBI requires joint cooperation between operators, owners, architects, product suppliers and marketers. And this thinking should be coordinated by well-being engineers.

Mr. Laszlo Puczko is the CEOI and Co-Founder of Health Tourism Worldwide.

He has been working in the field of travel and health for 20+ years. Mr. Puczko is an experience engineer, strategist and trainer, and wellbeing intelligence expert. He has gained experiences in the private as well as in public sector environments both in medical and wellness tourism. Mr. Puczko is one of the very few people in the world who has been active in every aspect and domain of health tourism, hospitality and spas. He is an economist and art & design manager, and holds master degrees and a PhD, and is a Certified Management Consultant. He has been lecturing and running tailor-made trainings and

spa therapies There is no getting around it-we are living in a time that threatens the livelihood of the hospitality industry.

However, with scarcity comes creativity and the opportunity to innovate. Despite immediate concerns, the need for healing touch hasn't gone away. In fact, it is stronger than ever before. Recent research conducted by our team at ISM Spa shows that spas have a necessary place in today's landscape. To thrive, however, our business model needs to evolve.

At the outbreak of the pandemic, the 20 spas we managed experienced layoffs and closures across the board. Once state-mandates allowed us to safely re-open, by leveraging technology, we were able to quickly welcome guests and therapists back to a revitalized version of spa. This new beginning comes with new challenges, like implementing social distancing and strict sanitation protocols. It also creates new, innovative ways of working and the need for a flexible, profitable operating model.

The "next normal," for the spa industry implies a dynamic and dramatic restructuring. How do we reimagine a spa operations model that enables personalization while at the same time leans into technology to automate our operations allowing us to drive profitability? How do we budget and forecast for spa services in this next normal? In this article, I will explore proven spa best practices to help you operate your spas safely and profitably while delighting your guests.

The New Guest Value Proposition The spa economy, with global revenues of $93.6 billion yearly pre-pandemic, is showing signs of initial recovery. Guests still crave spa treatments as an integral part of their stay at a luxury property.

Now more than ever, however, they are demanding that their spa experience be worth their time and money. Time outside the cocoon of home is precious.

Adding to the complications, many of the amenity touchpoints that define a luxury spa appointment have been temporarily eliminated from the guest experience. With the steam and sauna, along with relaxation areas including snacks and exotic teas no longer part of the picture, how do we define a luxury experience? What is the new value proposition?

We have combined our decades of experience, hundreds of thousands of unique guest data points, and observations from "in the trenches" to create five best practices to delight guests and produce a healthy bottom line.

Best Practices

Profitable Spa Operations in the Next Normal

By Ilana Alberico CEO, ISM Spa

1. Optimize Technology Innovation in tech is leading to increased level of choice, control, and customization across all categories - why not spa? Spa operators traditionally rely on hotel and resort management software to manage their staff scheduling, reservations, inventory, and reporting. Spa directors report that that these programs have certain limitations but optimizing enabling technology can lead to increased revenues.The tech of the future must act as the business partner to the Spa Director, alleviating laborious inputs and empowering the Spa Director to rebuild their business by attracting the highest quality therapists and driving personalized guest experiences.

Dynamic staffing based on demand is not compatible

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Les Nouvelles Esthetiques no’77

within traditional hotel and resort spa management software, so some spas rely on clunky staffing apps, which erode profitability due to the requirement to purchase a block of hours regardless of the number of treatments booked, little to no preemptive insight into the therapists, and manual accounting practices.

Future AI Technologies will bring the ability to personalize and customize the treatment specifically for that guest based on their goals and preferences.

The 'next normal' is a chance to create a new kind of freedom for guests, therapists, and resort spas by harnessing the power of algorithms, apps and analytics. For hotels, this means optimizing RevPar and gaining access to flexible staffing solutions.

2. Develop a Spa Revenue Strategy Spas have traditionally been limited in their revenue management practices and relied on discounting, which ultimately erodes brand value. Dynamic pricing is usually based on the highest demand level, with discounts applied during periods of lower demand. Few take a strategic approach inclusive of leveraging technology to enable price yielding, treatment duration, subscriptions, and memberships into a coherent revenue management plan. It is helpful to think of your spa offerings as a portfolio and manage demand to drive consumers to the more profitable elements of your portfolio. This shifts the percent of sales within our portfolio to higher profit items and, therefore, drive higher revenues.

Effective spa revenue management is the practice of allocating the right treatment room to the right guest at the right price at the right time. The determination of "right" entails achieving the most revenue while providing the greatest value to the guest.

3. Touchless Everything Touchless is the word of the day. From the booking process, to check in, check out, and product purchase, technology is enabling remote transactions for nearly every process besides the massage itself.

Contactless tech will continue to innovate the guest experience while building trust.

The most robust approach to bypass all check-in touchpoints is clearly the availability of a mobile app solution. Investment in tech innovations for spas is a long way off when compared to technology development on the hotel side, such as The Hilton Honors app that serves as a remote control for loyalty members' travel experiences. Guests are in control of personalizing their stay, including the ability to choose their rooms, check in digitally and use their phones as keys. Amsterdam-based hotel operator CitizenM announced features in an app to facilitate a fully contactless guest experience.

Guests can now check in and check out, order and pay for food, pay room bills and more all through a mobile device.

At ISM Spa, we are reimaging our spas to get rid of large, impersonal spa reception desks. Spa front desks may be replaced with arrival relaxation pods and spa menus are replaced with a choice of duration and complete customization based on the guest's needs and the therapist's expertise. Therapists are loving having the freedom to design a treatment experience that is unique and personal to that guest.

In the words of one of our therapists "Eliminating the tired, traditional hotel/resort spa menu of services and replacing with customized massages and facials meets the personalized wellness needs of our guests."

4. Safety is a MUST, but Not a Differentiator "It is assumed that all luxury spas will adhere to the highest level of sanitation and safety. Yet many spa guests remain wary. ISM research shows that safety is a huge factor. Although as of this publishing only 33% of respondents have returned to the spa since the shutdown, 77% say they are interested in returning to one that creates an environment where safety is prioritized. Thorough sanitation after each guest and following all CDC guidelines are the most important safety factors guests site to reassure them that it is safe to return to their spa.

Although safety in and of itself is not a differentiator, guests want peace of mind to fully relax during a high touch service. That reassurance comes through effective safety messaging and building trust around solid sanitation practices. Every property should have a safety and sanitation policy spelled out online like ISM Covid-19 protocols or Hyatt's Global Care & Cleanliness Commitment which outline operational guidance and resources around employee and guest safety.

5. Market to Local Community With travel rates down significantly, our resort spas have made a drastic shift to focus on driving traffic from locals. For the unforeseeable future, it's time to shift your marketing efforts and get creative with staycation offerings. Locals require a different marketing strategy than hotel guests, including community outreach and groups.

Marketing to small groups of locals is another effective way to return to business safely. Spas with less than six treatment rooms can sell the entire spa to a group for birthdays, wedding and girlfriend getaways. Spa Directors can assign providers for a block of time and guests can completely customize their spa experiences based on the guest needs and the skills of the providers.

Conclusion As demand for spa services returns, we must facilitate a safe guest experience, satisfy the guests' desire for personalization, and manage dynamic staffing needs to meet fluctuating demand. We need to find a balance between what worked previously and what needs to happen to succeed in the next normal as we step into the future. What does your next normal look like?

