Spa Executive | Issue 9 | August 2019

ISSUE #09 AUGUST 2019
SPA EXECUTIVE
FOR LEADERS IN THE BUSINESS OF WELLNESS
NEWS
Study finds people are
too busy and guilty for
self care
SIX SENSES’ CEO
Neil
Jacobs
WHAT MAKES AN EXCEPTIONAL GUEST EXPERIENCE
GROWTH
700 year old
bathhouse reopening
as a spa in Jerusalem
BUSINESS
10 things your spa
customers should
never see

PUBLISHER
Roger Sholanki
EDITOR
Elizabeth Bromstein
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Basheer Mohamed
DESIGNER
Shajee Aijazi
Note from the Publisher
Empathy is important to business success. Research bears this out. One recent study found
that 91% of CEOs believe empathy is directly linked to a company's financial performance, and
that more than 90% of employees say they're more likely to stay with an empathetic employer.
In this issue, we’re talking about empathy. In our Spotlight interview we asked Six Senses’ CEO
Neil Jacobs what makes an exceptional guest experience. And he said, “Our role is to make a
difference in people’s lives where they feel rested and rejuvenated and leave with an expanded
view. In an industry with players claiming service focus, Six Senses stands out as the brand with
empathy.”
An enviable position to be in, I’d say.
This need is imperative in spa, where therapists and service providers give a great deal of
themselves in supporting the wellbeing of guests. For our team members to be successful in
this, this emotional intelligence needs to trickle down from the top and flow outwards.
It takes empathetic leadership to attract and retain top talent, and empathetic business
sensibilities to listen to and communicate with our guests. The first point is evident when we talk
about “Five spa management blunders that cost you employees,” and the second in a study
finding that “People are too busy and guilty for self care.” If you’re in the business of helping
others, a valuable message you can send out into the world is that it’s OK to care for yourself.
Empathy is imperative to getting the best out of our employees and giving the best to our
guests. It may be the most important soft skill you can develop for your business.
Shouldn’t we all aim to be “the brand with empathy?”
Roger Sholanki, CEO
Book4Time
The online magazine for Spa
Executives, featuring news
and exclusive interviews.

Contents
August 2019 Volume 9
3
NEWS
Study finds people are too busy
and guilty for self care (let’s
change that)
3
5
7
MANAGEMENT
Five spa management blunders
that cost you employees
SPOTLIGHT
Six Senses CEO Neil Jacobs -
What makes an exceptional
guest experience
11
BUSINESS
10 things your spa customers
should never see
13
GROWTH
Hammam al-Ayn: 700 year old
bathhouse reopening as a spa
in Jerusalem
7
15
TECHNOLOGY
Shiseido’s Optune is an Internet
of Things skincare system
16
FEATURE
Three reasons why empathy is
crucial to spa business success
18
GROWTH
The Red Door Spa and Salon is
rebranding for a new era
13 20
20
TRENDS
HIIT may be the secret to
fighting brain aging

Study finds people are too
busy and guilty for self care
If you’re in the business of helping others take
care of themselves, a valuable message you
can send out into the world is that it’s OK to
take some time for self care. Busy people
need to know this is OK. Moms and dads
need to know it’s OK. Potential spa
customers who are too busy, or who feel
guilty about taking a moment of “me time”
need to know that it’s OK.
People need to be reminded that caring for
oneself actually makes you better equipped
to deal with all of the challenges life has to
offer, and to care for those around you. It
makes you a better YOU.
This is Spa Executive’s takeaway after
reading a recent study showing that people’s
relationships with self care are complicated
and fraught.
Duty to others gets in the way
Self care – like a trip to the spa – is
something we should all be making time for.
But the study found that many struggle with
feelings of guilt over taking some time for
themselves and that duty to others often gets
in the way, particularly for women.
For the study, Birchbox and Kelton Global
surveyed over 1,000 people in the U.S.A. to
03 | Spa Executive News

