Inspiration
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Neil Pasricha: Intentional Living & Building Trust
Great Work ➞ Big Success ➞ Be Happy Does that equation look right? Neil Pasricha finds most of us have grown up with that lesson instilled in us: If you do great work and achieve big success, it leads to happiness.
“This model is fundamentally reversed,” he claimed to the ISPA Conference audience. “It turns out, to be our best selves we need to put happiness at the beginning of the equation.”
Be Happy ➞ Great Work ➞ Big Success
“Happy people live longer. The average lifespan in this country right now is 30,000 days. We know from research that if you cultivate happiness, you get 3,000 extra days.” For Neil, the pursuit of happiness all started with a “rock bottom” period of his life. Within a three-day period, his wife told him she did not want to be married any longer, and his best friend took his own life. To cope, Neil began trying to focus on one good thought every day, eventually recording his ideas on a blog called 1,000 Awesome Things. Over the past decade since he began to catalog “awesome things,” Neil has researched happiness. “We’re awake 1,000 minutes per day,” he said. Happiness can start by committing to use two of those minutes to self focus. He suggests doing just one of the following routines every day.
Noella Gabriel: A Spa Visionary’s Journey of Well-being and Innovation
Noella Gabriel recalls how her upbringing in a musical family inspired curiosity about the function of breath to a singer, along with its relationship to skin, emotional and overall wellness. Gabriel followed her passion for how the body works in a series of professional pursuits.
“I founded Acorn Health Food Shop in County Cork with my sister and was able to work closely with customers on the benefits of nutrition and the science behind it,” she shares. “My love for holistic therapy took me to New York in my early 20s, where I qualified as a beauty therapist in shiatsu, reflexology and aromatherapy— which, back then, was considered a bit eccentric! From then on, I fell in love with the world of touch, aromatics and well-being—and, of course, skin as my first love. My idea of heaven was being in the treatment room with one client for two to three hours, just to be able to take that client on a whole new journey.”
Personalizing Your Retail Space to Captivate Consumers
“People don’t care what you do, they care why you do it.” Using that philosophy from Simon Sinek, this panel of experts from Trilogy Spa Holdings shared important tips to help spas make their retail spaces more personal and meaningful and to create curiosity with their displays.
“Every spa should have a ‘hot spot’ when you first walk in—an area that demands your attention, makes you stop and find out more,” Ingrid Middaugh advised. She also shared the value of knowing your competition. Her location in Vail, Colorado, is within a block of hundreds of shops in a major shopping area. “I go to every one of the spas in my area to see what they’re selling. I look at what’s on sale—what’s not selling for them—so I’m not going to carry them because they’re not working,” Ingrid said. “We have to keep our focus on What is wellness? and What is the theme of our spa?
Pricing Strategies to Maximize Revenue
At the top of every spa leader’s list is how to maximize revenue. Panelists shared their top five takeaways in this session:
- Know the industry: Take the time to find out what brought your clients to the spa and what services they are looking for. Also, know what your top selling treatments are. It will help you come up with a good pricing strategy. Research other top companies to ensure you are in alignment with your prices.
- Institute demand pricing: Know the difference between variable pricing, dynamic pricing and dynamic availability. A lot of money can be left on the table if you don’t investigate these concepts. Spa leaders need to consider their treatments menu and to look at their spa’s high yields periodically.
- Practice yield management: Consider making changes incrementally. Start by reviewing demand, looking at data and bookings by hour and by day. Then start with a small adjustment on massages on weekends—perhaps a 10 percent increase. Then add another yield. Make sure to look at feedback. Are you receiving complaints? Are customers still happy even with higher prices? Your staff also need to buy in to the process. Incentivizing your concierge to rebook clients at checkout will provide stability as the practice ensures your books are filled early. Think of creative ways to maximize revenue; look at spaces and utilization to maximize opportunity.
- Trust technology: Analytics are critical to understanding customers and their needs. Use software tools to find and act on insights into client behavior. Make sure to market yourself correctly to take advantage of opportunities. Offer online bookings and send automatic confirmation reminders to increase bookings and reduce missed appointments. Review your cancelation window: How quickly are you rebooking? Make sure to have a policy for larger bookings to avoid scrambling to fill spots when groups cancel close to their treatment times.