Ilana Alberico is an award-winning business visionary and serial entrepreneur. Her 20+ years in the spa industry spans from folding towels in a spa locker room, to the treatment room as a massage therapist, to the boardrooms of leading developers, owners, and hotel companies as a spa operations partner.

Today, she leads a dynamic collection of wellness companies including boutique wellness design and spa management firm ISM Spa, luxury skin care line Privai, and Spa Space Chicago, a successful urban day spa. As CEO of ISM Spa, Ms. Alberico oversees a team of hundreds operating 20 full-service luxury spas across the US. Accolades for ISM include twice being named to Inc. Magazine's Fastest Growing Companies in the US, and recipient of the International Spa Association's Innovate Award for Outstanding Leadership. In recognition for her many achievements, Ms. Alberico was awarded the 2015 Entrepreneur of the Year in Asheville, NC. Articles supplied coutesty of Hotel Business Review

spa therapies There is no getting around it-we are living in a time that threatens the livelihood of the hospitality industry.

However, with scarcity comes creativity and the opportunity to innovate. Despite immediate concerns, the need for healing touch hasn't gone away. In fact, it is stronger than ever before. Recent research conducted by our team at ISM Spa shows that spas have a necessary place in today's landscape. To thrive, however, our business model needs to evolve.

At the outbreak of the pandemic, the 20 spas we managed experienced layoffs and closures across the board. Once state-mandates allowed us to safely re-open, by leveraging technology, we were able to quickly welcome guests and therapists back to a revitalized version of spa. This new beginning comes with new challenges, like implementing social distancing and strict sanitation protocols. It also creates new, innovative ways of working and the need for a flexible, profitable operating model.

The "next normal," for the spa industry implies a dynamic and dramatic restructuring. How do we reimagine a spa operations model that enables personalization while at the same time leans into technology to automate our operations allowing us to drive profitability? How do we budget and forecast for spa services in this next normal? In this article, I will explore proven spa best practices to help you operate your spas safely and profitably while delighting your guests.

The New Guest Value Proposition The spa economy, with global revenues of $93.6 billion yearly pre-pandemic, is showing signs of initial recovery. Guests still crave spa treatments as an integral part of their stay at a luxury property.

Now more than ever, however, they are demanding that their spa experience be worth their time and money. Time outside the cocoon of home is precious.

Adding to the complications, many of the amenity touchpoints that define a luxury spa appointment have been temporarily eliminated from the guest experience. With the steam and sauna, along with relaxation areas including snacks and exotic teas no longer part of the picture, how do we define a luxury experience? What is the new value proposition?

We have combined our decades of experience, hundreds of thousands of unique guest data points, and observations from "in the trenches" to create five best practices to delight guests and produce a healthy bottom line.

Best Practices

Profitable Spa Operations in the Next Normal

By Ilana Alberico CEO, ISM Spa

1. Optimize Technology Innovation in tech is leading to increased level of choice, control, and customization across all categories - why not spa? Spa operators traditionally rely on hotel and resort management software to manage their staff scheduling, reservations, inventory, and reporting. Spa directors report that that these programs have certain limitations but optimizing enabling technology can lead to increased revenues.The tech of the future must act as the business partner to the Spa Director, alleviating laborious inputs and empowering the Spa Director to rebuild their business by attracting the highest quality therapists and driving personalized guest experiences.

Dynamic staffing based on demand is not compatible

30

Les Nouvelles Esthetiques no’77

within traditional hotel and resort spa management software, so some spas rely on clunky staffing apps, which erode profitability due to the requirement to purchase a block of hours regardless of the number of treatments booked, little to no preemptive insight into the therapists, and manual accounting practices.

Future AI Technologies will bring the ability to personalize and customize the treatment specifically for that guest based on their goals and preferences.

The 'next normal' is a chance to create a new kind of freedom for guests, therapists, and resort spas by harnessing the power of algorithms, apps and analytics. For hotels, this means optimizing RevPar and gaining access to flexible staffing solutions.

2. Develop a Spa Revenue Strategy Spas have traditionally been limited in their revenue management practices and relied on discounting, which ultimately erodes brand value. Dynamic pricing is usually based on the highest demand level, with discounts applied during periods of lower demand. Few take a strategic approach inclusive of leveraging technology to enable price yielding, treatment duration, subscriptions, and memberships into a coherent revenue management plan. It is helpful to think of your spa offerings as a portfolio and manage demand to drive consumers to the more profitable elements of your portfolio. This shifts the percent of sales within our portfolio to higher profit items and, therefore, drive higher revenues.

Effective spa revenue management is the practice of allocating the right treatment room to the right guest at the right price at the right time. The determination of "right" entails achieving the most revenue while providing the greatest value to the guest.

3. Touchless Everything Touchless is the word of the day. From the booking process, to check in, check out, and product purchase, technology is enabling remote transactions for nearly every process besides the massage itself.

Contactless tech will continue to innovate the guest experience while building trust.

The most robust approach to bypass all check-in touchpoints is clearly the availability of a mobile app solution. Investment in tech innovations for spas is a long way off when compared to technology development on the hotel side, such as The Hilton Honors app that serves as a remote control for loyalty members' travel experiences. Guests are in control of personalizing their stay, including the ability to choose their rooms, check in digitally and use their phones as keys. Amsterdam-based hotel operator CitizenM announced features in an app to facilitate a fully contactless guest experience.

Guests can now check in and check out, order and pay for food, pay room bills and more all through a mobile device.

At ISM Spa, we are reimaging our spas to get rid of large, impersonal spa reception desks. Spa front desks may be replaced with arrival relaxation pods and spa menus are replaced with a choice of duration and complete customization based on the guest's needs and the therapist's expertise. Therapists are loving having the freedom to design a treatment experience that is unique and personal to that guest.

In the words of one of our therapists "Eliminating the tired, traditional hotel/resort spa menu of services and replacing with customized massages and facials meets the personalized wellness needs of our guests."

4. Safety is a MUST, but Not a Differentiator "It is assumed that all luxury spas will adhere to the highest level of sanitation and safety. Yet many spa guests remain wary. ISM research shows that safety is a huge factor. Although as of this publishing only 33% of respondents have returned to the spa since the shutdown, 77% say they are interested in returning to one that creates an environment where safety is prioritized. Thorough sanitation after each guest and following all CDC guidelines are the most important safety factors guests site to reassure them that it is safe to return to their spa.

Although safety in and of itself is not a differentiator, guests want peace of mind to fully relax during a high touch service. That reassurance comes through effective safety messaging and building trust around solid sanitation practices. Every property should have a safety and sanitation policy spelled out online like ISM Covid-19 protocols or Hyatt's Global Care & Cleanliness Commitment which outline operational guidance and resources around employee and guest safety.

5. Market to Local Community With travel rates down significantly, our resort spas have made a drastic shift to focus on driving traffic from locals. For the unforeseeable future, it's time to shift your marketing efforts and get creative with staycation offerings. Locals require a different marketing strategy than hotel guests, including community outreach and groups.

Marketing to small groups of locals is another effective way to return to business safely. Spas with less than six treatment rooms can sell the entire spa to a group for birthdays, wedding and girlfriend getaways. Spa Directors can assign providers for a block of time and guests can completely customize their spa experiences based on the guest needs and the skills of the providers.