gauge attitudes and behaviors towards
self-care.
We know we need it but we don’t have
the time
Eighty-nine percent of people agree that
“even just a few minutes of ‘me time’ can
make a world of difference,” but 40% of
people say they rarely have time for it.
Moreover, only 35% of people say they
consistently and routinely make time for
self-care, vs. 62% who approach self-care in
a more sporadic manner.
Respondents said they feel overwhelmed and
burnt out. Sixty percent of people often feel
“overwhelmed by everything that needs to be
done,” while 51% say that they often feel
burnt out.
Men are better at taking time for
themselves than women
Moms are more likely to feel both
overwhelmed (66% vs. 53%) and burnt out
(54% vs. 43%) than dads. But, despite this,
more men than women actually make time for
self care, (39% vs. 32%) and men are more
likely to block “me time” off on their calendars
(34% vs. 26%).
Parents as a whole are more likely to feel they
don’t have time for self-care than people who
don’t have kids (45% vs. 32%). And parents
are also quite likely to feel guilty about taking
time for themselves (39% vs. 26%).
Sixty-seven percent of people said that they
consistently put others ahead of themselves.
Thirty-three percent feel guilty about taking
time for themselves, and women feel guiltier
than men (37% vs. 30%).
People need to
be reminded
that caring for
oneself actually
makes you
better equipped
to deal with all
of the
challenges life
has to offer,
and to care for
those around
you.
More findings include:
• Gen Zers are most likely to feel burnt out
(73%), followed by Millennials (57%) and Gen
Xers (54%), while Boomers and up are less
likely to feel burnt out (39%).
• Just over one in five (21%) have let guilt get
in the way of taking time for themselves.
• Single people are more likely to regularly
make time for self-care than people who are
married or in a relationship (42% vs. 30%).
• Nearly half (45%) of city dwellers say that
they rarely have time to care for themselves.
Fewer people in small towns and rural areas
say the same (39%).
What we define as self care
When it comes to what we call “self care,”
looking after our bodies is our main focus,
along with beauty and grooming rituals.
• 74% of people say self-care means taking
care of their bodies.
• 74% associate fitness and exercise
activities with self-care.
• 72% associate beauty or grooming rituals
with self care.
These grooming rituals include:
• Taking a bubble bath or hot shower (50%)
• Carrying out their beauty or grooming
routine (37%)
• Having a spa day (30%)
• Getting a manicure or pedicure (30%)
• Putting on a face mask (21%)
Communicating the benefits of myriad forms
of self care is key. Be it the incredible health
benefits of a walk in nature, a sauna, or a
massage. Or the amazing stress relieving
effects of meditation. It doesn’t always have
to be an entire spa day.
Communicate to your guests and potential
guests that everyone should take some time
for themselves.
They deserve it.
Trends
Spa Executive | 04

Five spa management blunders
that cost you employees
Are you making these spa management
blunders that cost you employees?
Spa management isn’t easy and neither is
attracting and retaining top talent. And you
definitely need to be good at the latter in
order to do the former.
Spa is pretty much in a staffing crisis,
according to many. Even when we can find
people to join our teams, we can’t keep them
around, as they often leave to start their own
businesses or work independently.
The good news is that much of this employee
turnover can probably be reduced by making
some changes to some unfortunate spa
management practices.
We looked back at some interviews we’ve
done with spa industry experts on staffing
and employee retention, and found a lot of
valuable insights on what we should and
should not be doing if we want top talent to
stick around.
Here are five common spa management
blunders that cost you employees
Burning employees out
Spa team members are often overworked
and exhausted , because managers aren’t
thinking about the bigger picture. Leaders
feel pressured to fit in as much as possible to
maximize revenue, and pushing service
providers to do more work days and cram in
more treatments can seem like an effective
business strategy. But this tactic is short
sighted, and will cost you a lot more than it
saves – particularly in high staff turnover.
Sonal Uberoi of Spa Balance Consulting told
05 | Spa Executive Management