- Make it customizable: Give clients the opportunity to book multiple treatments or activities at once. If you’re a large hotel, allow guests to book their spa treatment, golf time, dinner reservation and other services all at once. Consider offering “add-ons” to your menu of treatments: There is a demand for additional services, and clients will take advantage of those opportunities.
Reflections on #ISPA 2025: A Five-Star Conference Experience
For the first time in more than a quarter-century, the ISPA Conference returned to The Broadmoor, an iconic destination that—much like ISPA itself—has evolved and thrived over the decades. Since our previous gathering there in 1998, The Broadmoor has become a five-star resort— making the 2025 event ISPA’s first-ever five-star Conference experience. It was the perfect setting to celebrate 35 years of ISPA with countless opportunities for learning, networking and inspiration.
Reimagine, Redesign, Retail: 7 Tips to Craft a Spa Retail Experience from Existing Space
Purpose-built day spas or resorts will have retail spaces in mind during planning and development stages. That is a luxury not available to those attempting to retrofit a spa into an existing structure. Transforming a venue into a spa retail section requires ingenuity and creativity. These tips ensure a serene and inviting retail space—no matter what the facility was used for in its previous life.
Reviving Mental Vitality: Tools to Rejuvenate Mental Energy and Banish Burnout
Burnout can be managed both personally and professionally—in the home and in the workplace. Individuals can manage burnout by strategies like progressive muscle relaxation, guided imagery, diaphragmatic breathing, meditation and mindfulness-based stress reduction. It can also be managed by the type of foods you eat, the amount of sleep you get, vigorous experience and managing substance use. It’s also important to understand your social needs: Are you an introvert or an extrovert? Find your friends and be aware of isolation and loneliness. Recognize your spiritual and psychological needs: Find time to do partake in quiet reflection or religious/spiritual practice, spend time outdoors, practice gratitude, be of service to others and give time or resources to something you care about. Organizational strategies are important to managers to ensure their organization is not on the path to burnout. It’s imperative to gather feedback to understand what’s working, what’s not working and what motivates or drains your teams.
Rita Barreto: Help Your Company Shine in a Competitive Talent Market
What can make a difference in your business is the people you hire. In this session, learn how to up your game when attracting and retaining talent. The lessons and tools you’ll receive will help your company stand out, retain talent and attract new clientele.
Pulse: When should spas recruit promising but untrained individuals to the team, and when should they hold out for proven talent?
Rita Barreto: It depends. Hiring for attitude vs. talent has been a challenge faced by leaders for years and chances are you don’t have time to train. Also, some positions require proven experience with specific skills. The bottom line: If you want to be the best, you MUST have the RIGHT ATTITUDE! I’d say, open your recruiting pool, hire for attitude when you can—it can’t be taught, skills can! Be sure to ask questions about the competencies important to your spa: teamwork, communication, commitment to excellence and a can-do attitude! Next, put in place a fast-track mentoring program for current and new talent. Development opportunities are top on employee lists of what they want in a position and it drives retention of talent.
Sheila Johnson: Pioneering the Tranquil Revolution in Spa Hospitality
Sheila Johnson’s driving force when creating the Salamander Middleburg resort was the desire to craft a spa experience that seamlessly merged with nature. Reflecting on her professional entry into the spa scene, Johnson shares, “I had never previously been involved in either the hospitality or spa fields, but it was my interest in health and wellness that led me into both.”
Salamander Middleburg is a 340-acre resort in the heart of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains. Only 30 minutes from Dulles International Airport, Salamander Middleburg is the D.C. area’s first Forbes Five-Star destination resort and spa. Boasting equestrian programs, countryside bike tours and aerial parks, the resort is a haven for outdoor enthusiasts while also featuring gourmet dining, indulgent spa treatments and spacious, lavishly appointed guest rooms. For Johnson, Salamander Middleburg’s essence lies in its tranquility. “The spa’s carefully designed spaces draw the outdoors inside,” she notes.
Showing Appreciation is Often Overlooked (Elevate Your LeadershipPart V)
There is an alarming gap in the work place. The majority of employees don’t feel apprecaited at their job, while the majority of bosses feel they show appreciation to their employees. Why is that? How can it be fixed?