Conclusion As demand for spa services returns, we must facilitate a safe guest experience, satisfy the guests' desire for personalization, and manage dynamic staffing needs to meet fluctuating demand. We need to find a balance between what worked previously and what needs to happen to succeed in the next normal as we step into the future. What does your next normal look like?

Ilana Alberico is an award-winning business visionary and serial entrepreneur. Her 20+ years in the spa industry spans from folding towels in a spa locker room, to the treatment room as a massage therapist, to the boardrooms of leading developers, owners, and hotel companies as a spa operations partner.

Today, she leads a dynamic collection of wellness companies including boutique wellness design and spa management firm ISM Spa, luxury skin care line Privai, and Spa Space Chicago, a successful urban day spa. As CEO of ISM Spa, Ms. Alberico oversees a team of hundreds operating 20 full-service luxury spas across the US. Accolades for ISM include twice being named to Inc. Magazine's Fastest Growing Companies in the US, and recipient of the International Spa Association's Innovate Award for Outstanding Leadership. In recognition for her many achievements, Ms. Alberico was awarded the 2015 Entrepreneur of the Year in Asheville, NC. Articles supplied coutesty of Hotel Business Review

spa therapies

Wellness and Happiness

By Dr. Andrew Weil

Question: With its vast amount of medical research, impressive medical technology, and strong health education, why is the US not “healthier?”

Andrew Weil: The United States spends more per capita on healthcare than any other country in the world, by a long shot. We are now spending upwards of 16% on GDP and it could go as high as 20%. It is completely unsustainable. At the same time we have poorer health outcomes than any other country, any way you look at it: in terms of infant mortality, longevity, rates of chronic disease, and so forth. The big question is: Why are we not healthier if we are spending too much money on our health?

My feeling is that the root cause of our problem is that this vast enterprise, which is what we call healthcare, is actually a disease management system that is not working very well. We are spending all this money to manage existing disease, most of which is lifestyle related and therefore preventable.

We have to ask ourselves, why we can't do a better job with prevention and health promotion. The answer - simply is that they don't pay and, until we can figure out how to make them pay, we are not going to change this system.

The other reason why our medicine and health care is so expensive is because we are completely reliant on technology to solve all of our problems. That includes pharmaceutical drugs. And technology is very expensive. Our health professionals are not trained in low cost, low tech ways of managing common ailments.

Question: What is the future of wellness and what role can the spa industry have in shaping it?

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Andrew Weil: Our healthcare of the future has to be based on wellness and health promotion. I think the spa industry can be very central in this new kind of healthcare because wellness, health promotion, and healthy living have always been central in spas.

I would think that the spa industry could be a good source of inspiration for designing a new kind of healthcare.

Question: Do you feel we are moving in the right direction?

Andrew Weil: I'm afraid we are not moving in the right direction at the moment. The problem is that, as dysfunctional as our healthcare promotion is, it is generating rivers of money that are flowing into very few pockets. Those are the pockets of the pharmaceutical industry, the manufacturers of medical devices, and the big insurers.

Those vested interests have total control over our legislators. It doesn't matter whether they are democrats or republicans, and for that reason I don't think we can expect change from the government.

Those vested interests don't want anything to change.

I think the only hope is through education, raising awareness, and a grassroots movement that changes the political balance of power. Again, I think spas could help promote that grassroots movement by educating people about the importance of wellness, health promotion, and prevention.

Question: Do you think happiness is important to our health? Is it related to self esteem?

Andrew Weil: I'm not sure happiness is the goal of life. I think we should be open to the possibility

Les Nouvelles Esthetiques no’77

of happiness but, it seems to me, it's much better to work towards contentment. Contentment is an inner feeling of things being fulfilled that are relatively independent of external circumstances. Most people imagine they'll be happy if they get something they don't have and I don't think that's the best way to think. I think when you're healthy, a part of health is a feeling of wellbeing, and I don't know if that's the same as happiness. I think a sense of wellbeing is definitely an important quality of health.

Question: What message should the spa community endorse to help people realize their full health potential?

Andrew Weil: I think the spa community really should be working to educate people about the principles of healthy lifestyle. And they should be working on getting the people that it touches to be agents of change in our society. I think people that come through spas should leave knowing more than they went in about how to take care of themselves, how to lead healthy lives, and how to inspire others to do so.

Dr. Andrew Weil, Best Selling Author, Speaker and Integrative Medicine and Thought Leader, U.S. at interviews at the Global Wellness Summit.

spa business

Why Managing Your Work-Life Is Harder

By Dan Schawbel New York Times Bestselling Author But More Important During Covid

& Managing Partner of ‘ Workplace Intelligence ‘

I recently had a Zoom conversation with a colleague who told me that since he no longer had to commute to work, he blocked off an hour to read a book or listen to a podcast. Before Covid, many of us would take a train, drive a car, or even fly to get to work, using that time to prepare for the day, relax or entertain ourselves. I always thought my hour drive to work was "the calm before the storm". It was a time to reflect and prepare mentally for the day ahead. It turns out that having a "fake commute" is more common than I thought and is especially popular in Germany, where leisure time is cherished because periods of resting leads to higher levels of productivity.

Our work-lives are no longer nine-to-five leading to more unpredictable schedules, an always-on culture, and a labour free-for-all that has been perpetuated

by Covid and made possible by mobile technologies.

Since March, the time we spent commuting has been reallocated to more time working, which has resulted in higher levels of productivity at the cost of our mental health. In a global study by my firm and Oracle, we found that being remote has increasingly blurred our personal and professional lives. Half of the respondents are spending at least five more hours each week working and over a third are spending ten more.

All of this additional working time has led to stress, anxiety, and depression that directly impacts our home life. It feels almost inescapable because only a door separates our work from our personal lives, and that door is often opened by spouses, children, and breaks to eat and sleep. As a result of our worklife blend, our research shows that we are more sleep deprived, have poor physical health, lower levels of happiness, our family lives suffer and we feel isolated from our friends. While technology has powered and made remote working possible, we are now always available regardless of what room we're in at home. And, when we're always on, we're never present with ourselves, our family and friends.

The importance of work-life management during Covid We have to make work-life management a priority during these times because when we're suffering at home, the quality of our work declines, and when we aren't performing at work, we bring negative feelings into our home. I realized during the early part of my career the connection between work-life and have said many times that if we improve our workplace, our entire lives improve as a result because we spend much of our lives working and it couldn't be more true today.

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But, don't get me wrong, remote work has been a blessing for me and so many others, who feel a better sense of control over our time now that we aren't mandated to commute to an office. One study found that 73 percent of workers have a better worklife balance when remote, giving them more time with their spouse, children, and pets. Regardless of age group, we all desire to prioritize time with family and want freedom in our lives. But, there needs to be more harmony between how we work and how we live because each relies on the other to achieve it. And, there are benefits to being face-to-face in an office together compared to at home on Zoom.

right to decide when and where they work at least half of the time.

In a letter in the Financial Times, PwC UK Chairman Kevin Ellis wrote, "If the pandemic has proved to others that office workers can work effectively from home, it has proved to me the importance of offices to the work/life balance equation. The virtual world is no substitute for human contact for a people business like ours. Teams need to come together, people need to coach others and ideas need to be developed with clients in a face to face environment."

Ellis is right in that being in-person can be extremely beneficial to the exchange of ideas, which leads to new innovations and deeper relationships. And he validates my belief that there's no one-size-fits-all approach to managing our work lives or to how organizations should orchestrate a flexibility program.