us in a recent interview that spas should
make staff wellbeing a priority “instead of
therapist productivity and financial targets.”
She added, “Needless-to-say, the latter are
important, but without the former, the latter is
not possible.”
Hiring for skill and experience over
attitude
We recently asked Todd Hewitt, Assistant
Vice President of Spa at Shangri-La Hotels
and Resorts, what characteristics he looks
for in talent. He said, “A smile, sense of
humor, and eagerness. I don’t care about
experience. That can be quickly learned.”
It’s one of the oldest pieces of hiring wisdom
out there, and yet so many people ignore it.
Do so at your own peril. If you hire someone
who is lacking skill and experience but has a
great attitude, they will be eager to learn and
will soon have the experience and a great
attitude. If you hire someone who has all the
skills and experience, but a bad attitude, they
will always have a bad attitude. Because
those things rarely change, and that will
always be a problem.
Not giving team members autonomy and
responsibility
Nobody likes to be micromanaged. And yet,
so many managers micromanage and don’t
invite team members into the decision
process or trust then to govern themselves.
Few things are more disheartening to an
adult than not being treated like one.
Todd Hewitt said in his interview, “I love
looking into the eyes of individuals who want
to learn more or take on more tasks. As
difficult as it is to let go of control, give them
extra jobs or duties and see how they do.
Provide goals and deadlines. And when
completed, be honest with them and tell
them what you like and what could be
improved.”
Treating staff
with the utmost
respect is very
important to me.
The way I see it,
they’re my
internal guests,
and if I take care
of them, they will
take care of the
other guests.
Daisy Tepper
Spa Manager at the Post Oak Hotel
Not communicating expectations and
establishing boundaries
Team members need to be told what the
goals and targets of an organization are. They
need to know what sort of a guest experience
you aim to provide (a fantastic one,
obviously…but with details and touches
specific to your spa), and how you will
provide it. If this is not communicated, they
will ultimately fail to live up to expectations,
because nobody can live up to expectations
when they don’t know what those expectations
are. This results in frustration and
disappointment for everyone, and creates a
bad employee experience.
Boundaries are also key. In an article on
creating a drama free workplace, Eric
Stephenson of Elements Massage recently
told us, “I noticed that when the leadership
was good at establishing boundaries and
communicating expectations, there were
fewer negative emotions draining the culture.”
We are all better when we know what is
expected of us and where the boundaries
are.
Not treating staff like important people
When we spoke with Daisy Tepper, Spa
Manager at the Post Oak Hotel at Uptown
Houston, about how she and her team
managed to earn a Five Star rating from
Forbes Travel Guide just three months after
opening, she talked about treating her staff
like guests.
Tepper said, “Treating them with the utmost
respect is very important to me. The way I
see it, they’re my internal guests, and if I take
care of them, they will take care of the other
guests. The bread and butter comes from
these people. When you treat people well,
they will go above and beyond.”
And when you don’t treat people well, they
will leave.
At the end of the day, if you treat your team
members they way you would like to be
treated, you’ll keep them around longer.
Management
Spa Executive | 06

Neil Jacobs
Six Senses
What makes an exceptional guest experience &
what’s exciting in spa and wellness right now
Neil Jacobs is the CEO of Six Senses Hotels
Resorts Spas, one of the world’s most
renowned luxury hotel and resort brands and
a leading name in the wellness space.
Mr. Jacobs has more than thirty years of
experience in the hotel and spa industry, and
his passions include wellness, sustainability,
innovative design, food, and experiential
travel. He studied Hotel Management at
Westminster Hotel School in London, French
Civilization at La Sorbonne University, and
Italian culture and art in Florence, and is
fluent in five languages.
With Mr. Jacobs at the helm, it’s no surprise
that so many things make Six Senses a
standout in spa and wellness, from the
commitment to sustainability and community,
to beautiful properties in breathtaking
settings, to creative guest experience
offerings you won’t find elsewhere.
Six Senses recently joined the
InterContinental family of brands, a move that
Mr. Jacobs called, “an exciting new era.” He
added, “IHG believes in our purpose to
merge the two platforms of wellness and
sustainability to promote personal health, and
the health of the planet.”
We spoke with him about what makes Six
Senses so special, what makes an
exceptional guest experience, and what he is
most excited about in spa and wellness right
now.
What do you think makes Six Senses
such a standout among spas and
wellness businesses?
Six Senses Spas has an advisory board of
amazing experts in their respective fields,
which includes doctors and scientists, to help
and direct us as to what is happening within
their respective fields and to navigate on what
is right or not for our guests. We have a
wellness operational department plus a
wellness innovation team where we look at all
things wellness and also what is trending. We
are constantly on the outlook for innovations,
therapies and technologies. I don’t think that
any other hospitality and wellness brand
does what we do and it shows how we aim
to stand out from the crowd.
What makes an exceptional guest
experience?
Luxury is all about subtlety and experience –
offering our guests a chance to interact with
the community around them in a way that
feels genuine and authentic. Our role is to
make a difference in people’s lives where
they feel rested and rejuvenated and leave
with an expanded view. In an industry with
players claiming service focus, Six Senses
stands out as the brand with empathy. The
07 | Spa Executive Spotlight