How to manage your work-life in this new work paradigm

But, even though we can all agree that flexibility is part of the foundation of working in today's world, there's no real instruction manual for how to do so.

Since we each have a different set of life circumstances, preferences, and needs, these flexibility programs and policies need some degree of customization to appeal to and support all workers.

The U.S. culture promotes burnout as a right of passage and work is deeply entrenched in our identities that it sometimes feels like we've created a prison without a key. That's why we should look to other countries for inspiration.

What we can learn from other countries about managing worklife Every year the World Happiness Report ranks countries based on how happy their citizens are.

Over the past eight years, the Nordic countries have always been at the top of the list, while the U.S. lags behind in 18th or 19th place. In Denmark, employees are guaranteed five weeks of paid vacation with a 37- hour work week. In Sweden, only 1.1 percent of employees work long hours and they are given the flexibility to work whenever as long as the job gets accomplished. In Finland, employees have flexible hours so they can start or end the day earlier if they so choose, and as of this year, they have the

Les Nouvelles Esthetiques no’77

Unlike the Nordic countries, the U.S. doesn't mandate paid family or sick leave, or offer universal childcare support, or even paid vacation or holidays. We live to work, while people in the Nordic countries work to live. And, this has led to a lot of mental health issues that we are all responsible for. While we shouldn't patiently wait for U.S. work culture to magically change, we can start managing our worklife in a better way so they can be in harmony instead of imbalance.

In order to maximize your ability to produce, but not at the cost of your family life and health, we need to be more thoughtful about how, when, and where we work and live. If we say, "if it's not on my calendar it doesn't exist" and "I live and die by my calendar", then we should be much more thoughtful and intentional about how we construct our calendar, ensuring that we have enough breaks and time for personal activities and people. For instance, instead of that old one-hour commute to work, add in time for a socially-distanced walk with a friend or breakfast with your spouse. Instead of isolating yourself in your home office, eat at the kitchen table. Put 30minute breaks into your calendar at least three or four times a day to break up the day and force yourself to disconnect.

We need a better relationship with technology in order to effectively manage our work-lives too. Keep all your technology in your home office and out of the kitchen or bedroom. Just like you set boundaries with technology, you should set them with your colleagues so you aren't always on-call. Have a set time every day when the team knows you're done working so they don't keep emailing and texting you. Try to keep a routine so you create habits you can commit to that make you feel healthier and happier. And, most importantly, have work-life conversations with the people you work with because the behaviour of others can either help or harm your work-life.

By making work-life a priority, we can all live better lives and not at the cost of our productivity because a healthier and happier employee will work harder and produce better quality work. When you are suffering from stress, burnout, and are unhappy, it's hard to focus and reach your full potential at work.

Starting today, let's put more of an emphasis on managing our work-lives because our lives and our jobs both depend on it.

spa business

Are You Ready to Be Coached?

Executive coaching can help you achieve higher performance and greater personal satisfaction at work. While you may be aware that you need to make changes - in behaviour, mindset, or both - to advance your career, you won’t reap the benefits of coaching unless you’re prepared to fully engage in the process. This requires a substantial investment of time and effort, so before you move forward, the most important question you should ask yourself is, “Am I ready to be coached?”

Having discussed challenging client experiences with many accomplished executive coaches, it’s clear that the corresponding question - “Is this leader coachable?” - figures prominently in their evaluation of whether and how to proceed. Drawing on these conversations, I identified seven core characteristics that differentiate leaders who evolve through coaching from those who don't.

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options, you are unlikely to be open or do the necessary reflection to change. You have to try out new ideas and actions, fail, learn, and try again.

Ability to look beyond the rational. Behaviour is not rational - it’s driven by emotions like fear, anger, and pride. Just because you “know” what to do doesn’t mean that you’ll act accordingly. You’ll gain a deeper understanding of your own behaviours and relationships if you explore their emotional dimensions.

Willingness to take responsibility. It’s hard to change if you don’t believe you have the power to shape your future. Blaming the organization, the boss, too many responsibilities, and so on will block you from growth. Even if there is some truth in your reasoning, it’s impossible to move forward if you see yourself as a victim. You have to hold yourself accountable for making progress.

Tolerance for discomfort. Successful coaching requires you to be proactive in embracing new ways of perceiving and acting. In doing so, you will likely experience fear or emotional blocks about new realizations and realities. You must be able to endure these periods of discomfort to realize the rewards of taking new and different approaches.

Capacity for forgiveness. Even if you feel you’ve been mistreated, it’s essential to make peace with the past and channel your energy into progress.The need to “be right” or “show them” is rarely helpful for you or the people you work with. You must be willing to forgive and move on.

Openness to experimentation. Trying something new means taking risks, and experiments with new behaviors may not work the first time. Waiting for the perfect timing or perfect performance will stand in the way of progress. If you think you already have the answers and are unwilling to explore new

Self-discipline. Somewhat counterintuitively, your development as a leader will likely require you to let go of ways of thinking and behaving that helped make you successful in the past and be prepared to live with the consequences. It may be hard for others to accept changes in your personal or work

Les Nouvelles Esthetiques no’77

By Brenda Steinberg relationships. For example, you may have succeeded up to this point by saying yes to helping out colleagues and making yourself available. But disciplining yourself to say no and learning to focus on what_s important are essential parts of becoming a more effective leader. Even if those around you bristle at you no longer being available 24/7, you have to stay focused on your coaching goals.

Ability to ask for support. Finally, you must be engaged with other potential supporters, not just your coach, throughout the coaching process. You are accountable for change, but you will develop faster if you make yourself vulnerable to others (judiciously), including your boss, peers, and even direct reports. Share goals, ask for advice, listen with curiosity, and most critically, accept and act on t he constructive feedback you receive.

It’s normal to feel both excitement and trepidation when deciding to work with an executive coach.

Start by assessing the degree to which you have these seven characteristics, then discuss which are the most challenging for you. You may mutually decide that it’s not the right time to proceed. More likely, it will help you develop a stronger relationship and a deeper awareness of how to meaningfully develop as a leader through coaching.

Brenda Steinberg is an executive coach with 20 years of experience coaching senior leaders. She regularly coaches in “Transition to Business Leadership” and other programs at the IMD Business School.

spa business

Working with Influencers

By Rachel Anise -The Beauty Professor In 2012, I started Beauty Professor as a purely creative endeavour. Initially, the blog merely served as an outlet for my ardent love of luxury skin care and beauty and its presence on the Internet allowed me to quickly and personally connect with a community of like-minded individuals who felt the same excitement for the quest for the perfect product.

I taught myself everything from HTML coding to the correct way to light a photograph and use editing tools (if it can be Googled, it can be learned) and loved writing posts each week as a way to balance my day-to-day focus on academia (I'm also a fulltime college professor). The environment in the early days was casual, relaxed and delightfully noncompetitive and I was over the moon when the first brand reached out to me via email and asked if they could send me product for review. Never in my wildest dreams did I think an unbridled passion for beauty would result in direct relationships with brands and I was thrilled to accept product that fit with my content focus and test it for my readers.

At the beginning, receiving product launches that ultimately might be featured on the blog was less of a business transaction and more of a utility that helped me keep my content timely and relevant for my readers. Brands received earned (rather than paid) media exposure, I had an expanse of fresh product from which to choose and my audience had access to the latest in the beauty industry when visiting my site. In short, everybody won.

Fast forward nearly eight years later and the landscape of beauty blogging has dramatically changed. What once felt much like the Wild West…no defined rules, clear standards, articulated expectations or established rates…has rapidly transformed into a corporate metropolis of contracts and analytics. Bloggers are now “digital content creators” and “influencers” and many rely solely on third-party apps like Instagram and YouTube (rather than privately owned websites) to share their images and thoughts. Brands are faced with competing-Hunger Games style - to work with the influencers with the largest reach and succeeding in this endeavour can require significant budgets for sponsorships and high profile press trips. This dynamic can leave newer and/or smaller brands feeling left out of the mix.

The good news is that working with the beauty influencer with the “most followers” (I will explain my intentional use of quotes shortly) is not always the most advantageous and, for every business, there is an apropos influencer that will fit even the most humble of budgets. Partnering with the right influencer can bring exposure and, ideally, increased business to your brand or service, making it a completely worthy pursuit when done with an informed mindset.

My best strategies for successfully partnering with influencers - both on a local and national level - can be summarized in ten tips:

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1. Understand the value of micro-influencers: Defined as a content creator with a follower count ranging from 1000 -100,000 followers, a microinfluencer tends to have stronger content specialization and greater engagement with his or her audience and this interaction contributes to more trust, credibility and, ultimately, responsiveness in terms of audience behaviour. In other words, just because someone has a lot of followers doesn't mean that said followers are responsive to messaging or even trust what that influencer might say. Microinfluencers typically infuse a personalized touch into their content creation (adeptly balancing both unsponsored and sponsored content) and directly reply to questions and comments from their audience, making their message more authentic, believable and actionable.

2. Be clear on the concepts of ROI: Otherwise known as “Return on Investment,” a concern for ROI should be at the forefront of every partnership between brand and influencer. Your budget for a collaboration could consist of a combination of monetary compensation, products or services and, once spent, the goal is to get something back in return. These gains could be in the form of increased exposure (both online and word-of-mouth buzz), more new clients or even an influx of sales. Knowing how you will define the success of a partnership in advance will help you to communicate expectations clearly and spend wisely.

generally ask to test products or services before committing to a favourable review: If their aim is authenticity, then they can't promise a glowing review before actually experiencing what your brand has to offer. The influencers with this personal policy are worth their weight in gold as their audience implicitly trusts them and will often readily act upon their recommendations.

6. Be clear on the content you envision: When negotiating a partnership, be detailed on what you envision the deliverables (e.g., content created) to be. Are you seeking a blog post?

Instagram post? Instagram Stories (always an excellent place to start as the content feels in-themoment)? YouTube video feature or inclusion? For content to be its most effective, both parties should be on the same page.

7. Follow and support on social media: Follow and organically comment on accounts of influencers with whom you'd like to partner. The more they see you and feel your support and interest, the more receptive they'll likely be to partnering.

8. Diversify verticals: If skincare is your focus, then by all means, reach out to beauty and skincare-specific influencers but also be open to connecting and collaborating with those in the lifestyle, fashion, food and fitness verticals as well as their audiences need skincare, too!

3. Do your due diligence: 9. Professionalism is essential: Did you know that it is incredibly easy and relatively inexpensive for influencers to purchase followers and likes on Instagram? This common yet fraudulent practice can catapult content creators to undeserved fame as their “audience” is actually the result of “liking farms,” often in far off countries, that create fake profiles and activate bots to auto-like posts.

Fortunately, brands are becoming wise to this reality and have begun to look at the frequency and quality of comments, to determine the authenticity of one's audience. I suggest using Socialblade (it's free) to chart an influencer's follower count from day-to-day.

For example, if they are regularly losing hundreds a day and then gain thousands on a single day, there is a strong likelihood that they're purchasing their audience.

4. Reach out to influencers via email and make it personal: A well-crafted email can open major doors! When reaching out to an influencer with a proposal, make sure to address them by their name, explain your brand and how you hope to work together. Be tastefully persistent and quick on the response if/when you hear back.

5. Understand that a trustworthy influencer will

Les Nouvelles Esthetiques no’76

A partnership with an influencer is a business transaction and should be treated as such. When crafting an agreement or contract, include a quick scope of the project, a description of the deliverables, the agreed upon compensation (even when it's limited to a product or a service) and a timeline for completion of the content.

10. Don't forget the early adopters: Sometimes when a brand really hits its stride and takes off, they've been known to abandon those who, in the early stages, helped them to grow into the high-profile success that they've become. Instead, honour loyalty and support with a reciprocal dose of loyalty and support…you and your business won't regret it.

Rachel Anise, otherwise known as The Beauty Professor, is an LA-based college Communication Studies professor and beauty expert with a penchant for beauty and skincare from both high-end and independent niche lines. Her blog, Beauty Professor, features honest reviews, true-to life images and creative video tutorials that work together to create an authentic and interactive community.

spa business

Act like an owner, Think like a customer!

By Justin Herald - Managing Director of Customer Culture

For those that know me, and for those reading this that have had me come and do customer service training within their business, will understand that I am passionate about teaching proper, real and old school customer service principals to staff. This is one area of business that sadly gets left to the side or if anything, is trained vaguely once and never revisited again.

to the feelings your clients have when the walk out after the service has been completed.

Gone are the days where we can just treat our customers and clients with a vanilla flavoured style of service. I keep saying and saying this all the time, “your customers have one thing now more than ever before…. CHOICE!”

Just think for a moment the last time you were a customer and the sort of vanilla (at best) treatment you got from someone who serviced you.

We have all come to be used to mediocre or terrible service so in essence, we just tolerate it. If it annoys you that gone are the days of great service, then make sure you do something about it internally with in your business. BE DELIBERATE!

This is why it is so important as a business to ensure we are training our staff in better and more relevant ways to service our clients.

Your best asset in business should be your competition. By that I mean they should suck more than you. If they don't then here is where the issue lies.

Your customers want to be appreciated for choosing you over the countless other businesses out there.

By them choosing your business, they are emotionally entrenched in the process and the outcome.

Sure, you may have a stack of awards hanging off the walls, you may have the latest technology and products and your shop fit-out may impress the hardest of critics, but in the end it all comes down

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We need to teach our staff that they need to act like an owner (take responsibility for their outcomes) but think like a customer (understand that their actions will have either a positive or negative effect on how that customer will remember the business as a whole)

Make sure your staff fully understand the importance of leaving the customers and clients with a positive impression EVERYTIME that customer has a touch point with the business. It has to be regular and not just here and there or an af ter thought.

With so much competition today for customers business, it will be the little things that they remember.

Customer Service is one of those things that get remembered. Normally due to there being none.

Price is rarely as important as we assume it is to the customer. Emotional feelings, and how one is made to feel, is on top of most customers list.

Les Nouvelles Esthetiques no’77

Your customers have 5 needs that at some point in time they will want met.

1. They want to have great positive experiences every time they deal with your business and your staff.

2. They have expectations and regardless of how you feel about those expectations, they still have them. If they are unrealistic, then its up to you and your staff to come up with realistic options.

3. They want to be engaged. No one wants a boring experience. Make sure your staff bring their personality to work every day.

4. The want to be educated. The is nothing more frustrating when as a customer, you know more about what you are buying than the person selling.

5. They also want to be entertained. Make sure your business is a great place to be from a customer's perspective. When they are spending their hardearned money, they are emotionally involved. This is why we all need to ensure we are making the experience a great one and worth their money.