exceptional service experienced by guests is
a result of every one of our hosts believing in
the brand and understanding the
commitment of the group to guests,
environment and the individual communities
of which we are a part.
What is luxury today and how is it
different from luxury ten years ago?
My personal observation is that the delivery
of luxury is becoming more relaxed and
losing its formality with greater focus on
guest convenience and being responsive to
guest comforts. Technology simplifies and
makes everything easier. We just need to be
careful not to overdo it and be sure that all
aspects are purposeful, and not use tech for
tech’s sake.
Can you talk a bit about the importance
of community, and how you and Six
Senses are trying to encourage this?
At Six Senses we think that community is an
important aspect that is missing in much of
today’s world. How we interact with
community is important when it comes to
building a business with sustainability in
mind. Our commitment is towards developing
our people and we hire local where possible.
Our hosts are personally involved in
community projects and we invite guests to
participate if they wish.
Another major issue for Six Senses is
sustainability. Can you tell us a bit about
your efforts in this area?
Sustainability initiatives include being
plastic-free by 2022; each property has an
Earth Lab where guests can learn about our
sustainability programs; our on-property
production of Six Senses Water for guests
and hosts – in still and sparkling – using
Spotlight
Spa Executive | 08

eusable glass bottles which eliminates the
carbon footprint of shipping water and
1,690,376 plastic bottles in 2018.
What would you say is the biggest
challenge currently facing spa and
wellness?
There are many wonderful opportunities
constantly being presented to Six Senses.
We must always be sure of our ability to
execute well and deliver what we promise our
guests. It’s easy to be lured into growth, but
growth for growth’s sake is not the road we
travel. Each Six Senses project must be
accretive and further our goals and embody
our values.
What are you most excited about in
wellness right now?
At Six Senses, we have been working the
past six years with servicing our guests with
scientific personalized wellness through
biomarker testing, TCM assessment,
Ayurvedic assessments, sleep assessments,
movement assessments, and more. We see
that mental wellness and brain health in
general are in focus, and we are working with
neuroscientists and doctors on programs
such as our Holistic Anti-Aging Center.
Biohacking is a big trend right now, and in
particular using technology or processes that
speed up your wellness. It may be something
like wearing blue blocking glasses an hour
before sleep in order to sleep better (and we
do provide this at Six Senses as well), ice
baths, or more technologically advanced
hacking such as neurofeedback,
vibroacoustic loungers and more.
Another trend is Energy medicine, looking at
all that which we cannot see or conventional
science cannot define. Quantum Physics is
looking at this field right now, however
Shamans, Buddhism and indigenous people
have worked with this energy field for
thousands of years. At Six Senses we have
teamed up with Dr. Alberto Villoldo, a doctor
and Shaman and we are providing Energy
Medicine programs, such as “Grow a New
Body” at selected resorts.
What has joining up with InterContinental
Hotel Group meant for Six Senses and for
Intercontinental?
It has only been a short time since joining
with InterContinental and I must say that
things are going really well. They are
tremendous people with a great culture who
are respectful of what we do. There are
plenty of areas where we can integrate to
create synergy and this can only make us
stronger and more effective, so it’s proving to
be a great ownership shift for us.
You have a lot of locations opening. What
are you most excited about for Six
Senses right now?
Regarded as a resort and spa company, we
have now applied the DNA to urban hotels,
which we are confident will set new
standards and benchmarks for living that
combine a healthy approach to work, leisure
time, dining, fitness and overall well-being.
We have just opened resorts in Bali,
Cambodia, the first of five lodges in Bhutan
and a second hotel in Singapore. Some of
the projects we have recently announced are
in the US, Costa Rica, Iceland and France,
with a mix of urban and resort properties.
All these properties will further reinforce that
the Six Senses DNA is able to triumph in
such diverse and unique locations.
09 | Spa Executive Spotlight