Being deliberate with how we treat our customers will pay off in the end. They will return, and ensuring our customers stay loyal is not only up to the business owner, it's up to every single staff member as well About Justin Herald Managing Director of Customer Culture, A Sales and Service training company that works. He is also the Author of 8 books, plus the new Customer Culture - Customers First Staff Training Manual.

spa business

4 Types of Unfortunate Customer Service Trends The whole notion of customer service, and I mean proper old fashion customer service seems to be disappearing quickly. Gone are the days when you are blown away by someone's effort to go way above and beyond to give you an experience.

Most people don't say anything anymore when they are treated badly as they think that there is no outcome if they do. Sadly this has led us to now accept bad service as the new norm.

Well I for one am a bit over the mediocrity and I think it's time for a change back to proper service.

There are four customer service styles that seem to be rampant today out in the marketplace which I want to highlight and hopefully eradicate.

Your business grows when your customers get treated right. This isn't rocket science, it's a fact that unfortunately a lot of business owners and their staff are not getting.

1. The Ninja Service The ninja service is probably one of the most common types of service we all experience. Like a ninja, ninja service is when you don't even realise that service has even been there or a part of your experience when dealing with someone.

Every few days I stop at the same service station to fill my car up with fuel on my way to taking my daughter to school. I am yet to have had one word said to me by the person behind the counter. Not a “hello”, not a “how is your day”, not a “that will be $63 please”, not even a “thank you”.

NOTHING!!!!

I would have been there at least twice every week now for over 2 years and been served by the same guy so one would assume that he would remember me but still I get nothing. So he is a customer service ninja. He does everything by stealth. Problem is, as a customer I am not only after what I purchase, I am also after an experience. A good one not a bad one!

2. The Skeleton Service The skeleton service is very easy to spot. That is when you just experience the bare bones of service.

You know, where it's evident but just. This is happening all the time and it is my belief it is due to either lack of training or staff are being trained in basics of service by people who don't really understand what consumers really want and like.

Recently I went to my local food supermarket. Now this place is huge. There are 15 check outs. The problem is they never have any open. This particular day I was there picking up something for dinner there was just one register open with a lady working her butt off to get through the monstrous line of shoppers lining up. Down the other end was the “self-serve” checkouts which most supermarkets are trying to get us all to use. This is where I had a problem. There are 10 “self-serve” registers there but they had 3 staff telling the customers which register they should use. Now as I have been on this planet for a fair while now, I'm pretty sure I can see what register was available to use. Not only where there 3 staff members there, in all their wisdom they closed 5 of the “self-serve” registers so that line up was huge as well. When I questioned one of the staff members as to why they were shut she said “that's so we don't get too many people through here at one time”. HUH??? Well if they didn't want too many people there, wouldn't it be smarter to take 2 of those 3 staff and open up a proper register for them to SERVE the customers?

Skeleton service is a croc and should be stamped out of all businesses.

3. The Fool's Gold Service Back in the gold rush, fool's gold was everywhere.

Whilst it looked like real gold, not until it was tested could it be proven if it was real of fake.

This is how a lot of us have a customer service experience these days. Whilst everything maybe going well in our dealings with someone, not until there is an issue or something tricky pops its head up do we see what the person is really like in the service realm.

This normally happens when dealing with a “service department” over the phone. They have been trained to do things a certain way, which in a perfect world would be awesome, but the reality is all customers

By Justin Herald - Managing Director of Customer Culture

are different. Then when a customer wants a better outcome or feels like the level of service needs to be better the true nature of the level of service is seen in all of its ugly colours.

Service isn't just for those customer who are perfect.

It is also there for those who can be a right royal pain. True good service is what will win them over and calm them down, not fake fool's gold service.

4. The One Size Fits All Service The one size fits all service experience happens to most of us every day. You know when you go somewhere and you are met by an employee who just spits out the same old same old rhetoric? “Hi, how's you day going”, “the weather is nice today isn't it”, “oh I like that colour on you” blah, blah, blah…

As stated before, customers are after experiences, engagement and to be really appreciated. The fact is, the customer today one thing more than ever before….CHOICE! Unless we genuinely look after our customers and treat them well and service them to the hilt, they will find someone else that does.

This is why staff training, and I mean proper face to face training and none of this online training garbage, comes into play. Businesses who recognise that staff need to be constantly update in the skill of service are the ones who are kicking big goals. Every time I spend time with staff in a business that has engaged my services to train their staff, the sales results the following week increase due to the staff paying more attention to their customers.

So there you have it. Those are my 4 customer service styles that need to go. I am sure you could think of some more but if we all concentrate on treating our customers how we ourselves like to be treated when we are spending our own money then I am sure things would change for the better Justin Herald is the Managing Director of Customer Culture, A Sales and Service training company that works. He is also the Author of 8 books, plus the new Customer Culture - Customers First staff training manual.

spa business • Contact details for bookings, perhaps including an emergency number.

• The cancellation policy.

Does your Spa menu have categories?

We suggest the cancellation policy is in one or two short sentences, right at the bottom of the menu. Focus on the positive, the beauty, the health and wellness. And then focus on the nitty gritty. Don't ever hide the cancellation policy though, it must be visible.

Before you open your Spa, you will have done research into Spa offerings.

If you are offering massages, facials, anti-ageing treatments, waxes, pedicures or manicures, make sure your Spa menu is well categorised. You do not want to lump all treatments together, but rather create various categories so your client's eyes go straight to the treatment they are seeking out.

Is your Spa Menu accessible and visible?

When a guest walks in to your Spa, the menus should be easily accessible.

Don't limit your Spa menus to the reception area only. Have them in the locker rooms, at the Spa Cafe if you have one, and in the relaxation or waiting rooms. If you are situated in a hotel, the Spa Menus should be in each and every hotel room, as well as with the hotel concierge.

If your Spa is an area where you think handing out pamphlets is a good idea, then your pamphlets with a brief Spa Menu should be easy to hand out, price-competitive and still gorgeous and appealing!

Is your Spa Menu online?

By Debbie Merdjan - CEO of Camelot International

The Importance of an appealing Spa and an even more appealing Spa Menu If you want clients to come to your Spa, and to keep coming back to your Spa, you need to offer something that is striking, appealing, inspiring and irresistible.

The position and design of your Spa are vitally important, as are soothing music, low lighting, gentle therapists, beautiful treatments and a cup of herbal tea offered on arrival or departure.

But your Spa Menu, which is all about those beautiful treatments, is what is going to ensure your success.

There are a few rules that one should think about when it comes to the success of a Spa. • • • • • • • • •

Where is your Spa and who is your target market?

Does your Spa reflect your vision and mission?

What makes your Spa more appealing than the Spa down the road?

How professional, and motivated, are your staff?

Are you price competitive?

Are your offerings consistent?

Can you ensure your customer's return business?

What treatment add on's do you offer?

Do you keep up with trends?

• Does your Spa Menu have clear categories?

• Prices and accuracy?

Does your Spa Menu reflect your Brand?

Not every Spa is going to be a world class luxurious Spa, and they don't all have to be. What you need to know, when you open your Spa, is that you are in the right area for your target market. You therefore need to know who your target markets are, be they tourists, business people, ladies who lunch, young up-and-coming professionals or the student market. Your Spa branding must reflect your client and your product.