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FOR LEADERS IN THE BUSINESS OF WELLNESS
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11 | Spa Executive Business

10
things your
spa customers
should never see
An excellent guest experience in your spa
means putting your best foot forward, always.
Spa customers should only ever see the
good in you and your establishment, and
should never see the bad or the ugly.
Here are 10 things spa customers should
never see.
A mess
It should go without saying that a guest
should only ever see a clean and well
prepared spa. Stay on top of this. There’s no
excuse for a messy or dirty space. A full
schedule, absent team members, or a
sudden crisis don’t give you leave to bring
customers into a less than spotless
environment. It’s something a customer will
not forgive, and they will be savage in their
online reviews.
Drama or conflict
Spas can be dramatic workplaces, as we
recently discussed in detail, but your
customers should never see the negative
stuff going on behind the scenes. If there is
animosity or competition between team
members, keep it out of sight of guests.
Better yet, fix it, or avoid it in the first place.
Guests can feel tension in the air, and it’s
human nature to want to avoid it.
Attitude
I was recently in a store where an employee
rolled her eyes at and said something
pejorative about a customer behind that
customer’s back. I imagine she won’t have
her job for very long. Your staff should always
be courteous about guests, regardless of
their personal opinions. Anything less is
unacceptable, childish, and embarrassing for
your business.
Anything confidential
Confidential information can leak by accident.
We’ve heard stories, for example, of front
desk staff asking health questions of guests
when there are other guests in the waiting
room, within earshot. This isn’t just
discourteous, it’s also potentially illegal. Be
sure to keep all confidential information away
from guests and ensure that your spa and
spa software are compliant with local laws
and regulations such as HIPAA and GDPR.
Your anger or frustration
No matter how hard things can get behind
the scenes, the customers should only ever
see you smile. It can be tempting to vent,
complain, or overshare with guests,
particularly when you know them and see
them regularly. But they are still guests, not
friends or family members. Save your venting
for outside of the spa.
Disorganization
Are you flustered? Are things going wrong
and getting out of hand? Did your most
popular massage therapist and one of your
mani-pedi stations get double booked? You
can avoid these types of issues with a spa
software that handles your bookings and
employee schedules, so that you don’t have
to worry about it. If they do happen, handle
them with grace and self assuredness.
A missing space where their favorite
product should be.
Retail sales are difficult enough in spa without
having to worry about running out of
products people actually want to purchase.
And sometimes, particularly because retail is
often slow, inventory gets forgotten because
of all the other items that need immediate
attention. Don’t let this happen. Stay on top
of your inventory and ensure that guests’
favorite products are always available to
them. Spa management software can and
should take care of this for you.
An exhausted employee
Unfortunately, it’s a common practice in spa
and wellness to overwork employees to the
point of burnout, a cruel strategy that is in
direct contrast with the entire concept of
“wellness.” If you can’t be moved to avoid this
on the basis of kindness, you should know
that it is a short sighted strategy that will cost
you in the long run in employee attrition and
dissatisfied customers. Customer should only
ever see happy team members who are
ready and eager to work.
An employee being corrected or berated
Employees should never be berated in the first
place, let alone in front of customers.
Management should always treat team
members with the respect they would like to
receive in return. And, if you must correct a
team member, do it out of sight of guests.
Doing so in front of guests undermines
confidence and causes resentment. Don’t do it.
Unhappy fellow customers
Your best line of defense here is to keep your
guests happy at all times. But if you do find
yourself faced with a complaining customer,
take the conversation out of sight and into a
private area. Guests should not be disturbed
by this. And no matter how right you are, or
unfair the complaint, it can still reflect badly
on your establishment.
Business
Spa Executive | 12

Hammam al-Ayn
700 year old bathhouse reopening as
a spa in Jerusalem
The Hammam al-Ayn, an ancient hammam
(bathhouse) that has been sitting unused and
falling into disrepair in East Jerusalem, is
being refurbished and is reopening as a spa.
Built around 1336
The Hammam al-Ayn was built in the 14th
Century, around 1336CE, during the
Mameluke period, considered the golden age
of Islamic architecture in Jerusalem. It is one
of two hammams of the period in The
Caravanserai in Khan Tankaz, the other being
the nearby al-Shifa Hammam, located in the
central part of the Cotton Merchants’
(Qattanin) market. According to the Center for
Jerusalem Studies at al-Quds University,
which oversees the entire site, the complex
was established by Prince Sayf al-Din
Tankaz, as a commercial compound featuring
lodgings for mystics and hermits because of
its proximity to the Haram al-Sharif.
In fall of 2019, the Hammam al-Ayn will come
into full operation, offering steam baths and
spa treatments. The spa is operated by al
Quds University and the Centre for Jerusalem
Studies in partnership with a consultant.
It was operational for around 700 years, until
the 1970s, according to Arnan Bashir,
General Director of the Center. “The al-Ayn,
which means ‘the spring,’ literally because it
was fed by a spring, has been in disrepair for
the last 50 years,” he told Spa Executive.
In 1998, al-Quds renovated the
archaeological site and has since maintained
it as an important part of the fabric and
heritage of Jerusalem’s Old City. Various
activities are held at the site.
Hammams are an important part of history
Historically, Islamic cities have been
distinguished by the presence of public baths
(hammams) near markets and mosques,
used for ritual purification before prayers and
to serve the community in general. This
particular bath served people going to pray at
the al-Aqsa Mosque and Haram al-Sharif.
These hammams fell out of popular use after
the advent of indoor plumbing.
The BBC reports that the al-Ayn will be Old
City East Jerusalem’s only functioning
hammam, as the nearby Hammam al-Shifa is
becoming an art gallery and event space.
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Mr. Bashir said, “Opening this hammam
again is important because not one of the
three historical bathhouses in Old City East
13 | Spa Executive Growth

Hammams are
an important
part of history
Jerusalem is operational and it is an
important part of our culture and heritage.”
He added, “We have preserved the original
design because it is a UNESCO World
Heritage Site. Quite a bit of the original tile
work and stonework is extant in the
bathhouse.”
Though the renovation preserved the
architectural layout and original design of the
hammam, modern amenities like electric
lights and showers have been added.
The project has been in the works for a long
time. In fact, according to the BBC, plans for
the renovation were drafted in the 1980s but
the funds to follow through were lacking until
the European Union stepped in to help
finance the project as part of a program to
protect cultural heritage in Jerusalem.
Interestingly, excavations during the
renovation also reportedly revealed a third
bathhouse below the Ohel Yitzhak
synagogue.
Spa treatments at the Hammam al-Ayn
Spa treatments include Swedish massage,
hot stone massage, aromatherapy massage,
and shiatsu massage, as well as reflexology
and Hopi ear candling, among other services.
Products include Dead Sea mud and
homemade facial masks made with
ingredients like curcumin, honey, cucumber,
ginger, avocado, banana, rose water, citrus
fruits, oats, and coffee.
Growth
Spa Executive | 14