If you are branding your Spa towards ladies who lunch, your Spa Menu should be aimed at them. The people who walk into your Spa are walking in because something in your Spa has appealed to them. Your Spa Menu needs to hold that appeal and reflect your brand, and your brand must be consistent.

Is your Spa Menu clear and simple?

Make things easy for your customer. You need to have your menu written in such a way that your client understands what they are getting and at what cost.

No client should have to ask questions about a treatment.

Most importantly, how good is your Spa Menu?

For the sake of this article, we are going to focus on your Spa Menu and the design of your Spa Menu.

Keep things simple. Less is more. Minimise your menu. Do market research so you understand in advance what treatments are going to be popular.

Does your Spa Menu include essential information ?

Let's take a look at the highlights you need to take into consideration:• Does your Spa Menu reflect your brand?

• Is your Spa Menu clear and easy to read?

• Does your Spa Menu include the essential information?

• Is your Spa Menu easily visible?

• Is your Spa Menu online?

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Les Nouvelles Esthetiques no’77

You may be rolling your eyes but you have no idea how many Spas have left the essential information off their Spa menus.

• Opening Hours • Spa amenities that the guest can enjoy • Information on complimentary amenities

More and more people are checking Spa menus online, as well as booking their appointments online. Your Spa needs a website, one that is simple, clear and as beautiful and appealing as your Spa itself. And then, a digital version of your Spa menu is vital, with the same branding as your actual Spa. Your online digital version must be smartphone compatible, which is something that people forget about too. Many women will use their phones while waiting for the kids at school and will book online. They must be able to read your Spa menu clearly and easily.

Prices and accuracy Be upfront with pricing. People are looking at your Spa menu not only for the available treatments but because they want to know the costs. It doesn't matter if you are catering to Hollywood stars or catering to students. Be upfront about costs and always keep your costs and your services accurate.

Never photocopy a price list! Ever. You have standards to maintain. Maintain them!

Lastly, there is something very important about the psychology behind your Spa Menu design. Only work with professionals, also known as menu engineers, to design your menu. They know what a client's eye will be drawn too. They understand the importance of fonts, images and wording. They know what people find attractive and appealing. They know what makes something unique.

Make your Spa Menu absolutely irresistible and this in return will result in great sales.

spa business • Contact details for bookings, perhaps including an emergency number.

• The cancellation policy.

Does your Spa menu have categories?

We suggest the cancellation policy is in one or two short sentences, right at the bottom of the menu. Focus on the positive, the beauty, the health and wellness. And then focus on the nitty gritty. Don't ever hide the cancellation policy though, it must be visible.

Before you open your Spa, you will have done research into Spa offerings.

If you are offering massages, facials, anti-ageing treatments, waxes, pedicures or manicures, make sure your Spa menu is well categorised. You do not want to lump all treatments together, but rather create various categories so your client's eyes go straight to the treatment they are seeking out.

Is your Spa Menu accessible and visible?

When a guest walks in to your Spa, the menus should be easily accessible.

Don't limit your Spa menus to the reception area only. Have them in the locker rooms, at the Spa Cafe if you have one, and in the relaxation or waiting rooms. If you are situated in a hotel, the Spa Menus should be in each and every hotel room, as well as with the hotel concierge.

If your Spa is an area where you think handing out pamphlets is a good idea, then your pamphlets with a brief Spa Menu should be easy to hand out, price-competitive and still gorgeous and appealing!

Is your Spa Menu online?

By Debbie Merdjan - CEO of Camelot International

The Importance of an appealing Spa and an even more appealing Spa Menu If you want clients to come to your Spa, and to keep coming back to your Spa, you need to offer something that is striking, appealing, inspiring and irresistible.

The position and design of your Spa are vitally important, as are soothing music, low lighting, gentle therapists, beautiful treatments and a cup of herbal tea offered on arrival or departure.

But your Spa Menu, which is all about those beautiful treatments, is what is going to ensure your success.

There are a few rules that one should think about when it comes to the success of a Spa. • • • • • • • • •

Where is your Spa and who is your target market?

Does your Spa reflect your vision and mission?

What makes your Spa more appealing than the Spa down the road?

How professional, and motivated, are your staff?

Are you price competitive?

Are your offerings consistent?

Can you ensure your customer's return business?

What treatment add on's do you offer?

Do you keep up with trends?

• Does your Spa Menu have clear categories?

• Prices and accuracy?

Does your Spa Menu reflect your Brand?

Not every Spa is going to be a world class luxurious Spa, and they don't all have to be. What you need to know, when you open your Spa, is that you are in the right area for your target market. You therefore need to know who your target markets are, be they tourists, business people, ladies who lunch, young up-and-coming professionals or the student market. Your Spa branding must reflect your client and your product.

If you are branding your Spa towards ladies who lunch, your Spa Menu should be aimed at them. The people who walk into your Spa are walking in because something in your Spa has appealed to them. Your Spa Menu needs to hold that appeal and reflect your brand, and your brand must be consistent.

Is your Spa Menu clear and simple?

Make things easy for your customer. You need to have your menu written in such a way that your client understands what they are getting and at what cost.

No client should have to ask questions about a treatment.

Most importantly, how good is your Spa Menu?

For the sake of this article, we are going to focus on your Spa Menu and the design of your Spa Menu.

Keep things simple. Less is more. Minimise your menu. Do market research so you understand in advance what treatments are going to be popular.

Does your Spa Menu include essential information ?

Let's take a look at the highlights you need to take into consideration:• Does your Spa Menu reflect your brand?

• Is your Spa Menu clear and easy to read?

• Does your Spa Menu include the essential information?

• Is your Spa Menu easily visible?

• Is your Spa Menu online?

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Les Nouvelles Esthetiques no’77

You may be rolling your eyes but you have no idea how many Spas have left the essential information off their Spa menus.

• Opening Hours • Spa amenities that the guest can enjoy • Information on complimentary amenities

More and more people are checking Spa menus online, as well as booking their appointments online. Your Spa needs a website, one that is simple, clear and as beautiful and appealing as your Spa itself. And then, a digital version of your Spa menu is vital, with the same branding as your actual Spa. Your online digital version must be smartphone compatible, which is something that people forget about too. Many women will use their phones while waiting for the kids at school and will book online. They must be able to read your Spa menu clearly and easily.

Prices and accuracy Be upfront with pricing. People are looking at your Spa menu not only for the available treatments but because they want to know the costs. It doesn't matter if you are catering to Hollywood stars or catering to students. Be upfront about costs and always keep your costs and your services accurate.

Never photocopy a price list! Ever. You have standards to maintain. Maintain them!

Lastly, there is something very important about the psychology behind your Spa Menu design. Only work with professionals, also known as menu engineers, to design your menu. They know what a client's eye will be drawn too. They understand the importance of fonts, images and wording. They know what people find attractive and appealing. They know what makes something unique.

Make your Spa Menu absolutely irresistible and this in return will result in great sales.

spa business

The Business of Cosmeceuticals “A growing cosmeceutical market encourages competition and demands innovation.”

By Cristina Beecham - Les Nouvelles Esthetiques USA Market Growth and Strategy

Well-Educated Consumers

In 2017, the global market for cosmeceuticals was valued at over 46 billion dollars in the U.S. alone.

This figure is expected to almost double by 2023 at an estimated value of over 80 billion dollars.

World wide, the United States holds the largest market share of cosmeceuticals, followed by Europe and Asia. For skin care manufacturers, aestheticians and spa business owners, understanding why the cosmeceutical industry is experiencing such tremendous growth is vital to reaping the economic rewards.