Shiseido’s Optune is an Internet of
Things skincare system
Shiseido has released an Internet of Things
(IoT) skincare service called “Optune” in
Japan.
The original algorithm then provides optimal
skincare suggestions fitting the current
conditions.
disruption of the users’ biological rhythm, and
reflect results in the skincare solution
provided the next day.
Optune, which launched this month, is an IoT
personalized skincare system that can deliver
the best real-time skincare formulas based
on 80,000 “skincare patterns.”
The skincare technology system works with
an iPhone app to collect and analyze different
data sets at any moment. These include skin
condition, which includes moisture, oil, pores,
and texture; environmental factors, such as
temperature, humidity, and pollen; sleep data;
and data input by users, like mood and
menstrual cycle.
“Skin conditions can vary each day due to
external factors such as weather and fine
particulates in the air, as well as internal
factors including sleep, stress/mood, and
menstrual cycle,” says the media release. The
system allows users to learn about their
changing skin condition in real time just by
taking a picture of the skin with a smartphone
camera. This data is stored together with
skincare records.
Shiseido says Optune can also detect
movement during sleep, identify the
A beta version of Optune was released in
March, 2018 to a limited audience. That
version provided 1,000 skincare patterns,
while the new Optune provides 80,000.
Bloomberg reports that, while the system is
only available in Japan at the moment, it may
expand into more markets.
The subscription service is Shiseido’s first
and costs 10,000 yen (92 USD) per month.
15 | Spa Executive Technology

Three reasons why this soft skill is
crucial for spa business success
Empathy is key to success in the spa
business. This is why it should be top of mind
at all times – when recruiting, when hiring,
when onboarding and training, and in all
day-to-day business operations.
What is empathy? The Cambridge dictionary
defines it as: “the ability to share someone
else’s feelings or experiences by imagining what
it would be like to be in that person’s situation.”
Empathy is a part of emotional intelligence. It’s
understanding and being sensitive to the
feelings of the people around you.
This doesn’t mean being a pushover, allowing
others to walk all over you, or tolerating rude
customer or employee behaviour or
substandard work performance. It means
being present and aware of the feelings of
others.
That empathy is key to success has been
said by many of the world’s most
accomplished people. For example, Microsoft
CEO Satya Nadella has been quoted as
saying, “Empathy is everything even in a
business context. There was no way we
could innovate without having a deeper
sense of empathy.” Virgin Group founder and
CEO, Richard Branson has said, “In
business… companies that want to
survive…are smart enough to know that
caring and cooperation are key.” And Oprah
Winfrey famously said, “Leadership is about
empathy. It is about having the ability to relate
to and connect with people for the purpose
of inspiring and empowering their lives.”
Feature
Spa Executive | 16

Here are three reasons why empathy is key to spa
business success
Empathy builds good customer relationships
Empathy is particularly important for success in spa and
wellness. Guests come to us, often feeling vulnerable
about their health, wellbeing, and physical appearance.
Our team members spend time with them in close
quarters, often making physical contact and listening to
them talk about their lives and their problems. This type
or relationship requires trust, for which empathy is
required. Empathetic team members create lasting
relationships with spa guests.
Moreover, empathy creates loyal customers. One study
found that employee empathy had a positive impact on
customer loyalty, including positive word-of-mouth and
repurchase intentions.
Empathy improves work performance
Leaders who master listening and responding with
empathy score more than 40% higher in overall
performance, coaching, engaging others, planning and
organizing, and decision making, according to a study
by DDI. The same organization has found that empathy
is the top critical driver of overall performance and that
91% of CEOs believe empathy is directly linked to a
company’s financial performance.
Empathy helps you tune into the world around you,
encouraging mindfulness, which in turn makes us notice
what needs to be done and do it with intention.
Empathy helps attract and retain top talent
It’s been said that people don’t quit jobs, they quit
bosses. To empower employees to be empathetic, this
needs to some from the top down, with leaders
modelling behaviour. DDI also found that 90% of
employees say they’re more likely to stay with an
empathetic employer. And separate research has found
that “leaders with a good self-insight, who are humble
and act as credible role models, are rewarded with
committed and service-minded employees.”
Meanwhile, employees who feel included are reportedly
more innovative in their jobs and more likely to go
beyond the call of duty to help other team members and
meet group objectives.
Creating an empathetic culture at your spa starts with
owners, directors and managers. Begin by learning to
be empathetic with your team members and your guests
— and see the difference it makes.
17 | Spa Executive Feature