Just as the number of ageing consumers continues to increase, so does their cosmetic ingredient savvy.

Beauty-conscious consumers are now more knowledgeable and wealthier than ever before and are seeking cosmetics with medicinal benefits. This is another reason for the increase in cosmeceutical grade product sales. Consumers are aware of active ingredients, and are now demanding therapeutic concentrations in their over the counter skin care products.

Let's uncover the various forces pushing and pulling cosmeceuticals into the hands of consumers and skin care professionals around the world.

The Rise of the Ageing Population Researchers and analysts agree that a large part of the cosmeceutical industry's growth can be attributed to population growth. People are living longer, and the desire for youthfulness among men and women is feeding the cosmetic industry. In fact, between 2007 and 2017, there has been a rapid increase in the 40 and over population. With life expectancy expected to continue rising for men and women, the ageing population is a growing market for skin care and cosmetic companies. This rapidly growing demographic is sparking demand for antiageing products to prevent wrinkles, sun damage, and other signs of diminishing youthfulness. With this increased demand, skin care manufacturers are responding by focusing research and development on active ingredient-based anti-ageing products to appeal to this growing demographic.

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Ingredient Driven The demand for new ingredients is largely driven by the “baby-boomer” generation. Aestheticians whose practice relies on ageing clients can attest to their growing concern about their ageing skin.

In demand cosmeceutical ingredients are: • Topical retinoids • Antioxidants • Enzymes • Botanicals • Hyaluronic Acid • Amino Acids • Peptides • Stem Cells • Growth Factors.

In a market where consumers are growing more and more educated about active skin care ingredients, the importance of continued education and innovation among skin care professionals is more important than ever.

Competition and Innovation A growing cosmeceutical market encourages competition and demands innovation. It is now vital for skin care manufacturers to separate their product from the masses and get their message to consumers.

Extensive marketing is essential for companies that

sell cosmeceuticals, as there are often counterfeit and fake products in this unregulated market.

However any claims of pharmaceutical properties or effects for scientific validity made by product manufacturers about having an effect on the structure or function of human skin must be substantiated by scientific evidence.

Competition for cosmeceuticals comes from various sectors. Treatments such as laser, which offer more dramatic results than cosmeceuticals but at a greater cost and greater risk, are growing in popularity.

Competition from within the cosmeceutical market is increasing as well, with the rise of private label cosmeceuticals and rapid commoditisation of active ingredients. With advanced and high quality private label products available to aestheticians, savvy entrepreneur can grow a successful cosmeceutical brand!

Selecting Cosmeceuticals for Your Practice Use your expertise and ingredient knowledge to select effective products. It is also important to evaluate products based on their safety and ease of at-home use. Products that cause significant irritation such as redness or dryness will not be well tolerated by clients.

When considering cosmeceutical brands to carry, look for lines that are not available at retailers and department stores. Professional lines should be designed for aestheticians to create a competitive and exclusive retail environment.

Finally, make sure your entire staff is educated on your cosmeceutical line's efficacy, usage and ingredient profile.

spa lifestyle

Choosing to be Grateful creates Happiness The anti-ageing life philosophy of being happy is the opportunity to extend the general lifespan and impact the number of years lived in optimal health.

Our desire to stay young, beautiful and energetic is as natural as the process of ageing itself.

Ageing well includes an individual's mental, physical and spiritual well-being. Choosing to focus on good things makes you feel better than focusing on bad.

The act of gratitude is the act of focusing on the good in life. If we perceive our current life to be good, we will also believe our future life to be good.

Optimism is correlated with gratitude because those with an optimistic disposition are biologically more likely to focus on the good than on the bad.

Those who engage in gratitude practices have been shown to feel less pain, go to the doctor less often, have lower blood pressure, and be less likely to develop a mental disorder. Gratitude and vitality are strongly correlated - the grateful are much more likely to report physical and mental vigour.

To bring some changes in life it would be good to become aware of yourself: What is going on in your mind and spiritual health; what physical condition your body is in and what could be the best training options for your personality.

In addition to building our own happiness, choosing gratitude can bring out the best in those around us.

Research: A 2014 article in the journal Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience identified a variation in a gene (CD38) associated with gratitude. Some people simply have a heightened genetic tendency to experience “global relationship satisfaction, perceived partner responsiveness and positive emotions (particularly love)”.

Researchers in a study randomly assigned one group of study participants to keep a short weekly list of the things they were grateful for, while other groups listed hassles or neutral events. Ten weeks later, the first group enjoyed significantly greater life satisfaction than the others. Other studies have shown the same pattern and lead to the same conclusion.

How does this work? One explanation is that acting happy, regardless of feelings, coaxes one's brain into processing positive emotions. In one experiment, researchers asked human subjects to smile forcibly for 20 seconds while tensing facial muscles, notably the muscles around the eyes called the orbicularis oculi (which create “crow's feet”). They found that this action stimulated brain activity associated with positive emotions.

Gratitude reduces levels of stress by activating the parasympathetic nervous system. Stress in turn has been shown to disrupt healthy body functioning (e.g disrupting the hypothalamic-pituitary axis, the immune system, our sleep, etc.).

Gratitude improves psychological health and thereby reduces a multitude of negative emotions, ranging from envy and resentment to frustration and regret.

Research confirms that gratitude effectively increases happiness and reduces depression.

Benefits of Gratitude: The successful ageing concepts teach us that the achievement of mental and emotional well-being is a prerequisite to leading a healthy life. Those that have more gratitude have a more pro-active coping style, are more likely to have social support in times of need.

Gratitude increases sleep quality, reduces the time required to fall asleep, and increases sleep duration.

Gratitude makes us nicer, more trusting, more social, and more appreciative. As a result, it helps us make more friends and deepen our existing relationships.

Gratitude boosts our career. It makes you a more effective manager, helps you network, increases your decision making capabilities, increases your productivity.

Gratitude strengthens our emotions - it reduces feelings of envy, makes our memories happier, lets us experience good feelings, and helps us bounce back from stress.

Gratitude increases spiritualism. Spiritual

transcendence is highly correlated with feelings of gratitude. The more spiritual you are, the more likely you are to be grateful.

Gratitude makes us less self-centred. This is because the very nature of gratitude is to focus on others acts of kindness.

Gratitude increase your energy levels, physical and mental vigour.

Gratitude makes our memories happier. Experiencing gratitude makes us more likely to remember positive memories, and actually transforms some of our neutral or even negative memories into positive.

Gratitude helps you network. As gratitude has been shown to increase self-esteem and reduce insecurity, this means that it can help us focus and improve our productivity

There are strategies that we can adopt.

First, start with “interior gratitude,” the practice of giving thanks privately.

Next, move to “exterior gratitude,” which focuses on public expression. The psychologist Martin Seligman, father of the field known as “positive psychology,” gives some practical suggestions on how to do this. In his best seller “Authentic Happiness,” he recommends that readers systematically express gratitude in letters to loved ones and colleagues. A disciplined way to put this into practice is to make it as routine as morning coffee. Write two short emails each morning to friends, family or colleagues, thanking them for what they do.

Finally, be grateful for useless things. It is relatively easy to be thankful for the most important and obvious parts of life - a happy marriage, good friends, healthy chhildren.

Because of our culture, expressions of gratitude are often difficult to give - cultivating an attitude of gratitude will help. .