The Red Door
Spa and Salon
is rebranding for a new era
After more than 100 years in the spa and
salon space, The Red Door Salon & Spa is
rebranding as Mynd Spa & Salon.
The company recently announced the
rebrand, and said that its 26 existing
locations will all undergo renovations, to be
completed in 2020.
The renewed Mynd Spa & Salon will have a
new look and feel, with airy spaces and a
“soothing color palette.” Mynd is viewing this
shift as an opportunity to evolve the brand,
expand service offerings, and partner with
innovative product lines. The spas and salons
will offer a streamlined menu of tailor-made
beauty and wellness services in the same
seven self-care areas previously offered by
The Red Door : massage therapy, body
treatments, skincare, nail care, haircut and
color, makeup, and waxing.
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Clean and cruelty-free product lines by
female- and family-owned businesses,
including cosmetics companies Rodial and
Delilah and skincare brands Babor and Dr.
Dennis Gross, will be introduced in-store and
online.
At its core, the Mynd philosophy is that
beauty is intrinsically connected to wellness
of both body and mind, and the company is
dedicated to using its resources to support
guests’ overall wellbeing.
“With a community of best-in-industry
experts, products grounded in science and
nature, and services that demonstrate the
power of human connection, Mynd sees itself
as a brick-and-mortar support system for
individuals seeking lasting health, beauty, and
wellness – however they choose to define
these goals for themselves.”
“’Self-care, undefined’” is the mantra of
Mynd, according to a media release.
Todd Walter, CEO of Mynd Spa & Salon said
in a statement, “In a world where self-care is
an increasingly vital need, where the
cause-and-effect between self-care and
health and wellness is so clear, we’re thrilled
to offer services that have the ability to
tangibly improve our guests’ lives.
“While proudly embracing our roots as The
Red Door – more than 100 years in the spa
and salon space – we’re excited by the
far-reaching potential of this evolution of the
brand. With new product lines and services,
an introspective articulation of our core values
— and new values — and an innovative focus
on personalizing self-care, we’re looking
forward to supporting our loyal and
ever-growing community.”
Mynd will retain The Red Door’s tiered menu
format of Mini, Essential, and Escape options,
and the spa offers a membership program
and a mobile rewards program, as well as
beauty and wellness services in corporate
offices.
19 | Spa Executive Growth

HIIT may be the secret to fighting brain aging
High Intensity Interval training is a popular
exercise trend, voted one of the top three
fitness trends for 2019 in a survey by the
American College of Sports Medicine.
Now it turns out that this popular workout
style – which involves short bursts of intense
exercise interspersed with rest periods – may
be the key to staving off age-related cognitive
decline.
A new study led by Dr. Tom Bailey at the
University of Queensland has found that HIIT
may be more effective than continuous
exercise at increasing brain blood flow in
older men.
“As we age, the flow of blood to the brain and
arterial function decreases,” said Dr. Bailey, a
research fellow from the Centre for Research
on Exercise, Physical Activity and Health at
UQ’s School of Human Movement and
Nutrition Sciences, in a statement. “These
factors have been linked to a risk of cognitive
decline and cardiovascular events, such as
stroke.
“Finding ways to increase brain blood flow
and function in older adults is vital.”
The study is reportedly the first of its kind to
compare brain blood flow in younger and
older men during both continuous and HIIT
exercise. And one of the key findings is that
both the exercise and the rest periods play
roles in increasing brain blood flow.
“This study shows that interval-based
exercise was as effective as continuous
exercise for increasing brain blood flow in
older adults during the periods of activity, and
more effective than continuous exercise
when we measured the overall blood flow
increases during both the exercise and the
rest periods,” said Dr. Bailey.
Separate research also recently found that
living a healthy lifestyle may offset the risk of
dementia. Researchers examined lifestyle
categories, including diet, physical activity,
smoking and alcohol consumption and found
that healthy behaviours were associated with
a reduced dementia risk across all genetic
risk groups.
And yet more studies have found that
regularly applying moisturizer and taking
regular sauna baths may also have benefits
when it comes to keeping the brain healthy.
Trends
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